Theory Of Criticism From Plato To

An anthology of extracts of literary criticism and theory designed to aid readers' understanding of the subject. This survey of critical theory shows both the continuities and discontinuities from Plato up to the present through comparisons and contrasts across the field of critical history. This book is divided into five parts and covers: representation; subjectivity; form, structure and system; history and society; morality, class and ideology. Each part contains several thematic sections in which extracts from different writers and periods are juxtaposed. The study of literary theory has tended to concentrate on very recent developments. This volume, however, establishes both a sense of the continuities from Plato to the present day as well as the discontinuities. These are presented through comparisons and contrasts across the entire field of critical history.