Burton's Antics
Burton's Antics
In his book Anatomy of Melancholy, Robert Burton plays a game of hide-and-seek. Relying on a variety of adages, Burton challenges his readers to find him out. Appearing and disappearing with seemingly random suddenness, the author paradoxically teases his readers not to put him out of mind. He would prefer to have his readers come to accept his mockery of human foibles as a means of self-knowledge and, hence, of self-healing. Burton's humane candor and modesty encourage the reader to discount his extreme self-deprecation. Anatomy promises to help the reader find his/her way back to sanity, yet is itself a product of the solitude and desultory habits of its author. The book also promises laughter or wisdom, but may very well deliver both by relying on a blend of precept and whimsy.
Keywords: Anatomy of Melancholy, Robert Burton, self-healing, laughter, wisdom, human foibles, sanity
Chicago Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.
