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black humor

(Encyclopedia)black humor, in literature, drama, and film, grotesque or morbid humor used to express the absurdity, insensitivity, paradox, and cruelty of the modern world. Ordinary characters or situations are usu...

South Kingstown

(Encyclopedia)South Kingstown kĭngˈstən, kĭngzˈtounˌ [key], town (1990 pop. 24,631), seat of Washington co., S R.I.; settled 1641, inc. 1674 as Kings Towne, divided into South Kingstown and North Kingstown 17...

San Ildefonso, town, Spain

(Encyclopedia)San Ildefonso lä grängˈhä [key], town (1990 pop. 5,088), Segovia prov., central Spain, in Castile and León. Near the town is the Spanish royal summer residence, called La Granja, built by Philip ...

Pitcairn, John

(Encyclopedia)Pitcairn, John pĭtˈkârn [key], 1722–75, British royal marine officer in the American Revolution. Major Pitcairn commanded the advance guard of the British troops at Lexington (see Lexington and C...

Innocent III

(Encyclopedia)Innocent III, b. 1160 or 1161, d. 1216, pope (1198–1216), an Italian, b. Anagni, named Lotario di Segni; successor of Celestine III. Innocent III was succeeded by Honorius III. Amid all his politi...

Hundred Years War

(Encyclopedia)Hundred Years War, 1337–1453, conflict between England and France. The Hundred Years War inflicted untold misery on France. Farmlands were laid waste, the population was decimated by war, famine, ...

Württemberg

(Encyclopedia)Württemberg vürˈtəmbĕrkˌ [key], former state, SW Germany. Württemberg was formerly also spelled Würtemberg and Wirtemberg. The former state bordered on Baden in the northwest, west, and southw...

Alleyn, Edward

(Encyclopedia)Alleyn, Edward ălˈĭn [key], 1566–1626, English actor. He was the foremost member of the Admiral's Men, joining the group c.1587, and was the only rival of Richard Burbage. An exceptionally large ...

Fischart, Johann

(Encyclopedia)Fischart, Johann yōˈhän fĭshˈärt [key], b. 1548, d. 1590 or 1591, German satirist and moralist. He lived in Strasbourg. He translated and paraphrased works by Rabelais called Geschichtsklitterun...

apology

(Encyclopedia)apology [Gr.,=defense], literary work that defends, justifies, or clarifies an author's ideas or point of view. Unlike the ordinary use of the word, the literary use neither implies that wrong has bee...