Northrop Frye's Anatomy of Criticism: Four Essays (Princeton University Press, 1957) is an attempt to formulate an overall view of the scope, theory, principles and techniqiues of literary criticism as a structure of thought that exists in its own right. Quite consciously Frye omitted all specific and practical criticism, to offer his classically-inspired theories of modes, symbols, myths and genres, in what he termed "an interconnected group of suggestions," but which informed a work that was highly influential in the decades before deconstructivist criticism and other expressions of Post-Modernism.

Frye's four essays are sandwiched between a "Polemical Introduction" and a "Tentative Conclusion." The book evolved out of an introduction to Spenser's The Faerie Queene: "the introduction to Spenser became an introduction to the theory of allegory" Frye allowed (p. vii).

The four essays are on historical criticism, providing a theory of modes; on ethical criticism, providing a theory of symbols; archetypal criticism, providing a theory of myth, and rhetorical criticism's theory of genres.

It lays out Frye's theory on comedy. He presents names for common comic steorotypes. He lays out his Green World Theory. His theory deal mostly with classical drama, and some philosophers say his character types have no bearing on modern times.

Yet, we see them everyday. Modern sitcoms are full of Frye's 'alazon' the braggart. Even as young children we are presented with the quintessential example of Frye theory, cartoons. A lot of Frye's theory can revel the strong roots of comic running through Western Civilization. Also read Bergson's Laughter; their theories work well together.