2 theories of comedy

Epic: heroes

inective, lampoob: attacks someone, negative features exposed

good vs bad in moral terms

1: fictionality, fictional/invented stories and characters

2: (Gottlosigkeit, Gotteslästerung) in behaviour and in language (‘by god’…)

against second amandment: thou shall not take the Lords name in vain

3: plays teach vice (Laster), bad people with their lies, intrigues etc. make the audience imitate this bad behaviour, ‘infected by the plots’

4: sexual puns and gestures

5: comedy attacks people or a particular person, is offending, ruins reputation

!!!!! not infected but immunised, response is not imitation but rather repulsion

if you respond with scorn and censure (Herabschauen) to what you See in comedy, you will not be infected

teaches to avoid the bad

Satire teaches us how not to behave

Satire: means for author letting off steem, expressing his view and opinion about something upsetting him/her

not focusing on the actual effects

Effect is only speculation

Dionysus: god of wine, ‘Party god’

stands for fertility

comedy connected to fertility, young couple falling in love is typical

comedy stands for celebrating love and fertility, noch vice and folley

distinction between two emotional responses

satiric response: scornful tickling (Green)

delight: happy ending f.e. (Red)

Frye connects fertility theory with satiric comedy:

represented by the two groups of characters

obstructing = blocking

chance (midnight summer dream f.e.)

obstacles: character divided in him/herself, follies standing in their own way

1. exposure of weaknesses (lust in case of adultery) husband deserves what he gets - him as example of vice, folly, greed

A character misbehaves and is humiliated/ symbolically punished afterwards

B