aspects of comedy Flashcards
the type of the comedy text itself,
whether it is classic romantic drama, a satire, a comedy of manners
the settings for the comedy
both places and times
the journey towards knowledge and happiness for the protagonists,
often in relation to their love interest, their mistakes and misunderstandings along their journey, moments of unhappiness and ultimate sense of joy
the role of the comic villain, or rival,
who directly affects the fortune of the hero or heroine, who causes some disruption to the cheerful mood but whose power is finally curtailed
the sense that all will end well and that fortune smiles
the significance of human folly, trickery and gullibility
how the behaviour of the hero or heroine affects
primarily themselves and perhaps one or two others rather than countries and states, as in tragedy
the inclusion of clowns, exaggeration, stereotypes, pompous attitudes and posturing
the use of disguise, escapes and discovery, elements of the supernatural
the structural patterning of the text
as it moves from disorder to order, incorporating rule and misrule, how competition between characters is set up and resolved, and how opposites are contrasted and reconciled, leading to comic resolutions
the use of complex plotting and sub-plots
the way that language is used to heighten the comedy, particularly wit and linguistic play
the way that comedy draws attention to itself
ultimately how the comedy affects the audience, inviting laughter at the ridiculous behaviour of human beings and a sense of joy that positive resolutions are possible.
