comedy/humour in frogs

Question 1

What is visual slapstick?

Answer 1

grotesque, falls, trips etc

Question 2

What is verbal humour?

Answer 2

Jokes, swearing

Question 3

What is farce humour?

Answer 3

Exaggeration

Question 4

What are topical allusions?

Answer 4

References to historical events/knowledge

Question 5

What is situation comedy?

Answer 5

People finding themselves in circumstances they aren’t usually in + they attempt to deal w it

Question 6

What is scatological humour?

Answer 6

References to bodily functions

Question 7

What is visual sight/gag humour?

Answer 7

Physical appearance

Question 8

Why is the prologue comedic?

Answer 8

Dionysus + Xanthias are a double act
They are bickering about travelling

Question 9

Why does Heracles find Dionysus funny looking?

Answer 9

Dionysus is dressed as Heracles wearing lionskin

Question 10

What humour does Heracles refer to when talking about the river?

Answer 10

Scatological humour

Question 11

Why is the chorus of frogs comedic?

Answer 11

Because they aren’t making accurate frog noises

Question 12

What interaction does Dionysus have with the frogs?

Answer 12

Dionysus is getting angry with the frogs for being loud
He starts to argue with them saying he can make better frog sounds than them

Question 13

Why is X + D getting to the river w monsters comedic?

Answer 13

Dionysus, the god is hiding behind Xanthias, the mortal

Question 14

Explain the comedy of Dionysus’ interaction when he sees Empusa

Answer 14

He breaks the 4th wall, speaking to his priest who would be sat in the audience + asks him for help

Question 15

What’s comedic about the interaction bet X+D after Aeacus verbally attacks D?

Answer 15

Dionysus is on the floor + says he feels faint
Xanthias is calling him a coward
Comedic bc the slave is having to put Dionysus, the God in his place

Question 16

Why is the interaction X+D have w the Maid comedic?

Answer 16

Dionysus has switched costumes w Xanthias so X is now dressed as Heracles
D doesn’t want to go in because he’s dressed as a slave + wants to swap costumes w X again

Question 17

Why is the interaction bet X + D comedic after being cursed at by the innkeepers?

Answer 17

Dionysus wants to swap costumes w Xanthias again so he doesn’t have to take the blame for Heracles

Question 18

What does Xanthias tell Aeacus to do?

Answer 18

He tells him to punish his slave (Dionysus) to pay for his (Heracles’) mistakes

Question 19

What does Dionysus claim to Aeacus?

Answer 19

He claims he is a God

Question 20

What does Xanthias claim after Dionysus claims he is a God?

Answer 20

X says Gods can’t feel pain - this isn’t true

Question 21

What does Aeacus say he will do?

Answer 21

He will torture both X + D - whoever feels pain is the slave + therefore lying

Question 22

What is comedic about the X + D torture scene? What does A do?

Answer 22

They both exclaim with pain but try to pass it off as excitement/reaction for smth else
A can’t figure out who the slave is so he sends them in for Pluto to identify them

Question 23

Why is the interaction bet Xanthias + the slave comedic?

Answer 23

It gives insight into the way slaves interact - they’re talking about their masters behind their backs

Question 24

Why is it comedic when Dionysus is judging Euripides’ remarks about Aeschylus?

Answer 24

Dionysus is meant to be indifferent but he openly takes Euripides’ side

Question 25

What does Euripides compare Aeschylus’ tragedy’s to?

Answer 25

An obese woman that he feeds with overweight words

Question 26

What does Dionysus say about the Athenians that is comedic?

Answer 26

After Euripides’ death, the Athenians are now stupid and don’t know how to look for things

Question 27

What is comical about Aeschylus’ insults towards Euripides?

Answer 27

The frequent reference to the little bottle of olive oil