Greek Theatre, Comedic Humour

Question 1

Satire

Answer 1

Politicians: Demagogues, politicians who has belief and views of the people, favourite target.
The clouds- A satirises socrates.
Unlike modern comedy where we mock conservatives- A mocked new innovative ideas

Question 2

Parody

Answer 2

A quotes scenes from other art forms.
In the Frogs, pokes fun at tragedians, quotes there plays.
This humour can be lost if we have lost the text.

Question 3

Impersonation/Stereotyping

Answer 3

The Knights- people know which politician a certain character represents from the mask- not just a physical one, lines would mimic style and ideas of the politician. (people who featured may be watching)
In the Clouds- the real socrates stood up to judge the quality of the impersonations.

Question 4

Visual Humour

Answer 4

Grotesque masks and bawdy costumes- sort of “slapstick” humour found in silent movies.
We rely on vase paintings, references in the text, and our imaginations.

Question 5

Verbal Humour

Answer 5

zeugma, or form of word play which can be used to comic effect.
Puns in the Clouds, A mocks students of Socrates.
Translators do try to include them when they can, but hard to comment on the use of puns.

Question 6

Farce

Answer 6

situation comedy and satire, characters acting in a ridiculous or exaggerated manner.

Question 7

Topical Allusions

Answer 7

Topical allusions can be hard to access at first, we can try to work out these allusions but there are many we probably miss

Question 8

Character- based humour

Answer 8

basic comic character with such speed and success that the audience will laugh at the minute he comes on stage.

Question 9

Surreal Humour/ Fantasy

Answer 9

bizarre ideas into his plays- chorus of frogs

Question 10

Vulgar humour

Answer 10

Foul language, innuendo and sexual gestures

Question 11

Scatological Humour

Answer 11

“scatology” is the “study of dung” or references to bodily emissions