1. Comedy

2. WHAT IS Comedy? WHERE DID IT COME FROM?
Comes from the Greek word, “revel” + “singing”
After a tragedy, men would gather, celebrate, and march down streets singing to music and shouting vile jests. The group was called a comus and the song a comoedia or comedy.
Greeks confined the word “comedy” to descriptions of stage-plays with happy endings. In the Middle Ages, the term expanded to include narrative poems with happy endings and a lighter tone. As time progressed, the word came more and more to be associated with any sort of performance intended to cause laughter. During the Middle Ages, the term “comedy” became synonymous with satire, and later humor in general.
Since critics were able to get away with comedic criticism, satire became important in vocalizing the issues of a people, safely.

3. Social Differences between a Comedy and a Tragedy, According to John Morreall
Heroism: Characters tend to be “superhuman, semidivine, larger-than-life” beings.
Antiheroism: Characters tend to be normal, down-to-earth individuals.  Comedies tend to parody authority.
Militarism: Tragedies often arise in warrior cultures.  And its values are those of the good soldier--duty, honor, commitment.
Pacifism: Comedies tend to call into question warrior values: Better to lose your dignity and save your life.
Vengeance: Offending a tragic hero often results in a cycle of vengeance.
Forgiveness: Forgiveness, even friendship among former enemies, happens.
Less Sexual Equality: Often male-dominated.
More Sexual Equality: While often sexist too, are sometimes less so.  Women play a larger, more active role.
Morreall, John. Comedy, Tragedy, and Religion. Albany: State U of New York P, 1999;

4. The Different Genres of Comedy
STAND UP: One comic stands in front of an audience and tells quick, fast- paced, humorous stories that are usually connected to current events.
SITUATIONAL: More commonly known as “Sitcoms.” These routines exaggerate the humor found within the home or workplace. They originally started with radio but became extremely popular with the introduction of the television.
DRAMEDY: A coined word to describe instances of combining humor with serious events.

5. The Different Genres of Comedy
SATIRE: Comedy that represents actual events or individuals in a humorous way often meant to point out flaws and to induce change.
FARCE: A type of comedy in which ridiculous and often stereotyped characters are involved in far-fetched situations. The humor in farce is based on slapstick.
SLAPSTICK: A form in which actors use deliberately clumsy and/or exaggerated physical actions to prompt silly responses.

6. The Different Genres of Comedy
IMPROVISE: More commonly known as “improv.” This style challenges actors to quickly react to suggestions given to them by an independent source.
Commedia dell’ Arte:
A type of comedy developed in 16th and 17th century Italy, characterized by improvised text based on plot outlines (scenarios).
Featured stock characters, some of whom wore distinctive masks.

7. Why is Commedia dell’ Arte important?
Its popularity in Renaissance Europe can be attributed to the talents and special skills of the actors who were acrobats, dancers, musicians, orators, quick wits, and improvisers possessing thorough insights into politics and human nature.
Using sexually challenging language and physical comedy, Commedia pokes fun at elements of society’s respectable values by means of exaggerated styles and insightful character traits.

8. Pantaloon rich, miserly old man
operates on the assumption that everything can be bought and sold
But he also loves money for its own sake and will therefore only part with it when there is no other option.
Mean to his servants, narrow-mindedly proscriptive to his children, fawning to il Dottore, scheming with il Capitano, lecherous with Colombina and indulgent to himself.
Pantalone operates on the assumption that everything can be bought and sold, and this turns out to be true, with the exception of loyalty (and love).

9. Capitano or Braggart
never indigenous to the town where the scenario is set and is able to seem high status as a result
arrogant
The whole world is an audience. Stops whenever he sees the actual audience and makes a salutation so that he can be admired.

10. Arlecchino or Harlequin
usually servant to the Pantaloon, but also to Capitano or Dottore
has the intelligence to hatch schemes, although they rarely work out
complications of plot often derive from his mistakes
aware of audience and makes asides

11. Il Dottore usually of high social status
gives the other characters a break from physical exertion by his tiresome wordiness

12. The Innamorati (Lovers)
of high social status, but brought low by the hopelessness of their infatuation
Young and attractive
Naïve

13. Comedic Devices playful/witty remarks and harmless teasing
Explanation
1.Banter
playful/witty remarks and harmless teasing
2.Blenderword
combination of words to make new words
3. Blunder
actor makes foolish, yet funny, mistakes
4. Black/Dark Humor
humor about grave topics, such as death, murder, etc.
5. Caricature
exaggeration of a person’s mental, physical, or personality trait in a wisecrack form
6. Freudian Slip
a funny statement which seems to pop out of nowhere but actually comes from the person’s subconscious thoughts

14. Comedic Devices
Device
Explanation
7. Farce
entertainment by means of unlikely, improbable, and extravagant situations
8. Irony
what is expected isn’t what occurs (situational)
9. Sarcasm
a kind of particularly cutting irony, in which praise is used tauntingly to indicate its opposite meaning
10. Parody
the use of imitation to mock or make fun of
11. Repartee
speech with witty comebacks and clever replies; similar to banter
12. Wisecrack
a witty remark thrown in at the perfect timing

15. Comedic Devices
Device
Explanation
13. Foil
a character who is used as a contrast to another character; The use of a foil emphasizes the differences between two characters, bringing out the distinctive qualities in each. This contrast may be used for a comedic effect.
14. Inversion
the taking on of the gender role of the opposite sex; It is also defined as a reversal of position, order, form, or relationship. It refers to situations or circumstances where the normal hierarchy of power is reversed.

16. Comedic Devices
Device
Explanation
15. Hyperbole
a figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express a strong sentiment or create a comic effect; Also called overstatement, hyperbole does not express the literal truth; however, it is often used to capture a sense of intensity or to emphasize the essential nature of something.
16. Under-statement
the opposite of exaggeration/ hyperbole and is a form of irony; It is a figure of speech that consists of saying less than what is really meant or saying something with less force than is appropriate.

17. Comedic Devices
Device
Explanation
17. Pun
a play on the multiple meanings of a word or on two words that may sound alike but have different meanings
18. Wordplay
is the witty exploitation of the meanings and ambiguities of words (In other words, it’s when one character takes the meaning of a word in a different direction than was originally intended.)

18. Comedic Devices: Quick Review / Definitions
Explanation
Banter
Playful/witty remarks and harmless teasing.
Blenderword
Combination of words to make new words.
Blunder
Actor makes foolish, yet funny, mistakes.
Black/Dark Humor
Humor about grave topics, such as death, murder, etc.
Caricature
Exaggeration of a person’s mental, physical, or personality trait in a wisecrack form.
Freudian Slip
A funny statement which seems to pop out of nowhere but actually comes from the person’s subconscious thoughts.
Farce
Entertainment by means of unlikely, improbable, and extravagant situations.
Irony
What is expected isn’t what occurs.
Parody
The use of imitation to mock or make fun of.
Pun
A line that exploits the different possible meanings of a word or two words that simply sound a like.
Repartee
Speech with witty comebacks and clever replies.
Sitcom
Humorous drama based on day-to-day life.
Wisecrack
Witty remark thrown in at the perfect timing.