1. Aristophanes – What’s Funny?
Types of Humour:
Parody
Satire
Situational Comedy / Farce
Slapstick
Scatological / Toilet
Sexual
Verbal
Bathos

2. 1. Parody
Where a serious story / myth / character is ‘taken off’, or made fun of. Aristophanes particularly loved to parody the tragic poets that he shared the stage with.
Eg. The Odysseus Parody in the Prologue of Wasps
Also:
Procleon as ‘tragic hero’ from the Parodos through to the Agon:
- tragic singing
- attempt to stab himself

3. Eg. Xanthias and Sosias’ Dreams at the beginning of the Prologue
2. Satire
Where humour is used to provide a political or social message. Aristophanes used satire to point out to Athenians where he thought their values where wrong, or where politicians like Cleon were leading them astray.
Eg. Xanthias and Sosias’ Dreams at the beginning of the Prologue

4. 2. Satire
Where humour is used to make a political or social point. Aristophanes used satire to point out to Athenians where he thought their values where wrong, or where politicians like Cleon were leading them astray.
Other Examples:
Mocking drunkeness, gambling and homosexuality when the slaves try to get the crowd to guess what the problem is with Procleon.
The chorus appear as Wasps – jurors are nasty old men.
The Mock Battle – satirises Athens’ paranoia through the chorus’ reaction to Anticleon
The same episode satirises the older and younger generations (see notes on Old vs. Young)
Procleon’s speech in the Agon – points out corruption of jurymen

5. 3. Situational Comedy / Farce
Aristophanes uses ridiculous situations to poke fun and society. In the first part of the Wasps, this is through the ridiculous scenario of an old man addicted to jury duty.
Right: Still from a production of The Knights
4. Slapstick
This is Aristophanes most basic form of humour. It is straight physical comedy. Eg. Procleon’s attempts to escape and the Mock Battle between the chorus and Anticleon and the slaves.

6. 5. Scatological and Sexual Humour
The theatre provided an escape from the conventions of society, including politeness and appropriateness. Aristophanes played up to this by including all sorts of sexual innuendo (suggestive play on words) and coarse language and actions.

7. 6. Verbal Humour
This is the most common form of humour in Aristophanes’ plays. Puns / plays on words are scattered throughout the text. Eg. “Ship of state … Get launched” - Prologue
Tasks:
Find five examples of Sexual or Scatological humour from the text we have read so far.
Then find five examples of Verbal Humour.

8. 7. Bathos
Bathos is when a scene or speech has a sudden change of mood from serious to silly. In Aristophanes, bathos was frequently also satirical, or scatological.
Examples – finish these quotes (all by Procleon):
1. “Blow on me with thy breathe divine…
2. “And now lend your aid divine…
3. “Speed, speed my soul!
… and serve with vinegar and brine.”
… and I’ll promise not to piddle in the reeds around your shrine.”
… Where is my soul?”