P2+GL+2014+Comedy

COMEDY

__Aim__ By: Kyra Stek

The point of comedy is to relax the audience and coax them into unwinding via witty remarks and unfortunate but comedic circumstances. An article states, “ Comedy may be divided into multiple [|genres]  based on the source of humor, the method of delivery, and the context in which it is delivered” (“Comedy”). The point of comedy is to create an environment for the audience to feel relaxed and enjoy themselves; to do so, many other forms of comedy may strike their fancy, such as satire. Satire focuses more on sharp insults to figures in public society to make the audience possibly feel more secure. Comedy focuses on lightening dark times and making other people feel better about themselves, which may have a person or participant in a play focusing on self-deprecation, leading to laughs. Humor affects an audience by lifting their spirits in any way they see fit; so long as it gets laughs, it succeeds.

"Comedy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Mar. 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.

__Audience__ By: Mariz DelosSantos

The audience for comedy are often and typically those who seek a lighter mood through humor. There can be both a primary and secondary audience for all forms of comedy. The primary audience for Shakespeare’s works, such as Much Ado About Nothing, would be the spectators who attend the play or read the script. Secondary audience would typically be those who are told about events from the primary audience. Shakespeare would assume that his audience understands cultural references used around the time that he wrote the play and enjoy romantic comedies as that is the genre of his play, Much Ado About Nothing. This is a strength because William Shakespeare understands many of the same things as his audience would when it comes to wit and play on words. Although Shakespeare might not know all of his audience personally, he would understand his audience because he was a young adult and his plays would likely have an audience consisting mainly of other young adults.

Spencer, Charles. "Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare's Globe, Review." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 30 May 2011. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.

Ramesh, Randeep. "A Matter of Caste as Bollywood Embraces the Bard." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 29 July 2006. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.

__Historical__ By: Bethany Stewart

Comedic plays and the genre of comedy have changed greatly since they were first introduced in the 6th century BC. The origins of the comedic genre trace back to Ancient Greece where the, “ precise origins of Greek comedy plays are lost in the mists of pre-history, but the activity of men dressing as and mimicking others must surely go back a long way before written records” (Cartwright). Comedy was most likely first performed in acting shows and short plays in Greece for entertainment purposes. Early poems written by Archilochus and Hipponax contain crude humor, showing that the genre could have been popular in modern Greek theatre. Drawings and carvings found on pots and other pottery suggest that comedy is other than previously thought. However, most ancient plays are only found in fragments so there is no real evidence of comedy’s origin in theatre. The oldest surviving full play is Arisophanes’Acharnians which was first performed in 425 BC. Still, studies suggest that the birthplace of comedic theatre was in Greece.

Cartwright, Mark. "Greek Comedy." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia Limited, 25 Mar. 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.

__Cultural__ By: Blaire Krakowitz

The genre of comedy as had an immense impact on modern society. Comedic movies, plays, and books are innumerable and have vast popularity. William Shakespeare created a format for comedic works called the five-act structure, the concept of which can still be found in modern works. In the first act, the conflict begins, and it is expanded upon in the second act. The climax is reached in the third act and the conflict achieves its maximum and is confronted. During the fourth act, the conflict begins to be resolved, and in the fifth act, the play in concluded and the conflict is solved (Schwartz). This format can be found in variations in modern films. In comedies, conflict is established at the start of the play, book, or film, and it builds and increases as the plot thickens. At some point toward the end, typically about ⅔ to ¾ of the way through, the climax is reached, and the end of the comedic work shows a happy ending. Having a cheerful resolution is a typical comedic trait; Shakespeare’s comedies typically ended in marriage. As the plot moves along, a heavy focus is made on humor in an attempt to make audiences laugh; a trait found in older comedies, such as those written by Shakespeare, as well as those created today. The comedic genre from hundreds of years ago is still prevalent today; though some qualities of comedic works have changed over the years, the building blocks of humorous work have remained the same.

Schwartz, Debora B. "Comedy." Comedy. California Polytechnic State University, n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.