Aristophanes

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Aristophanes Whats Funny?

• Types of Humour
• Parody
• Satire
• Situational Comedy / Farce
• Slapstick
• Scatological / Toilet
• Sexual
• Verbal
• Bathos

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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

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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
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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)
• Procleons speech in the Agon points out
  corruption of jurymen

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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. Procleons
attempts to escape and the Mock Battle between
the chorus and Anticleon and the slaves.
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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.
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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.

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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 Ill promise not to piddle in the reeds
around your shrine.
Where is my soul?