THE ORIGIN OF COMEDY

Lecturer : Mr. Irawansyah, M. Pd

Class 5G

Members of group 9 :

M Zaki Dwidandi : 1711040233

Meylita Eka Putri : 1711040236

Sahara Puspa Amalia : 1711040255

ENGLISH EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM

TARBIYAH AND TEACHER TRAINING FACULTY

STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY RADEN INTAN LAMPUNG

2019/2020
 INTRODUCTION

A comedy is entertainment consisting of jokes intended to make an audience laugh. 1For

ancient Greeks and Romans a comedy was a stage-play with a happy ending. In the Middle Ages,

the term expanded to include narrative poems with happy endings and a lighter tone. In this

sense Dante used the term in the title of his poem, the Divine Comedy (Italian: Divina

Commedia).

The phenomena connected with laughter and that which provokes it has been carefully

investigated by psychologists and agreed upon the predominating characteristics are incongruity

or contrast in the object, and shock or emotional seizure on the part of the subject. It has also

been held that the feeling of superiority is an essential factor: thus Thomas Hobbes speaks of

laughter as a "sudden glory." Modern investigators have paid much attention to the origin both of

laughter and of smiling, as well as the development of the "play instinct" and its emotional

expression.

Much comedy contains variations on the elements of surprise, incongruity, conflict,

repetitiveness, and the effect of opposite expectations, but there are many recognized genres of

comedy. Satire and political satire use ironic comedy used to portray persons or social

institutions as ridiculous or corrupt, thus alienating their audience from the object of humor.

Parody borrows the form of some popular genre, artwork, or text but uses certain ironic

changes to critique that form from within (though not necessarily in a condemning way).

Screwball comedy derives its humor largely from bizarre, surprising (and improbable) situations

or characters. Black comedy is defined by dark humor that makes light of so-called dark or evil

1
Oxford English Dictionary
elements in human nature. Similarly scatological humor, sexual humor, and race humor create

comedy by violating social conventions or taboos in comedic ways.2

A. THE ORIGIN OF COMEDY

Comedy is a play, movie, etc. of light and humorous character, dramatic work in which the

central motif is the triumph over adverse circumstance, resulting in a successful or happy

conlucion.

1. The Earliest Greek Comedy Is Called Old Comedy

The comedies of the fifth century B.C.E., called Old Comedy or Old Attic Comedy by

later historians, followed intricate structural patterns and displayed complex poetic conventions

Most comic improvisations were an out growth of phallic songs" which were bacchanalian

processions that took place during the Lenaia, the Athenian religious festival held in January

February each year in Gamelion, the month of weddings, just following the winter solstice.

The word comedy is consistent with this explanation, for as "a komos song" its Greek

meaning is "a song of revels" or 'a song sung by merrymakers". We may conclude that these

komos processions were encouraged officially in the belief and hope that human ceremonies

would encourage divine favor and bring about prosperity and happiness. As the form developing

out of such processions, comedy began with many of these characteristic and has retained them

to the present day. Love, marriage, and ritualized celebrations of a happy future are usually the

major concerns of comedy. Often the plots and actions are outrageous, the characters funny, and

the language is satirical, vulgar, and biting.

2
Francis MacDonald Cornford, The Origin of Attic Comedy, 1934
 The most famous playwrights of the genre were Aristophanes and Menander and their

works and those of their contemporaries poked fun at politicians, philosophers, and fellow artists.

In addition to maintaining their comic touch, the plays also give an indirect but invaluable insight

into Greek society in general and provide details on the workings of Greek government, political

institutions, legal systems, religious practices, education, and warfare in the Hellenic world.

Uniquely, the plays also reveal to us something of the identity of the audience and show just

what tickled the Greeks' sense of humour. Finally, Greek comedy and its immediate predecessor

Greek tragedy would together form the foundation upon which all modern theatre is based.

The plot of comedies usually stretches reality in terms of time and place, jumping

incredible geographic distances and rapidly changing scenes. Fantastical elements such as giant

creatures and improbable disguises are mixed with references to the audience which delivers a

roller-coaster ride of satire, parody, puns, exaggeration, colourful language, and crude jokes.

Indeed, as the plays were popular entertainment, they reveal some of the popular language used

by the Greeks, language not usually found in more serious written material. Any public figure

was fair game it seems, and even Greek mythology and religion could be made fun of. However,

despite this high degree of free speech, certain aspects of religion such as the Mysteries and the

higher gods such as Zeus and Athena seem to have been off-limits for the comic poet.
 2. Middle Comedy Became Prominent after Aristophanes

All the middle Comedy plays by other authors are lost, although there are many existing

fragments. Middle Comedy eliminated some of the complex patterns of Old Comedy and treated

more broadly international and less narrowly Athenian topics. Political criticism was abandoned,

and character types such as the braggart soldier were introduced. The role of the chorus was

diminished or eliminated (as with tragedy), and the exaggerated costumes were eliminated.

3. New comedy, a Type of Romantic Comedy, Flourished after Middle Comedy

By the end of the fourth century B.C.E., Middle Comedy was replaced by New Comedy.

The most important of the New Comedy dramatist was Menander (342-293 B.CE), who was

regarded in ancient times as the greatest comic writer of them all, but after the fifth century CE,

copies of Menander's plays were no longer available and were presumed totally lost His

comedies. which are romantic rather than satirical, employ such stock characters as young lovers,

stubbom fathers, clever slaves, and long separated relatives.

 4. Roman Comedy Was Composed Lareely in the Third and Second Centuries B.C.E

After Menander, Greek power in the Mediterranean decreased and was replaced by the

might of Rome. In the third century B.C.E Roman comedy began and flourished, largely through

the translation and adaptation of Greek New Comedies The significant Roman writers were

Plutus, with twenty surviving comedies, and Terence, whose six comedies all exist. The central

issue in most of the Roman comedies is the overcoming of a blocking agent, or obstruction to tr.

love, that could be almost anyone or anything-a rival lover, an angry father, a family feud, an old

law, a previously arranged marriage, or differences in social class. The pattern of action,

traditionally called the plot of intrigue, stems from the subterfuges that young lovers undertake to

overcome the blocking agent, to that the outcome frequently announces the victory of youth over

age and the passing of control from one generation to the next.
 5. Comedy from Roman Times to the Renaissance

By the time the Roman Empire was established in 29 B.C.E., the writing of comedy had

virtually disappeared because Roman dramatic creativity had been replaced by pantomime

entertainments and public spectacles such as gladiatorial combat.Although many comic and

farcical scenes were included in the mystery cycles of late medieval times, comedy as a form

was not reestablished until the Renaissance.

Once reintroduced, comedy grew rapidly.By 1500 the six plays of Terence had been

discovered and were achieving wide recognition, followed by the twenty surviving plays of

Plautus.When English dramatists began writing comedies, they followed Roman

conventions.The English plays of the mid sixteenth century contained five acts and observed the

unities of time place and action, thus following the rules and justifying the claim that they were

"regular".Character types from the Roman comedies, such as the intriguing couple, the fussing

father, and the bragging soldier, initially predominated Soon more specifically English types

appearcd, anticipating the roisterers in Shakespeare's Henry V and the "mechanicals" in A

Midsummer Night's Dream By the end of the sixteenth century, when Shakespeare had

completed many of his comedies, English comedy was in full bloom. It has commonly been

observed that the comedy was Latin in structure but English in character.
 B. THE PATTERNS, CHARACTERS, AND LANGUAGE OF COMEDY

Dictionaries sometimes give funny as a synonym for comic, but the two terms are not

identical. Words like funny, amusing comical, or humorous define our emotional conditioning to

incidents, and our reactions always depend on context. We usually think it is funny or comical to

see an actor in a slapstick routine falling down being hit in the face with a cream pie, or being

struck with a addle. We laugh because we know that everything is staged and that no real harm is

being done. But if we leave the theater and see some of the same things occurring on the streets,

we are horrified to recognize that someone is enduring real harm and real pain. Street violence

occurs randomly, with no apparent purpose, and there is nothing funny or comic about it, but

onstage all actions occur as part of a governing pattern or plan leading to a satisfying outcome It

is the context that makes the difference.

Comedy relies on a stable of eight character types with differing viewpoints to fuel

comedic situations. Scott Sedita defined the main character types in relation to sitcoms.

However, these apply equally to film. It’s important to note that a character doesn’t have to

exclusively inhabit one category.

a) The Patterns of comedy

 b) Characters of comedy

(Sedita is an acting coach in Los Angeles),

 LOGICAL SMART ONE

These characters are responsible, emotionally stable, even tempered, nerdish and

bland. They act as the anchor for the more off the wall characters.

 LOVABLE LOSER

These characters are innocent, childish, excitable, optimistic, gullible, unrealistic and

impulsive. They focus mainly the good in everything, hence their susceptibility to failure.

 NEUROTIC

These characters are in a permanent state of anxiety, tension, over reaction and worry.

They are manipulative, controlling and demand things are done their own way.

 DUMB

These characters are the bimbos and himbos which provide comic relief. They are

simple, friendly, poorly educated and naïve.

 BITCH/ BASTARD

These characters often upset plans because they are so selfish. They are mean,

insensitive, insecure, manipulative and often make wise cracks.

 WOMANIZER/MANIZER

These characters are one dimensional characters who are only interested in sex or

obtaining a short term partner. They are self conscious. confident, horny, superficial and sexy.

They don’t necessarily need to be attractive.

 MATERIALISTIC

These characters are immature, spoiled, entitled and often have the most to learn.

They expect rewards without having necessarily to work for them. They can be lonely and do

poorly in relationships, despite always seeking one.

 LIVE IN THEIR OWN WORLD

These characters march by the beat of their own drums. They are oddball, ostracised,

eccentric and sometimes hyperactive. They are unique because of their unique take on the

world.

REFERENCE

 Francis MacDonald Cornford, The Origin of Attic Comedy, 1934

 Marteinson, Peter (2006). On the Problem of the Comic: A Philosophical Study on the
Origins of Laughter. Legas Press, Ottawa, 2006.

 Sourvinou-Inwood, Christiane, Tragedy and Athenian Religion, Oxford University Press,

2003.

 Irawansyah, M.Pd. Hangout Drama : The origin of comedy.34

 https://www.flyingwrestler.com/2015/12/8-characters-of-comedy/