Lysistrata and Greek Comedy

Slide 1: Greek Comedy: • Lysistrata, • by Aristophanes

Slide 2: Comedy • From Greek komos, revel • The first comedies developed from fertility revels

Slide 3: • Comedy emphasizes action, tragedy thought.

Slide 4: • Comedy concentrates on the communal / social aspects of life.

Slide 5: What’s funny? • Reversals • Incongruities • Verbal wit

Slide 6: Reversal • The social classes, the sexes, or the generations switch roles. • The private is made public. • Nature turns upside down or inside out.

Slide 7: Incongruities • Very large and very small • Exaggeration and hyperbole: extremes

Slide 8: Wit • Puns, plays on words • rhymes