Many people applaud the way Carlin tackled the taboo with the comical genius and excessive profanity and maneuverability. The fact is no one else could have freely expressed these thoughts so openly, because of society, with humor and laughter. Carlin was remembered for his “Black Comedy” as well as his take on politics, psychology, and religion. The purpose of “Black Comedy” is to make light of taboo, vulgar issues, and even bring discomfort to their audiences as a tool. Some popular issues include; homophobia, murder, drug abuse, terminal
This conflict between them causes comedy as there are misunderstandings, which are amusing and the audience feel superiority over the characters who do not understand some of each other’s references. At the start of the play when Rita refers to a poem about “fightin’ death an’ disease”, Frank automatically assumes its “Dylan Thomas” as Thomas’s poem about death is a part of the literary canon. However Rita replies it’s “Roger McGough’s” poem that she’s describing. This misunderstanding conveys to the audience that these characters would not conventionally associate with each other. It could be amusing to the audience as it highlights the absurdity of the situation.
Those types of jokes can be funny even if they are a little offensive as a woman. Also some jokes, like those dealing with rape or the Holocaust, actually reinforces our disdain for that act. We laugh at the ridiculousness of the joke and then kind of go “ohhhh” and think more in depth at the
It seems hard to view him as anything but comic here. He is portrayed as a stereotypical fat, jolly drunk. The reader assumes he will be funny due to his appearance and the connotations regarding the effects of alcohol. Although Toby has few lines within this scene, he easily brings comedy. Him being drunk in this scene allows Shakespeare to develop his character both positively and negatively through an example of malapropism.
This is significant because Rita’s lively and irreverent speech is a source of humour in the play. For instance, when Rita animatedly refers to a painting, using words such as “erotic” and “tits” she is clearly comfortable talking in this manner to her lecturer, this makes conservative Frank feel uncomfortable and as a consequence he replies to her with brief answers. Just this conversation alone has comedic value as it shows how very different these two characters are, they have opposing lifestyles, behaviour and seem to be moving in opposing directions. In the first encounter between Rita and Frank, their dialect and everyday speech confuses them both as Rita speaks in a colloquial language and Frank in Standard English. Her understanding of a simple question ‘And you are?’ asked by a well-educated person confuses her and she fails to understand what is really being asked.
"Modern comedy is cruel and cynical” Barry Cryer. To what extent do you agree that cruelty and cynicism are at the heart of the comedy in ‘Educating Rita’? Cruelty and cynicism play a vital role in creating comedy in ‘Educating Rita’. Both of the characters have aspects of their lives that the audience can laugh at, however for a majority, it can be perceived as cruel due to the fact that most of the circumstances we laugh at negatively impact the lives of the characters. Willy Russell uses superiority theory to engage the audience by creating comedy through the misfortune of others.
The mechanicals are important in a midsummer night’s dream as they introduce the comedy of the piece. Scene one is extremely dramatic “Full of vexation" and this is juxtaposed by the humour of the mechanicals in scene two "let me not play a woman; I have a beard coming". Until there entrance it seems a romantic tragedy on a par with Romeo and Juliet, in a way the introduction of the mechanicals reassures the audience that it is in fact a comedy and allows them to laugh. The mechinals are Peter Quince, Nick Bottom, Francis Flute, Tom Snout, Robin Starvelling and Snug. Peter quince is one of the illustrious Mechanicals who puts on the play, Pyramus and Thisbe.
In effect this makes a true friend, however some believe it was the Fool's constant remarks that drove Lear to madness. Some critics argue that The Fool actually is Cordelia or a representative of her. Others consider him to be an aspect of Lear's alter ego. Technically Shakespeare seems to use the Fool as a vehicle for pity or as a dramatic chorus. The Fools songs, riddles and jokes are a source of comic relief, used to break up the intensity of scenes.
It was actually kind of funny. Thought it was creative how the author made his piece into a comedy, and it was about comedy. Little bit of irony there. For example he said, and stated funny things like “To tell a joke at the office or a party these days is to be pronounced a cornball.” (John, 2008, p. 426) or “Jon Stewart just has to twist his eyebrows a little bit, and people laugh.” (Morreall, 2008, p. 428) it was the little things that made me laugh, that actually made the piece better and more enjoyable to read. The main point of this essay, from my point of view, was to get people to think about real comedy and how much it has changed over the years.
Feste’s purpose in ‘Twelfth Night’ is simply one to make us laugh. Discuss. A fool is generally depicted as a wise and intelligent peasent who uses their wit to outdo people of higher social class and in this sense, is very similar to the real jesters throughout history. Feste’s intelligence is often questioned and as a character in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night; Feste plays a very important role throughout the play. Feste frequently causes amusement and makes the audience laugh; he also draws a realistic sense of Elizabethan society into the play.