Aristophanes – What’s Funny?

Types of Humour:
• Parody
• Satire
• Situational Comedy /
Farce
• Slapstick
• Scatological / Toilet
• Sexual
• Verbal
• Bathos
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:
• Philocleon as ‘tragic
hero’ from the Parodos
through to the Agon:
- tragic singing
- attempt to stab
himself
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 were wrong, or
where politicians like Cleon were leading them astray.

Eg. Xanthias and

Sosias’ Dreams at
the beginning of the
Prologue
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 were 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)
• Procleon’s speech in the Agon – points out corruption of jurymen
3. Situational Comedy / Farce
Aristophanes uses ridiculous situations to poke fun at
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. Procleon’s attempts to
escape and the Mock Battle between the chorus and
Anticleon and the slaves.
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.
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
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 2. “And now 3. “Speed,
me with thy lend your aid speed my
breathe divine… soul!
divine…

… and serve … and I’ll … Where is

with vinegar promise not to my soul?”
and brine.” piddle in the
reeds around
your shrine.”