Ancient Greek comedy

Values of loyalty and intelligence were significant ideals embedded into Penelope’s character however, adaptions challenge these concepts. For instance, values of intelligence are shown through how Penelope cunningly evades marriage since Antinous (Book 2) states she had misled the suitors for four years, promising marriage to one of the suitors without the intention of marrying them. Despite her deception, she is still accepted as a good wife since Penelope capitulates to a passive hospitable role. The role of Penelope’s character adapts to the social mobility and influences presented in the Dark Ages, as Penelope is constructed by highly regarded views of males in ancient Greece, whilst being reworked as Penny to adopt to the circumstances of the great depression. Nonetheless, despite Penny using the similar tactics for survival, she is portrayed in a way she catalyzes the complications that Ulysses faces. However, alike Penelope, Penny is forced to adopt an assertive characterization due to the social, political and economic restrictions America systematically held in 1929. Given the Great Depression, most women would be inclined to marry in order to financially support their children, as further supported by the idea women, while according to Kathy MacMahon, making up 25% of the workforce, women retained unstable jobs since cultural views of “women don’t work” caused tension in trade unions, the workplace…

When imagining the ancient city of Athens, intriguing philosophy, beautiful art, and advancement in mathematics and science may be brought to mind. However, one man, Aristophanes, seemed to be the complete opposite of the portrayed picture of the Athenian people. He was a comedian, and a very unrefined one. His vulgar, sexual, uncouth plays were extremely popular, viewed by citizens of all statuses. The Ancient Greeks, so well known for laying the intellectual foundation of the Western world,…

From the very beginning, tragedy and comedy are set apart from each other by how they approach existence. Comedy, according to Cicero, is ‘the imitation of life’(Donatus 22); it is steeped in realism. It focuses on the probabilities of a situation because it aims to base itself on real life as much as it can. It shows us a reflection of the real world, and thus it should read like a mirror image to us. Generally speaking, comedy does not intend to aim particularly high in its design. Instead it…

Traditional and shocking sometimes is not promising; Spike Lee’s 2015 film, Chiraq, is a hit or miss for audiences based on background knowledge of the Aristophanes’ Greek classic, Lysistrata. Although Lee keeps the same plot structure of classic comedy and adds new male characters, his lack of Lysistrata’s original famous wool metaphor has left the film fall flat. Lee’s views on the importance of the upcoming presidential are just lost in translation. In ancient Greece, the point of comedy was…

The Comedic Nature of Lysistrata On the year 411 BC, Aristophanes wrote the comedic play Lysistrata, the first anti-war play in the world. Comedy takes various forms, and the purpose of this essay is to analyze the comedic elements used in Lysistrata to determine whether it is a farce or a satire. Why is this important? Michael Moses, the president of the Association of Literary Scholars and Critics said: “The key to adjusting the relative strengths and weakness of a particular work was for the…

The Italian Renaissance Theatre was from 1400 to 1620. It housed many operas and plays. The most popular performance was the Commedia. This was Farce, or low comedy. It was also known as slapstick for in some of the plays and actor would beat up another with a stick. The stage was designed to be disassembled easily, and was decorated with paintings. In many of the plays mask would be used such as ones you would find in a masquerade ball. Famous characters are categorized as The servants of…

Shakespeare’s use of mistaken identity in his plays creates humor that is popular today. Among the thirty-seven plays he wrote, mistaken identity often using disguise is a common theme. Mistaken identity is a plot device that dates back to the writers named Menander and Plautus in ancient Greek and Roman times (Kiryakakis 1). Shakespeare borrowed the idea to create comedies that are still read and performed over four hundred years after they were written. Authors today still follow Shakespeare’s…

it in a negative context. However, Roman comedies are filled with rambunctious and silly characters that often get tricked into a situation, that go through the process of figuring everything out amid the confusion, and finding a happy ending to their troubles. Plautus’s plays tend to reflect the lifestyle and social aspects of the lower ranks of Roman people. This is significant because it gives readers an insight to what life may be like as a peasant, a slave, or a prostitute, or just a plain…

Comedy is a form of entertainment that has been alive since the Ancient Greeks started it and generations have loved it. Today, this is still true, which is why comedians are placed high in our society. They create movies, life lavish lives, and are idolized due to the power of laughter. Although some subjects that are discussed should not be brought up, comedians are extremely important to today’s society due to the health benefits of laughter, strengthening of relationships, and awareness of…

Despite nearly 2000 years separating the creation of Polykleitos’s Doryphoros and Donatello’s David, the two sculptures shared astonishingly similar features, yet both remained true to the stylistic characteristics of their respective time periods. These artists incorporated both predictable and cutting edge ideas into their works. Doryphoros, also known as the Spear Bearer, was a marble reinvention of Polykleitos’s original bronze sculpture circa 450 - 440 BCE. Most ancient Greek statues were…