Humour Now and Then: Humour Now and Then: Aristophanes vs. Terry Aristophanes vs. Terry Pratchett Pratchett Yvonne Borowski M.A. Yvonne Borowski M.A. University of Lodz University of Lodz
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Humour Now and Then: Aristophanes vs. Terry Pratchett Yvonne Borowski M.A. University of Lodz.
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Slide 1
Humour Now and Then: Aristophanes vs. Terry Pratchett Yvonne
Borowski M.A. University of Lodz
Slide 2
We do not laugh now as people once laughed. Therefore, it is
hardly possible to give a general philosophical definition of the
comic and of laughter: such a definition can be only historical.
Vladimir Propp Theory and History of Folklore, Eng. tr. A. Y.
Martin & R.P. Martin. Manchester, 1984, p. 127.
Slide 3
MAIN POINTS 1.HUMOUR 2. ARISTOPHANES 3. TERRY PRATCHETT 4.
CONCLUSIONS
Slide 4
1. HUMOUR
Slide 5
HUMOUR the faculty of perceiving what is ludicrous or amusing,
or expressing it in speech, writing or other composition, jocose
imagination or treatment of a subject. the quality of action,
speech or writing which excites amusement, oddity, jocularity,
facetiousness, comicality, fun. The Oxford English Dictionary,
Simpson & Weiner, 1989, p. 486.
Slide 6
HUMOUR Humor is based on a conceptual shift, a jolt to our
picture of the way things are supposed to be. John Morreall John
Morreall Taking Laughter Seriously, Albany, 1983, p. 60. Taking
Laughter Seriously, Albany, 1983, p. 60.
Slide 7
SHIFT SURPRISEINCONGRUITY
Slide 8
LANGUAGE WRITING WRITINGPRONUNCIATIONSEMANTICASPECTS
dishy slicy sharky dogfishy heady left oversee very strong
saucy silphiumy bit salty honey poured every thrush upon blackbirdy
ringdovey pigeony chickeny roast cooty wagtaily rockdovey haremeaty
boiled winy dippy deliciously wingedy thing! (trans. Alan
Sommerstein)
Slide 15
LITERARY PARODY Eur. Medea 1056-57 I shall not weaken my hand.
Oh! Do not, my angry heart, do not do these things. Let them go,
hard-hearted wretch, spare the children. (trans. David Kovacs)
Slide 16
LITERARY PARODY My soul, sans chervil thou must venture forth.
Do you know what a great struggle you will soon Be engaged in, when
youre shortly to speak In defence of men of Sparta? Forward now, my
soul; (trans. Alan Sommerstein, Acharnians, 480-484)
Slide 17
DEMOS (Knights, 1388-89) Zeus Almighty! How beautiful! Heavens,
tell me, is it all right for me to them?! OBSCENITY
Slide 18
PARODIES OF LANGUAGES DIALECTS -Megarian (Acharnians) -Beotian
(Acharnians) -Lakonian (Lysistrata) FOREIGN LANGUAGES -Persian
(Acharnians) -Persian (Acharnians) -Scythian
(Thesmophoriazusae)
Slide 19
ARCHER: Ere, you, what you dalkin? ECHO: Ere, you, what you
dalkin? ARCHER: I go gall de Brydaneis. ECHO: I go gall de
Brydaneis. ARCHER: Is bad for you - ECHO: Is bad for you - ARCHER:
Where dat voice from? ECHO: Where dat voice from? ARCHER: You
dalkin? ECHO: You dalkin? () ARCHER: You still oben mout? ECHO: You
still oben mout? ARCHER: Graber, de villain! ECHO: Graber, de
villain! (trans. A. Sommerstein, Thesmophoriazusae 1087-98)
Slide 20
3. TERRY PRATCHETT
Slide 21
01 The Colour of Magic (1983) 02 The Light Fantastic (1986) 03
Equal Rites (1987) 04 Mort (1987) 05 Sourcery (1989) 06 Wyrd
Sisters (1989) 07 Pyramids (1989) 08 Guards! Guards! (1989) 09 Eric
(1990) 10 Moving Pictures (1990) 11 Reaper Man (1991) 12 Witches
Abroad (1991) 13 Small Gods (1992) 14 Lords and Ladies (1992) 15
Men at Arms (1993) 16 Soul Music (1994) 17 Interesting Times (1994)
18 Maskerade (1994) 19 Feet of Clay (1996) 20 Hogfather (1996) 21
Jingo (1997) 22 The Last Continent (1998) 23 Carpe Jugulum (1998)
24 The Fifth Elephant (1999) 25 The Truth (2000) 26 Thief of Time
(2001) 27 The Last Hero (2001) 28 The Amazing Maurice and his
Educated Rodents (2001) 29 Night Watch (2002) 30 The Wee Free Men
(2003) 31 Monstrous Regiment (2003) 32 A Hat Full of Sky (2004) 33
Going Postal (2004) 34 Thud! (2005) 35 Wintersmith (2006) 36 Making
Money (2007) 37 Unseen Academicals (2009) 38 I shall Wear Midnight
(2010) 39 Snuff (2011)
Slide 22
SPELLING "One o'clock pee em! Hello, Insert Name Here!" -- The
Dis-organizer (Jingo)
LITERARY PARODY It was the night before Hogwatch. All through
the house......one creature stirred. It was a mouse. (Hogfather)
(Hogfather) Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the
house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Twas the night
before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was
stirring, not even a mouse. Clement Clark Moore
Slide 25
PUNS Rincewind had always been happy to think of himself as a
racist. The One Hundred Meters, the Mile, the Marathon -- he'd run
them all. (The Last Continent)
Slide 26
DOUBLE ENTENDRE I thought swords had to be straight?I thought
swords had to be straight? Perhaps they start out straight and go
bendy with use. A lot of things do.Perhaps they start out straight
and go bendy with use. A lot of things do. (Moving Pictures)
Slide 27
PLAY ON LANGUAGES Imp y Celyn,' said Imp.Imp y Celyn,' said
Imp. Welsh: Bud of the Holly =Buddy Holly Welsh: Bud of the Holly
=Buddy Holly (Soul Music) ? Ty yur tl h sooten gtrunen?? Ty yur tl
h sooten gtrunen? (Colour of Magic)
Slide 28
DOG LATIN IMITATIONDIRECT TRANSLATION TRANSLATION
Slide 29
DOG LATIN IMITATION Veni, verdi, vomuiVeni, verdi, vomui I
came, I turned green, I vomited. Visi, veneri, vamoosiVisi, veneri,
vamoosi I visited, I caught an embarrassing disease, I ran away.
(Jingo)
Slide 30
DOG LATIN DIRECT TRANSLATION Stercus, stercus, stercus,
Moriturus Sum! Oh shit, shit, shit, I am going to die. Oh shit,
shit, shit, I am going to die. (Interesting Times)
Slide 31
DOG LATIN Cuius testiculos habes, cardia et cerebellum habeas.
When you have their full attention in your grasp, you will have
their hearts and minds also. (Small Gods)
Slide 32
4. CONCLUSION
Slide 33
DIFFERENCES ARISTOPHANESPRATCHETT DramaNovel PerformanceText
Perception through various senses Imaginative perception Culture of
active participation Culture of individual reception
Slide 34
INGREDIENTS FOR HUMOUR ARISTOPHANESPRATCHETT Antiquity -
AthensREALITYModern World Culture & History Ancient Greece
(Athens) CULTURAL & HISTORICAL REFERENCES Modern Culture and
History Ancient Greek Literature LITERARY PARODY World Literature
(Western, Eastern, Ancient, Modern) Parody of Myths, Mythological
creatures MYTHICAL PARODY Parody of Myths, Fairytales, fantasy
creatures
Slide 35
COMMON FEATURES COMIC TECHNIQUES Neologisms Funny names
Literary parody Obscenity Play on languages
Slide 36
RIDERE HUMANUM EST Men have been wise in many different modes,
but they have always laughed the same way. Samuel Johnson Life of
Cowley [in:] F. Brady & W.K. Wimsatt, Samuel Johnson: Selected
Poems and Prose, Berkeley, 1977, p. 365.
Slide 37
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