Humour Now and Then: Aristophanes vs. Terry PratchettYvonne Borowski M.A.University of Lodz

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.

MAIN POINTSHUMOUR

2. ARISTOPHANES

3. TERRY PRATCHETT

4. CONCLUSIONS

1. HUMOUR

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.

HUMOUR Humor is based on a conceptual shift, a jolt to our picture of the way things are supposed to be.

John Morreall Taking Laughter Seriously, Albany, 1983, p. 60.

2. ARISTOPHANES

THE EXTANT COMEDIESThe Acharnians (425 BC) The Knights (424 BC) The Clouds (423 BC) The Wasps (422 BC) Peace (421 BC)The Birds (414 BC) Lysistrata (411 BC) Thesmophoriazusae (c. 411 BC) The Frogs (405 BC) The Assemblywomen (c. 392 BC) Plutus or Wealth (c. 388 BC)

FUNNY NAMES

(Knights)

(Birds)

(Birds)

NEOLOGISMS

(Clouds, 819)Cloud Cuckoo Land

(Peace, 529)Acedic belching of men living on a soldiers diet

NEOLOGISMS ------.

(Assembly Women, 1169-1175)

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)

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)

LITERARY PARODYMy soul, sans chervil thou must venture forth.Do you know what a great struggle you will soonBe engaged in, when youre shortly to speakIn defence of men of Sparta?Forward now, my soul;

(trans. Alan Sommerstein, Acharnians, 480-484)

DEMOS

(Knights, 1388-89) Zeus Almighty! How beautiful! Heavens, tell me, is it all right for me to them?!OBSCENITY

PARODIES OF LANGUAGESDIALECTS-Megarian (Acharnians)-Beotian (Acharnians)-Lakonian (Lysistrata)FOREIGN LANGUAGES -Persian (Acharnians)-Scythian (Thesmophoriazusae)

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)

3. TERRY PRATCHETT

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)

SPELLING

"One o'clock pee em! Hello, Insert Name Here!"-- The Dis-organizer (Jingo)

FUNNY NAMES"Mightily-Praiseworthy-Are-Ye-Who-Exalteth-Om

"Visit-The-Infidel-With-Explanatory-Pamphlets

"Smite-The-Unbeliever-With-Cunning-Arguments(Small Gods)

LITERARY PARODY It was the night before Hogwatch. All through the house... ...one creature stirred. It was a mouse. (Hogfather) Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.Clement Clark Moore

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)

DOUBLE ENTENDREI thought swords had to be straight?

Perhaps they start out straight and go bendy with use. A lot of things do.

(Moving Pictures)

PLAY ON LANGUAGESImp y Celyn,' said Imp. Welsh: Bud of the Holly =Buddy Holly(Soul Music)

? Ty yur tl h sooten gtrunen?(Colour of Magic)

DOG LATINIMITATION

Veni, verdi, vomui I came, I turned green, I vomited.

Visi, veneri, vamoosiI visited, I caught an embarrassing disease, I ran away.(Jingo)

DOG LATINDIRECT TRANSLATION

Stercus, stercus, stercus, Moriturus Sum! Oh shit, shit, shit, I am going to die.

(Interesting Times)

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)

4. CONCLUSION

DIFFERENCES

ARISTOPHANESPRATCHETTDramaNovelPerformanceTextPerception through various senses Imaginative perceptionCulture of active participationCulture of individual reception

INGREDIENTS FOR HUMOUR

ARISTOPHANESPRATCHETTAntiquity - AthensREALITYModern WorldCulture & History Ancient Greece (Athens)CULTURAL & HISTORICAL REFERENCESModern Culture and HistoryAncient Greek LiteratureLITERARY PARODYWorld Literature (Western, Eastern, Ancient, Modern)Parody of Myths, Mythological creaturesMYTHICAL PARODYParody of Myths, Fairytales, fantasy creatures

COMMON FEATURESCOMIC TECHNIQUESNeologismsFunny namesLiterary parodyObscenityPlay on languages

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.

THANK YOUFOR YOUR ATTENTION

Contact: yvonne.borowski@gmail.com