Comedy Flashcards
Learn it! (32 cards)
What are some comedic techniques?
Hyperbole/overstatement
Understatement
Juxtaposition
Repetition
Misdirection
Puns
Double Entendre
Irony
Taboo
Mistaken identity
What are the three main dramatic elements used to create comedy?
▧ Role and Character
▧ Language
▧ Rhythm
What are some styles of comedy?
Commedia dell’arte
Slapstick
Surreal / Absurdist comedy
Farce
Satire
Parody
What is one main reason that creating comedy in drama is challenging.
Becasue comedy is SUBJECTIVE
what one person thinks is funny might not be what another person thinks is funny.
Overstatement / hyperbole
exaggeration for humorous effect:
“I nearly died laughing!”
Understatement
downplayed for humorous effect:
“It’s only a flesh wound!”
Juxtaposition
Two unrelated things are put together for the sake of a joke:
Monty Python fish slapping
Repetition
Repetition…….
callback: where an earlier theme is referred to again.
Catchphrases
Misdirection
audience thinks the joke is going off in one direction then the comedian veers off down a different route.
Suprise!
“It’s hard sometimes because the house is a mess, the kids are screaming. In the end my husband couldn’t take it anymore and he stormed off to the pub. I said to him, “What are you doing here? You’re meant to be at home looking after the kids!”
Puns
Deliberately misusing similar words for comedic effect:
“I tried to steal spaghetti from the shop, but the female guard saw me and I couldn’t get pasta.”
Double entendre
Phrasing your words to make them seem innocent, when they’re actually a bit cheeky
Dramatic Irony
The audience knows something the characters don’t:
A character is
about to open a door. The audience sees a killer with a knife on the opposite side of the door.
verbal irony
When the speaker says the opposite to what they mean (often similar to sarcasm, but not always):
Sarcasam- “Boy, this skin rash is a pleasure to experience.”
situational irony
An event or outcome takes place that is the opposite of what was intended:
A blizzard of snow on the first day of Spring.
Taboo
Something that is forbidden or highly disapproved of.
This bold comedic device can be used to make us think
Mistaken identity
Someone or something is mistakenly thought to be someone or something else:
She’s the man
What are some Dramatic elements?
(lots)
- Character & Role
- Focus
- Tension
- Time & Place (and Situation)
- Space
- Structure
- Language
- Sound
- Movement
- Rhythm
- Moment
- Atmosphere
- Symbols
When did Comedia dell’arte originate?
Italy
around the year 1550
What did Comedia dell’arte rely on?
Relied on ‘stock’ characters,
improvised dialogue.
What are some acting techiques used in Comedia Dell’arte?
Very fast dialogue and action; excellent timing.
Physical comedy -> slap stick
singing, dancing,
acrobatics, tumbling etc.
What is Slapstick named after?
An actual stick used to whack other actors.
What is the main characteristic of Slapstick?
Physical humour
Surreal / Absurdist comedy
Intentionally violating logic to produce a humorous
result that’s bizarre, fantastical, and sometimes even
frightening.
What devices do Surreal / Absurdist comedy use?
- Far-out juxtapositions
- Incongruity
- Non-sequiturs
- Irrational or absurd situations
-Nonsensical expressions
