Across the three comic texts, a wide range of both high and low level humour devices are used with consideration to varying responses from the audience. Low level humour is used in scatological humour to show that everyone’s bodily functions are the same, so basic laughs can be earned. This is shown through slapstick humour in the Wasps when Philocleon attempts to escape from Bdelycleon’s house and net. He scurries “about like a rat.” This inclusive comedy appeals to the entire audience of each comedy as it is easy to understand. In the Wasps and the Frogs, high level humour is used in pun and satire to show that some of the audience has the same intellect as Aristophanes as an exclusive joke to satisfy audience ego. The combination of high and low level humour results in humour that will entertain the whole audience. In Adventure Time the target audience is children. The show provides subtle, sophisticated humour for adults through the use of parody and satire. In the Wasps and Frogs , the target audience is Athenians, and even women and slaves could receive tickets to watch the plays of Aristophanes. In Shakespeare’s comedies, he wants to entertain the audience who were also of varying social classes. The comedies of Aristophanes, Pendleton Ward and Shakespeare were able to appeal to the common man in addition to all other social classes in their audience. Therefore, this increases the chances of a positive audience response as they would understand and appreciate the low and high level humour used throughout A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Adventure Time, the Wasps and The Frogs.
Aristophanes’ plays were held at the Lenaia and city Dionysia festivals. The dramatic festivals were plays dedicated to Dionysus, god of wine, ecstasy and fertility. Of religious significance, the plays would help ensure that there would be a plentiful, good crop in the coming year. In contrast, New Comedy was more generic and less religious. Consequently, modern entertainment is much more plentiful, able to form a combination of Attic Old and New Comedy with a larger variety of comedic entertainment. Modern culture has experienced a larger capability to hold a wide range of entertainment so entertainment was not only religious but had a larger variety of purposes.
Shakespeare and Aristophanes both revolutionised comedy and lived through the peak of their respective time periods, the Age of Pericles and Elizabethan England. Both cultures experienced a Renaissance and an influx of creativity across science, technology, philosophy and the arts. Both are thus innovative and shattered many theater and comedy conventions during their times. Shakespeare was heavily influenced by ancient Greek and Rome and found playwrights such as Plautus of Attic New Comedy influential, which is a reason behind his use of magic and ancient mythology in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Aristophanes’ plays were held at the Lenaia and city Dionysia festivals. The dramatic festivals were plays dedicated to Dionysus, god of wine, ecstasy and fertility. Of religious significance, the plays would help ensure that there would be a plentiful, good crop in the coming year. In contrast, New Comedy was more generic and less religious. Consequently, modern entertainment is much more plentiful, able to form a combination of Attic Old and New Comedy with a larger variety of comedic entertainment. Modern culture has experienced a larger capability to hold a wide range of entertainment so entertainment was not only religious but had a larger variety of purposes.
Shakespeare and Aristophanes both revolutionised comedy and lived through the peak of their respective time periods, the Age of Pericles and Elizabethan England. Both cultures experienced a Renaissance and an influx of creativity across science, technology, philosophy and the arts. Both are thus innovative and shattered many theater and comedy conventions during their times. Shakespeare was heavily influenced by ancient Greek and Rome and found playwrights such as Plautus of Attic New Comedy influential, which is a reason behind his use of magic and ancient mythology in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.