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

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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.

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MAIN POINTS 1.HUMOUR 2. ARISTOPHANES 3. TERRY PRATCHETT 4. CONCLUSIONS

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1. HUMOUR

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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.

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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.

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SHIFT SURPRISEINCONGRUITY

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LANGUAGE WRITING WRITINGPRONUNCIATIONSEMANTICASPECTS

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2. ARISTOPHANES

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THE EXTANT COMEDIES 1.The Acharnians (425 BC) 2.The Knights (424 BC) 3.The Clouds (423 BC) 4.The Wasps (422 BC) 5.Peace (421 BC) 6.The Birds (414 BC) 7.Lysistrata (411 BC) 8.Thesmophoriazusae (c. 411 BC) 9.The Frogs (405 BC) 10.The Assemblywomen (c. 392 BC) 11.Plutus or Wealth (c. 388 BC)

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FUNNY NAMES (Knights) (Birds) (Birds)

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NEOLOGISMS (Clouds, 819) Cloud Cuckoo Land (Peace, 529) Acedic belching of men living on a soldiers diet

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NEOLOGISMS - - - - - - . (Assembly Women, 1169-1175)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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

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

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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)

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3. TERRY PRATCHETT

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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)

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

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FUNNY NAMES "Mightily-Praiseworthy-Are-Ye-Who- Exalteth-Om"Mightily-Praiseworthy-Are-Ye-Who- Exalteth-Om "Visit-The-Infidel-With-Explanatory- Pamphlets"Visit-The-Infidel-With-Explanatory- Pamphlets "Smite-The-Unbeliever-With-Cunning- Arguments"Smite-The-Unbeliever-With-Cunning- Arguments (Small Gods)

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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

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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)

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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)

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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)

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DOG LATIN IMITATIONDIRECT TRANSLATION TRANSLATION

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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)

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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)

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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)

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4. CONCLUSION

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DIFFERENCES ARISTOPHANESPRATCHETT DramaNovel PerformanceText Perception through various senses Imaginative perception Culture of active participation Culture of individual reception

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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

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COMMON FEATURES COMIC TECHNIQUES Neologisms Funny names Literary parody Obscenity Play on languages

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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.

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION FOR YOUR ATTENTION Contact: yvonne.borowski@gmail.com