To create humor in drama, one must either make witty
             wordplay, create an amusing situation, or use physical
             comedy. Often jokes may be incorporated into a play, or a
             comic situation may result in a series of complicated
             antics. The tradition for some of these comic devices has
             been carried over for hundreds of years, dating back to
             Shakespeare in the 1600's. In his play, A Midsummer Night's
             Dream, Shakespeare creates humor through three diverse
             devices: oxymoron's, malapropisms and mistaken identities.
             All result in a farcical mix of comic situations.
             Wordplay, such as the use of oxymorons, is an abundant
             source of humor in Shakespeare. The word oxymoron comes
             from the Greek meaning "pointedly foolish." Pointedly
             foolish certainly applies to the mechanicals, whose
             ignorance provides the root of all their comedy in the play.
             For example, Quince refers to the play of Pyramus and Thisbe
             as "the most lamentable comedy." (Iii 9) This does not make
             much sense, since we would hardly express sorrow over a
             comedy. However, as it turns out, the pathetic production
             they eventually put on is so bad it actually is lamentable.
             When Bottom says: "I'll speak in a monstrous little voice,"
             (Iii 43) he surely does not mean a voice which is both
             monstrous and little, for something cannot be both monstrous
             and little. What Bottom is trying to say is that he will
             speak in a "very" little voice. Bottom does not realize
             what he has said and creates amusing confusion for the
             reader. One of Helena's oxymorons is in Act 3, scene 2,
             line 129: "oh devilish- holy fray!" Obviously something
             cannot be devilish and holy at the same time, and by most
             people's standards, the devil certainly is not pious.
             The ignorance of Bottom and his friends seems to be
             bottomless and voluminous and results not only in oxymorons,
             but also in "malapropisms." A malapropism is the confusion
             ...