Professor Jim Gray of Sonoma State University defines culture as a means of survival. Going by this definition of culture the evolution of black humor has definitely been a foundation in the survival of the comedy in America. This paper will be a discussion of how African American Humor has evolve...

Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy, PurgatoryDante's The Divine Comedy section of Purgatory is a depiction of Dante and his struggle to reach paradise. He is a character as well as a narrator. The purgatory section deals with the seven deadly sins and Dante's task of cleansing himself on his jour...

In the 1970´s, Brian Henderson predicted that, due to 'changes within family structures and sexual relationships´, and a 'loss of faith in the interest of romance as a subject´, the romantic comedy would become outdated and therefore, supposedly, an 'impossibility´ in today´s cinema (FM3011 - C...

Black comedy is comedy that is sarcastic and/or makes fun of persons, places, or situations. It is an important element of "As I Lay Dying" which adds not only a touch of humor, but also aids the reader in recognizing the highly irrational thinking of the Bundrens. Black comedy points out the dishev...

Medieval records of psycho-cosmic journeys arouse feelings of love. This is especially true of The Divine Comedy. Not only do they arouse these feelings but they are also heroic with the achievement of a great reward after a perilous undertaking and may involve a summons that is most often the resu...

Aristotle was the first person to describe theatre theory, he also was the first who social and spiritual interpretation of text. He first classified, described and moreover produced a clear idea which way theatre is structured. According to Aristotle text is representation. It is important to l...

A romantic elopement, three marriages, and hilarious disguises are just three of the elements that make William Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice a romantic comedy. The Perfection Form Company defines a romantic comedy as "a kind of comic drama that focuses on love. Romantic comedies ofte...

"Twelth Night" by William Shakespeare L.O. To be able to identify and anylse the different forms of comedy in 'Twelth Night' by responding, in essay form, to the following title : Traditionally, in the merrymaking of Twelth Night the general order of things is overturned. Show, by referenc...

The classic anti-war, anti-establishment, anti- (insert current debatable issue/action here) novel, Catch-22, follows the life of Yossarian, the main character, and his fellow Army Air Corps officers, stationed on an imaginary island off the coast of Italy, through a period during World War II. The...

Twelfth Night - Analysis of Fools A fool can be defined in many meanings according to the Oxford English Dictionary On Historical Principles. The word could mean "a silly person", or "one who professionally counterfeits folly for the entertainment of others, a jester, clown" or "one who has ...

The Perfect RecipeThe one thing that separates Seinfeld from most other comedies other than being a self proclaimed show about nothingness is its intricately devised plots and storylines. Other comedies from the past could manage but a single storyline and attempt to weave comedy out of that. Seinfe...

The American Pie trilogy has become a huge success for teens as well as adults. The films all made a huge amount of revenue. Even though the major role of all American Pie films is sexual material, it sort of expands its horizon in the second and third films. Relationships, love and drama start to o...

"Dante's Divine Comedy and Aeneid" In Dante's Divine Comedy, Dante incorporates Virgil's portrayal of Hades from The Aeneid into his poem, and similarities between the Inferno and Hades can be drawn, however Dante wasn't attempting to duplicate Virgil's works. Alt...

Twelfth Night – "Do you regard Twelfth Night simply as a lighthearted festive comedy, or do you feel it contains more serious themes and issues?" The first known performance of Twelfth Night was on the 2nd February 1602, which is in fact Candlemas Day. It was a traditional festiv...

Molière, pseudonym of JEAN BAPTISTE POQUELIN (1622-73), French dramatist, and one of the greatest of all writers of comedies. His universal comic types still delight audiences; his plays are often produced and have been much translated. Molière was born in Paris on January 15, 1622, the son of a w...

The Deft Touch of Catch 22: Heller's Harmonious Unison of Comedy and Tragedy Since the dawn of literature and drama, comedy and tragedy have always been partitioned into separate genres. Certainly most tragedies had comedic moments, and even the zaniest comedies were at times serious. Howeve...

Trevor Nunn\'s direction of Shakespeare\'s \"Twelfth Night\" takes away some of the confusion present in the reading of the text, which begins with the complicated love interests of the main characters. Having been the artistic director for the world famous Royal Shakespeare Company for eighteen yea...

JULIUS CAESER1.) The great philosopher Aristotle makes the distinction between comedy and tragedy. Aristotle defines tragedy as a tragic character falling from a high place in society due to a flaw they possess and provides an insight into human existence. He defines comedy as any story that begi...

JULIUS CAESER1.) The great philosopher Aristotle makes the distinction between comedy and tragedy. Aristotle defines tragedy as a tragic character falling from a high place in society due to a flaw they possess and provides an insight into human existence. He defines comedy as any story that begi...

"In any new business, someone has to have vision"(Russell Simmons pg 221). A vision is exactly what Russell Wendell Simmons had when he first started in the music business. Russell Simmons, the original and eternal hip-hop mogul, is one of the most innovative and influential figures in ...

William Shakespeare is declared and worshiped as one of the most influential writers of English literature. Shakespeare has in many ways touched the lives of thousands upon thousands of readers throughout time. In addition to introducing new techniques and methods of writing, Shakespeare has had a m...

Using his unique style and structure, Joseph Heller masterfully manages to interlay humor and terror, comedy and tragedy and reveals the perversions of the human character and of society gone mad. The first stroke of Heller\'s deft touch is his presentation of outrageous characters, acting outrageo...

Morgan Davis English 1C Fong 3-29-02 The Simpsons Way It's a weekly event for some, and a daily event for others. With this daily occurance you can take a half hour break to have a good laugh, explain a thought of feeling, or get a better understanding about the problems of our society. ...

The world in the play reflects Congreve's own society and revolves around a witty young man, winning a lady and her fortune after overcoming the obstacles posed by hostile relations and other people. Both Mirabell and Millamant wish to marry each other and still enjoy the six thousand pounds in...

'Twelfth Night' is an elusive play. It is a combination of both comedy and melancholy but cannot be classed as just one or the other. There are parts such as the letter to Malvolio, which are amusing but then lead to the reader feeling pity for him when he is cruelly treated. Feste is an ...