...Explore the genre conventions in the two main texts you have studied so far. I will be writing about the two texts that I am studying (The Avengers Assemble and Sightseers). The first text, Sightseers, has the hybrid genre of black comedy, comedy, crime and thriller, whilst also touching on horror at points (the murders). The Avengers Assemble has a hybrid genre of sci-fi, action and fantasy. I will be looking at the parts of these movies that are typical of the genres that they are categorised in. The first text I will explore is Sightseers. In black comedies and crime, the iconography and location is often rural countryside; so Sightseers is challenging the conventions of the crime genre – often held in places associated more with ‘gangsters’, e.g. council estates, rougher areas (perhaps more populated) as opposed to the peaceful nature of the countryside. The choice of a caravan park adds a feeling of tranquillity and isn't an immediate location that springs to mind when it comes to thinking about the crime genre - so Ben Wheatley, the director, who has directed black comedies in the past, will have wanted to challenge the conventions of these movies. The comedy aspect is explored within quite a few scenes, the jokey comments that Tina is making to her mum at the beginning of the movie (where she repeats 'mum' several times, which is becomes quite humorous). The sort of humour used does challenge the conventions of a comedy as there are no out and out jokes, but some of...
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...The Comedy in Twelfth Night is largely generated by Shakespeare's use of disguise and mistaken identity. How far do you agree? Shakespeare's Twelfth Night is one of the best known comedies and is often well cited for its use of disguise and mistaken identity as being the key factors in the play that cause humour and make the play into the comedy that it is. However there are many other factors and comedic effects that take place within the play and cause humour that do not directly tie to disguise and mistaken identity. These include the use of standard comedic plot lines, the use of visual humour, bare basic comedy and jokes alongside the use of comic servants. All of these play a part in the comedy and humour of Twelfth Night but how prominent they are is the factor I shall be examining. The use of Viola (when disguised as Cesario) is a key point of humour throughout the play and is a constant reminder of the humour based off visual comedy and mistaken identity that Shakespeare intended to portray. A lot of the central plot within the play revolves around Viola and Cesario and the many events within the play that directly stem from these characters. In Act 1 Scene 4 we get our first glimpse of disguise within the play when we are introduced to Cesario. Here we learn that within a short space of time Viola has managed to become a favourite of Orsino and as Valentine notes “if the Duke continue these favours towards you, Cesario, you are likely to be much advanced”. This in...
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...wrong, at the time we can be furious but eventually we are usually able to look back and laugh, even if it is a rather wary laugh. Black comedy may position an audience to laugh at something they’re not ready to laugh at, or at something they’re not really allowed to laugh at. Black comedies can show us the errors and misjudgements that lead to our downfalls and give us an opportunity to laugh at the silliness of human existence. The only difference between comedy and black comedy is the seriousness of the consequences of the misunderstanding. Black comedy explores modern comic plays from different countries that deal with what is often uncomfortable or suppressed. The nature of comedy and the use of humour is used to confront an audience with human experiences of pain, loss, forms, styles, techniques and conventions. Black Comedy is all about how you get your audience into a position to observe the confusion, to be aware of the misunderstanding leading to these terrible events. And the difference (sometimes) between the confusion and the reactions of the confusion is what creates the comedy. The term for the positioning the audience so they are aware of a significance that the characters are ignorant, is of course Dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is a theatrical technique that can be used in a variety of styles of theatre, from tragedy to comedy. It is the form of irony where the audience is aware of the significance of something that the characters are ignorant of. Within the plays...
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...The minor and principle characters contribute equally to the form of 'The Importance of Being Earnest'. How far do you agree with this statement? A comedy of manners is categorically associated with and elaborate and scandalous plot, a joyous ending and using wit and inversions throughout. Throughout the play “The Importance of Being Earnest”, the conventions of a comedy of manners are clearly demonstrated by both the principle characters and the minor characters. However due to Oscar Wilde’s ideology of empowering the minorities and the ideas of reform in a Victorian society, it can be argued that the minor characters contribute more significantly. The first convention of a ‘Comedy of Manners’ that the characters contribute to is an elaborate plot. Unexpectedly, due to her insignificance in previous scenes and portrayal as a minor character, Miss Prism makes the most significant contribution to this. As she is the one who concludes the mystery of where Jack came from and in turn leads him to learn his name is Ernest, which therefore resolves the problem he had with Gwendolen over his name. This then also concludes the play as Lady Bracknell eventually grants permission for them to marry as she realises that he is the son of her “poor sister, Mrs Moncreiff, and consequently Algernon’s elder brother”. Nonetheless, the principle characters all make a significant contribution to the elaborative plot. A forewarning of such plot developing is first hinted by the principle characters...
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...Theatre History Many general characteristics of eighteenth century English comedy are clearly visible in The School for Scandal. Setting The Theatre There were many innovations in scenery, lighting, and costumes during this period. Possibly the most significant innovation was the enlarging of the theatres. This resulted in a difficulty for the audience in the back of the theatre to have a clear view of the action upon the stage and the hearing of certain scenes was rendered more than difficult. Consequently, actors had to adapt to the altered conditions, and their performances became louder and more vibrant. The stage lighting was bright, as most attention was focused on the actors and what they were doing. There was a very close link between the actor and the audience at the time. Many plays of the time include direct-address conventions such as asides, a presentational mode that permits an actor to share his thoughts and feelings with the audience. Theatres in the 18th century had stages with huge aprons which made it possible for an actor to play quite close to the audience, so he could deliver an aside as a thought shared with the public. It was not difficult for an actor to achieve confidentiality, but it did require considerable skill and practice on his or her part to seem confidential and yet reach out to everyone in the auditorium. The period saw an increased activity in the preparation of new scenes. Instead of the stock scenery of former times, fresh...
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...‘The fascination of innocence lies in its fragility’. Milton’s epic poem ‘Paradise Lost’ and Jonson’s comedy play ‘Volpone’ both explore the nature of innocence – moreover, its fragility. Through their examination of justice, societal conventions, and their relationship with their audiences both writers challenge conceptions of innocence held at their time of writing. Arguably, relationships between the notion of innocence and audiences have changed over time, yet it is that which makes both works timeless pieces of longstanding fascination. The theme of justice – and subsequently the definition of ‘innocence’ – is a field explored by both Milton and Jonson. In ‘Paradise Lost’, Milton presents governance in the divine justice of God. The authority of God is asserted in his casting Satan out of Heaven – leaving him “full of anguish” and intent on “man’s destruction”, as a means to challenge the supremacy of God. Adam and Eve are presented as “innocent” at the start of Book Nine, yet to eat from the Tree of Knowledge and to fall from grace. Milton conveys the pair’s purity through the use of natural imagery: “the humid flowers” and the “sweetest scent and airs”. However, Milton also foreshadows the Fall by contrasting the natural innocence of the pre-lapsarian couple with ideas of modern religion – “sacred light”, “incense”, “earth’s great alter”. Suggesting that Adam and Eve were predestined to lose their “innocent” nature, Milton asserts his own ideas of religion: contrary...
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...Romantic comedy is a popular genre that depicts burgeoning romance in humorous terms and focuses on the foibles of those who are falling in love Title page of the first quarto of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream (1600) "Comedy", in its Elizabethan usage, had a very different meaning from modern comedy. A Shakespearean comedy is one that has a happy ending, usually involving marriages between the unmarried characters, and a tone and style that is more light-hearted than Shakespeare's other plays.[13] Comedy (from the Greek: κωμῳδία, kōmōidía), in the contemporary meaning of the term, is any discourse or work generally intended to be humorous or to amuse by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, television, film and stand-up comedy. This sense of the term must be carefully distinguished from its academic one, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in Ancient Greece. In the Athenian democracy, the public opinion of voters was influenced by the political satire performed by the comic poets at the theaters.[1] The theatrical genre can be simply described as a dramatic performance which pits two societies against each other in an amusing agon or conflict. Northrop Frye famously depicted these two opposing sides as a "Society of Youth" and a "Society of the Old",[2] but this dichotomy is seldom described as an entirely satisfactory explanation. A later view characterizes the essential agon of comedy as a struggle between a relatively powerless youth...
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...considered comic – “Puss-in-Boots” is obviously comic – other stories have moments of sardonic humour, often created by surprise or defiance of our expectations * Response to the word “darkly” in the question and its implications of black comedy – laughing at things which are not normally considered funny – expect some personal response here – sense of humour is very individual! * some candidates may discuss Carter’s language – her intermingling of the poetic and literary with the bluntly crude may be seen as a source of dark humour, equally her choice of structure may make her writing darkly comic – her use of juxtaposition – some readers have seen the absurd brevity of “The Snow Child” as comic and it is unquestionably “dark” Carter’s ‘The Bloody Chamber’ certainly embeds an element of terror within the collection. However, despite claims of horror apparent in the Marquis from the very start, it is also reasonable to argue that the tale also combines elements of dark comedy within the text provided by the very uncanny male protagonist. By the “leonine” portrayal of the Marquis, to his obvious fascination with murder; The Bloody Chamber could be seen to be crafted as too melodramatic and surreal, therefore setting itself up as dark comedy rather than a text of Gothic literature. A sense of foreboding is created within...
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...how far Pride and Prejudice challenges the generic conventions of the realist novel Realist novel through divide in class. Generic convetions are romance, comedy (of manners) and drama. Austen details marriage throughout and this will reflect the society at the time of writing. The pragmatism is the need to be married. The novel employs narrative technique of free indirect speech. Narrative – 3rd person, effect on genre. Romance is represented through characters being kept apart. Misconceptions, miscommunication and quick judgements are key facts. Mr Darcy the alpha male who takes charge of the situation. The heroin must be saved, clear convention however she is not the typical as she is not in phycial danger but instead her families place in society is (impotant theme during time). The relationships between characters, especially the main of Elizabeth and Darcy. ‘In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you’ – Elizabeth. (Detail of relationship, tone and language). Argument - being microcosm of society and money. There is a lot of sexual tension and potential love affair – only a device. Elizabeth as a character is not completely romantic. She’s witty and changes her heart. Question of the novel being a moral tale and there is the consideration of ramifications of reckless behavior. Is it a true consequence of folly? Comedy is evident. Austen pokes fun at society. Satirical...
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...Is Twelfth Night Predominantly a Romantic Comedy or Predominantly a Satire? Although one may argue that Twelfth Night contains many features that are typical of romantic comedies, it can be more accurately described as a satire, parodying such conventions. Shakespeare has purposely written a romantic comedy with the intent of highlighting the absurdity of the genre. It could be said that Twelfth Night is a romantic comedy but the term ‘satire’ is more fitting as the play exposes the stupidity of techniques associated with romantic comedy. Shakespeare uses many stereotypes of love in Twelfth Night and ridicules them to form his satire. At the beginning of the play Orsino makes it known what he believes love entails, “Away before me to sweet beds of flowers. Love thoughts lie rich when canopied with bowers” (I.i.40). Music and flowers are both commonly associated with love. The fact that Orsino feels the need to have flowers and music around him so he can think about love properly is intended to be humorous. Twelfth Night depicts elements of love coupled with exaggeration for comedic purposes and could therefore be called a Romantic Comedy. However, this quote occurs in the very first scene of the play, before the audience even meet Olivia, and is clearly setting the satirical tone for the rest of the play. It may be argued that Shakespeare is ridiculing the works of romantic writers at the time, perhaps including himself. One of Shakespeare’s most popular plays (in his lifetime...
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...As You Like It will be for many of you a rather difficult play to appreciate and interpret simply on the basis of a reading. The reasons for this are not difficult to ascertain. The play is, as I have observed, a pastoral comedy, that is, a comedy which involves a traditional literary style of moving sophisticated urban courtiers out into the countryside, where they have to deal with life in a very different manner from that of the aristocratic court. This play, like others in the Pastoral tradition, freely departs from naturalism, and in As You Like It (certainly by comparison with the History plays) there is little attempt to maintain any consistently naturalistic style. This can create problems for readers unfamiliar with the conventions of pastoral, especially those who find it just too artificial and incredible to grasp imaginatively. After all, how are we to understand the unmotivated family hatreds which launch the action? We are simply not given any sufficiently detailed look at why Oliver hates Orlando (he himself does not understand the reason) or why Duke Frederick hates Duke Senior and turns on Rosalind so suddenly or, what is most surprising of all, why the nasty people whose animosities have given rise to the plot so suddenly and so conveniently convert and become nice people just in time to wind the plot up happily under the supervision of the goddess Hymen, the Greek deity of marriage, who arrives as an unexpected but welcome guest. But these...
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...Satire Within The Importance of Being Earnest Comedy is normally intentioned to be engaged in theatrical plays to develop a significant message. In witty, comical plays like “The Importance of Being Earnest”, the author, Oscar Wilde’s key objective is to create comedy in a number of situations creating ridiculous occurrences and absurd characters. Wilde presents the character(s) in the comedy play to obtain weaknesses, conceits, and lack of insight so that their acts can be easily compared between real life and form a sense of humor within the audience. Comedy of matters is a category of play suitable to uncover the superficial values of the dominant class in society written in a satirical but natural way. Wilde satirizes the values of the Victorian higher class using the characters Jack, Gwendolen, Algernon, Cecily, and Lady Bracknell. There are many examples from “The Importance of Being Earnest” that depict comedic and satire elements through themes like marriage and triviality. The nature of marriage, critique of marriage as a social tool, is a theme that is portrayed throughout Wilde’s play. It is also the most valuable during the Victorian era and to most of the characters especially to Lady Bracknell. She represents the predictable fascinations of the Victorian name such as social class, income, and an acceptable character. She views marriage as a financial business and does not approve of Jack to marry her daughter, Gwendolen, and simply because he is an orphan....
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...Jason Segel. The genre of this film is considered to be a romantic comedy. Romantic comedies are considered to be the least flexible of all the genres of film. There are a number of reasons that have been identified as reasons that this genre is lacking. The plot of a romantic comedy involves romance that leads to comic situations. In recent years the film genre has been identified genericly with a female protagonist finding love against all odds with a course of unconventional comic situations along the way. There can also be a variation of the basic plotline, instead of the typical romance where the two lead characters end up falling in love there could be a mismatch in love affair with the primary character and a secondary character. In the romantic comedy genre one of the reasons cited is that the scope of what this genre seeks to accomplish is limited. According to the textbook the romantic comedy is limited in scope of what it attempts to accomplish – brining two people together. There are many ways for this to happen, and many comedic obstacles to be placed before them , but the goal remains the same (Goodykoontz, B. & Jacobs C. P. 2011). The struggle that is present within this genre is for a romantic comedy to be successful there has to be equal measure of romance and comedy present within the film. A positive attribute about this genre is few other genres has as much appeal as romantic comedies. Within the genre there are qualities that draw a range of emotions...
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...Contents Introduction…………………………….……….…………….…………………... 3 FIRST PART 1. What is Humour?..................................................................................................... 5 2. Humour and Culture…………………………….……………………………...… 6 3. What amuses Britain?……………………………….…….……….………...…… 7 4. Comedy…………………………………………………………………………… 8 4.1 British Comedy………………………………………………..………………..… 9 5. British Television Comedy.……………………………..……………………...… 9 5.1 Sitcom - situational comedy……………………………………………………. 10 5.1.1 Britcom……………………………………………………………….…….…… 11 SECOND PART 6. What makes Britain laugh?..……………………………………………..…… … 11 6.1 Madness & Surrealism………………………………………………………….. .12 6.1.1 Monty Python's Flying Circus…………………………………..………….…… 12 6.2 Political Satire…………………………………………………..…………….…. 14 6.2.1 Yes, Minister……………………………………..………………….……. …….. 15 6.3 The Race……………………………………………………….…………….. …. 17 6.3.1 Da Ali G Show……………………………………………………………….. … 18 6.4. The Family………………………………………………...…………….…… … 20 6.4.1 Only Fools and Horses………………………..……………..……... .. 21 THIRD PART 7. It’s Monty Python!.………………………………………………... ….… 24 8. Manipulation in Political Life……………………………………… ……. 26 9. “Boyakasha!”..................................................................................... 27 10. "This time next year, we'll be millionaires!"………………………. .… ….. 30 Conclusion…………………………………………………………. 33 Appendices Appendix A……………………………………………………………….. 35 Appendix...
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...THEATRE HISTORY INSTRUCTOR: THAR 281 Fall 2013 Exam #1 Review What is Theatre/ The Origins of Theatre: 1. Define “theatron” the seeking place 2. List the specific areas of theatre: Performer, spectator, text, visual elements, spectators 3. What are the three types of playing spaces discussed in class? a. Proscenium b. Arena c. Thrust 4. What are the three areas of design discussed in class? What are the purposes of each? 5. What are the two most ESSENTIAL elements of theatre? Audience and performers 6. Performances developed in the moment of performance (without a formal written text) are known as 7. Define and cite examples of ritual. Ritual - the acting out of an established prescribed procedure. Example: aggie ring dunk, midnight yell, Thanksgiving 8. Define and cite examples of ceremony. -Ceremony- formal religious or social occasion, usually led by a designated authority figure -Examples: Wedding, funerals, church ( pastor has to keep the audience engaged), music 9. What is the primary distinction between ritual and ceremony? Ceremony is led by an authoritative figure 10. Define efficacious: done with expecting results 11. Define methexis: Group sharing 12. It is commonly accepted that theatre developed through: myth, ceremony, and ritual 13. Examples of theatrical performance can be seen in everyday life through People telling crazy stories about what happened to them and acting them out with hand signals etc. -Imitation, role...
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