Types of comedy in the Frogs by Jacob Duncan

Physical Comedy

jduncan64 — 2022-02-14 11:19:18 UTC

Dionysus knocks on Heracles' door and is dressed as him. However, he is described as being middle age and chubby, which is the opposite to Heracles. Dionysus then comically confuses Heracles' shock for being scared. When Dionysus comments on how scary he must seem due to what he thinks is a very heroic and intimidating appearance Xanthius corrects him in a very comically sarcastic way by saying "Oh, yes, by Zeus - scared that you're a maniac."

The comic porter scene at the very beginning where Xanthius is carrying the luggage he is also riding on a donkey so technically the donkey is carrying it. Xanthius comically complains constantly about "carrying the burden". However, Dionysus comically tries to shut him up by saying "How can you be carrying it, when you are the burden." This shows that Xanthius is really agitating Dionysus.

Dionysus can't figure out how to use an oar as when Charon says "Put your hands forward and pull" Dionysus clearly does it wrong as Charon says "Stop being an idiot. Take the strain and row. Hard." Dionysus most likely didn't put the oar in the water when told to row.

Dionysus and Xanthius perform a very classic comedy routine when Dionysus keeps trying to hide behind Xanthius for protection when they hear a loud noice. When Xanthius tells Dionysus that a strange sound is coming from behind Dionysus responds with "Get behind me. Now!" Then when the sound changes direction and comes from in front Dionysus responds with "Quick get in front." This show Dionysus as a very cowardly character, which isn't very god-like.

When Dionysus and Xanthius are both being tortured to see who is the real god as gods can't feel pain, Dionysus tries to cover up his exclamations of pain with very weird excuses. For example, when Aaecus asks if Dionysus felt any pain as he exclaimed "Aaah-pollo! - Lord of Delos and Delphi!" he says he was just reciting "a verse of Hipponax". Xanthius also behaves in a similar way but it is more reasonable to think he would behave this way as he can actually feel pain whilst Dionysus can't. We see this when Aeacus sees if Xanthius felt any pain when he said "attatai!", Xanthius covers this up by saying he was going to say "Atta-at...At what time will the festival of Heracles in Diomea take place?" At least what Xanthius says it sort of relevant as he is dressed as Heralces.

Farce

2022-02-14 11:19:21 UTC

“Just thwack him under the ribs” - the scene where Xanthias and Dionysus are both being hit by Aeacus
“Did you notice that? ... How scared he was of me.” - Heracles is decidedly not afraid
“Yes, and sank - oh, must have been twelve of thirteen enemy ships.” - there were only about 100 ships in the Spartan fleet, a farcical claim
“Two or three pots of lentil soup are bubbling away and she's barbecued a whole ox and toasted some honey-cakes.” - the list of good things provides a massive contrast to the previous reaction to ‘Heracles’, over the top makes it farce
“This is the bastard who came into our inn one day and ate sixteen of our loaves.” - very juxtaposing reactions
“Except leeks. Don't hit him with a leek - not even a little one.” - surprise, a really stupid thing to say
“Atta-at.... At what time will the festival of Heracles in Diomea take place?” - so obviously in pain, Aeacus very oblivious
“Every time I curse my master behind his back, I feel like I'm in heaven.” - a joke at the role of slaves, leaning into caricatures

Dark humour

2022-02-14 11:19:36 UTC

That must be some kind of choke
“There is one way by rope and stool - involves a bit of hanging around.”
"Then there's the direct route - chop, chop - via pestle and mortar"
“Why didn’t I fight in that sea battle! Then I could tell you to bugger off.”
“as for the your kidneys, the Tithrasian Gorgons will tear them from your very innards”
“I’d like to get a big, curved knife and cut that throat of his for gulping down all those sausages.”
“How will you make our torture fair?”
“When Euripides came down, he began to show off to the villains and muggers, the father-murders and thieves”
“When our masters come under pressure, we take the rap.”

Political humour

2022-02-14 11:19:51 UTC

“The politician who takes a bite out of a comic playwright’s earnings” - clear reference to Cleon

“I need a witness!” - Xanthias (Xanthias’ cry reminds us of the litigious nature of the Athenians and their obsession with law-courts.)

“You ridiculous fool, get up quickly before someone sees you” - Xanthias (Xanthias’ criticism contrasts the typical slave-master dynamic)

“Go and call that man Cleon. He’ll protect us” - Pandoceutria (Cleon - a famous, cruel politician (dead) mocked by Aristophanes)

“If you see Hyperbolus, get him for me” - Plathane (another nasty dead politician)

“I’d like to hurl you down that pit” - Plathane (References the pit behind the Acropolis in Athens, where criminals were thrown.)

“I’m going to get Cleon. He’ll have you in court today and will wring every last drop out of you” (Cleon tried to prosecute Aristophanes)

“Let’s have a civilised debate” (Dionysus sounds like a politician)

“Take this slave of mine and torture him” (Dionysus offers up Xanthias instead of himself)

“The man…ill at ease with his fellow citizen…eyes fixed on private gain” (They criticise those who are selfish, in line with Athenian democracy. )

“That creep Thorycion runs contraband from Aegina, while creaming off the five per cent” (For financial reasons, Athens imposed a new tax on maritime imports and exports in 413 BC. An economic/political joke criticising corruption.)

“The politician who takes a bite out of a comic playwright’s earnings when mocked in our traditional worship of Dionysus. (The Chorus includes those who cannot take a joke when caricatured in theatre but prosecute the theatre as Cleon did to Aristophanes for his play Babylonians in 426 BC.)

“You can tell a man…taking a U turn towards and easier position is the mark of a sharp cookie, a true Theramenes” (The Chorus reflect on how politicians struggle to present U-turns convincingly and risk being mocked for them.)

“A clever audience, thousands strong, and keener to win than Cleophon” (Cleophon was an opponent of peace with Sparta and the most prominent demagogue of his day once democracy was restored)

“It’s the same with politicians…it’s the base-metalled, copper-topped foreigners and criminals we rely on for everything”
“Our city treats her finest citizens like her vintage coins and the new gold…but rather than the[se coins] we use these base bronze things”

“[Imagine] if Xanthias, a slave, [was] all tangled up in luxury blankets and snogging a dancing girl”

Surreal humour

2022-02-14 11:20:13 UTC

"Anyone for Strife-end, Troubles-ease or the Plains of Forgetfulness?"
"By Withering Heights, at the ferry stop."
"The ports, the bakeries, the porn-shops, the rest areas, where to turn off and get a drink"
"They live right next to the road that goes straight to the gates of Pluto"
"How do the locals knock here?"
(Plays on the absurdity of being in the Underworld seems almost like it is a holiday)
"Great excitement among the corpses"
"Please hire one of the corpses"
"Nine obols! Strike me alive if..."
(Treating corpses like they are normal alive people)

Satire

2022-02-14 11:20:32 UTC

“The universal power of two obols!” - joke about the economy
“It'll cost two drachmas.” - inflation
“I let him ride so that he won't get worn out by carrying the burden.” - subversion of master/slave dynamic
“Why didn't I fight in that sea battle! Then I could tell you to bugger off.” - reference to Arginusae, more poking at the master/slave dynamic
“I was sailing with Cleisthenes.” - he was routinely mocked for his passive homosexuality
“A flock of artistic tits twittering away.” - slagging off the other tragic writers of the time
“I need a witness!” - poking fun at the Athenian law system
“Every time I curse my master behind his back, I feel like I'm in heaven.” - slave dynamics at the time
“The supreme artist receives free meals in the civic hall.” - digging at the way winners are treated
'Lycis and Ameipsias always have baggage handling routines in their comedies' a dig at at other contemporary playwrights

Scatological humour

2022-02-14 11:20:40 UTC

I've made a craprifice

“I am afraid your tunic’s turned brown from fright”

“I've such a load that if I can't relieve myself, I’ll fart it all
away.”

“….and then a lot of mud and free-flowing shit.”

“The other one is made of cow poo” (leg of Empusa)

Slapstick

2022-02-14 11:21:07 UTC

Aeacus beats Dionysus and Xanthias - 'It's the smell of Onions'

Sexual humour

2022-02-14 11:21:41 UTC

I love donuts so much

“Bonkmeagen” As in ‘bonk me again’

"Buffing my chickpea" implying Dionysus is a voyeur

‘“Then for a boy?” Reference to pederasty

(Hercules/Dionysus) “Certainly not.”, “Then for a man?”, “argh!” Topic of Homosexuality used as a joke

(Chorus of initiates) “Actually, I just took a peek at a little lass
Id spotted - a pretty little playmate -
And, through a rip in her gown,
A little booby peeped out.” This follows the choral ode of the initiates and shifts the tone from formal and lyrical to very colloquial.

(Dionysus) 'knocking shops' Dionysus expects there to be brothels in the underworld

(Dionysus) “Where? Here, let me go to her…”

“All [Dionysus] cares about is boozing and bonking” - Xanthias

“How appropriate is it anyway to mention a cock in a tragedy?”

“God no, not a hint of sex from you” - Euripides

Word play

2022-02-14 11:22:26 UTC

“XAIPE XAPΩN!!!!” - Equivalent of ciao

'Phartphace' - Aeacus makes a pun when naming his henchmen, who he has just asked to beat up Dionysus and Xanthias

“Xanthy Wanthy”

“Bonkmeagen” - name of who Cleisthenes was screaming out for, pun on ‘bonk me again’

Making fun of Dionysus

2022-02-16 09:08:49 UTC

"By Demeter, I just can't stop laughing.(at Dionysus dressed as Heracles) I'm biting my lip, but I just can't stop myself"
"Don't try to frighten me. You won't succeed" - becomes ironic later when Dionysus is shown to be quite cowardly.
"Your seat's right here fatty."
"Stop being an idiot"
"I've never tried, never been at sea, never been near Salamis. How can I row?" - Dionysus is being absolutely useless at something that ordinary people would be fairly familiar with.
"He was just bragging to make me afraid, knowing what a good fighter I am." Is immediately under cut by "Get behind me. Now!" "Quick. Get in front". Dionysus a literal god is using his mortal slave to protect him.
"Priest, save me -" usually priests are asking god's to save them.
"I feel faint. Place a sponge on my heart."
"You are the most cowardly of god's - and men."