Old Comedy vs. New Comedy

Sophocles is considered one of the greatest Greek play writers. He was the fist to add a third main character and the first to get rid of trilogic form. As a result, Sophocles had to shorten all of the “action,” therefore giving his plays a more dramatic effect.

No society remains immobile, even if some human beings resist changes. The advances in technology and the emergence of new beliefs allow people to have a broader imagination. Thus, numerous new interpretations of ancient works, whether they are plays, folktales, or poems, permeate around the world. These renditions re-tell the original stories in contexts that adjust to modern world. What was regarded serious in the past becomes mockery nowadays. William Shakespeare, one of the greatest English play writers, has a profound influence upon different societies globally since the fifteenth century, for his plays inspire many contemporary artists to present new scopes reflecting their societies. Considered as one of Shakespeare’s greatest

…. He became one of the best speakers in Rome, and by care and application, was able to surpass those who were more highly gifted by nature. …. often when Pompey and Cicero and Caesar were reluctant to speak, he undertook the whole management of the case himself, thereby gaining an advantage over them in popularity, since people thought of him as a man willing to take trouble to help others.

The Oscans also brought their own type of theatre and ideas about such to Rome. The Oscans had their own type of comedy called Atellan Farce. It was a kind of improvised comedy played with five main characters for each show. There was the fool, the stupid one, a foolish old man, a wise fool, and a monster with big jaws. Respectively the names to these characters were Maccus, Bucco, Pappus, Dassenus and Mandacus. These stock characters brought life to those of Rome 's own stock characters named the same.

Terence in his plays was attempting to bring the “New Comedy” of Greece to a Roman audience. “Old Comedy” was usually more blatant with sexual humor. The phallus was typically over displayed, with a protagonist obtaining the woman of his desires, with a finale of uninhibited party and celebration. This was not what Terence was introduced to his audience. Although women of “Old Comedy” were a reward. The “New Comedy” was developing women as characters, not just a sexual prize. Erich Segal emphasizes, “Terence has put a few new wrinkles on… traditional figures, often adding touches of originality and realism, creating such novelties as… an honest prostitute.” Yet these were still the stock characters who defined comedy in plays, and did not represent women well.

Ancient Greek comedy was one of the final three principal dramatic forms in the theatre of classical Greece (the others being tragedy and the satyr play). Athenian comedy is conventionally divided into three periods, Old Comedy, Middle Comedy, and New Comedy. Old Comedy survives today largely in the form of the eleven surviving plays of Aristophanes, while Middle Comedy is largely lost, i.e. preserved only in relatively short fragments in authors such as Athenaeus of Naucratis. New Comedy is known

He studied the arts. By sixteen, he was already known around the city for his contribution to lead a choir of boys at a celebration of the victory of Salamis in a battle they had been fighting. Years later, he defeated Aeschylus, who was known to be a play writer also dealing with tragedies and other various kinds of plays that he wrote in his time.

In I Henry IV and II Henry IV, William Shakespeare brings together drama and comedy to create two of the most compelling history plays ever written. Many of Shakespeare's other works are nearly absolute in their adherence to either the comic or tragic traditions, but in the two Henry IV plays Shakespeare combines comedy and drama in ways that seem to bring a certain realism to his characters, and thus the plays. The present essay is an examination of the various and significant effects that Shakespeare's comedic scenes have on I Henry IV and II Henry IV. The Diversity of Society

A lot of famous play writers today are also inspired by the works of play writers from ancient Greece.

Theater in ancient Greece was considered the climax of the days long cultural festival of The City Dionysia. At the festival, various types of plays were shown but one of the most popular was tragedy. These tragedies show the main character, usually a god or person of myth, going through human suffering and the terrible sequence of events that followed; and were produced in 472- 401 BCE. In order for a play to be performed at The City Dionysia festival; tragic playwrights would first have to appeal to the state official that was organizing the festival by submitting ideas to him and his committee. The ideas submitted were outlines of main themes and points of interest to be performed in the play. If a playwright was selected by the state official and his committee, then they received a financial backer and a chance to compete in the drama competition of the festival. The state official, or his committee, was likely pushing their own agenda and choose playwrights that matched their ideals. This is just one example of how theater in ancient Greece was used to influence the morality of Greek culture by using the stories of tragedies, like those of Euripides.

Sophocles’ Theban tragedy, Oedipus the King, is not sexist. The prominent play portrays both men and women justly. The events presented by Sophocles exemplifies a level of admiration and respect for women that was not ordinary in ancient Greece. This is predominantly achieved through the dialogue of Jocasta and Oedipus, illustrating a corresponding relationship. In addition, the behavior of Jocasta, analysis of other literature, as well as the bad fortune of the male characters reaffirm that the Oedipus the King is not sexist.

In the ‘Frogs’ and ‘Wasps’ written by the “eminently best” comedian of the fifth century, Aristophanes, we see he utilized humour to exact the important message that Athens is corrupt, and on the verge of chaos. The Athenian audience would expect to be thrust into a world of humour in the City Dionysia, somewhere parallel to their own (e.g. the Athenian jury in the ‘Wasps’, and the failings of the government in ‘Frogs’). It is vital, then, that Aristophanes conveys his political and social views through slapstick, farce, and caricature to interest the audience. This is an important component in both plays as the audience is able to simultaneously accept his diplomatic views whilst being entertained. After all his main point for producing his plays were to produce something with a “little fable, with a moral”.

Love also became a principle element of Greek theatre during this time. Greek comedy inspired much of modern romantic, generational, and situational comedy. Satyr plays blended elements of tragedy and comedy, and featured mock drunkenness, sexual props and costumes, as well as pranks and gags. Influence of the satyr plays can be seen in genre of burlesque, which involved elaborate, risqué parodies of well-known operas, plays, and ballets. Modern comedies, which typically involve practical jokes, sexual humour, and drunkenness, are inspired by satyr plays as well.

William Shakespeare is at the heart of British Literature. His name is associated with the most brilliant minds in history. He is in the very history of the evolution of culture. From entirely new styles that inspired many to directly changing history by interacting with the officials of the time. He sculpted the English language and dictionary new words and rhythms. Shakespeare is truly one of the greatest expressionist figures to have ever existed. His legacy will live on far past the last spoken

* Satirical Comedy. The subject of satire is human vice and folly. Its characters include con-artists, criminals, tricksters, deceivers, wheeler-dealers, two-timers, hypocrites, and fortune-seekers and the gullible dupes, knaves, goofs, and cuckolds who serve as their all-too-willing victims. Satirical comedies resemble other types of comedy in that they trace the rising fortune of a central character. However, in this case, the central character (like virtually everybody