ENG 194 Literature of Comedy

"Is comedy really tragedy plus time?" This course traces the historical and cultural development of canonical and popular works of comedy. We will develop a working definition of comedy for our times by exploring classic and contemporary theories of humor, laughter, and comedy in its social contexts. Texts range from ancient theories to contemporary social media contexts. Genres may include plays, essays, poems, fiction, film, social and streaming media, and comic arts. Themes include the changing role of comedy in societies, the role of gender, race, sexuality, class and audience in shaping what’s funny, and the conventions, mechanics and effects of jokes, tropes, and types.

Credits

4

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Analyze the genre of comedy in literary texts within its literary, historical and social contexts
2. Assess and apply diverse approaches and criteria for understanding and analyzing comedy
3. Describe key elements of comic forms and understand the functioning of comedy’s formal elements in texts
4. Examine cultural values reflected in comic writing and visual forms
5. Use textual evidence to support interpretive claims about comedy
6. Contribute to collaborative learning through formal and informal writing and discussion forums and/or creative projects