CLST 10.08 Laughter and Humor in the Ancient World

What made ancient Greeks and Romans laugh? Do we still get their jokes? What was the function of humor in antiquity, and how does this compare to the role of humor in modern societies? In this course we will investigate these questions by reading ancient Greek and Roman jokes, comedies, and satire alongside modern analyses of humor from psychology, sociology, and cognitive theory. Special themes to be discussed will include laughter and power, irony and satire in philosophy, visual humor, gallows humor, humor and horror, and laughing at others in terms of gender, ethnicity, race, and social class.

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:SOC; WCult:CI

The Timetable of Class Meetings contains the most up-to-date information about a course. It includes not only the meeting time and instructor, but also its official distributive and/or world culture designation. This information supersedes any information you may see elsewhere, to include what may appear in this ORC/Catalog or on a department/program website. Note that course attributes may change term to term therefore those in effect are those (only) during the term in which you enroll in the course.