Tuesday, 19 February 2008 12:58 pm
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deckardcanineI recently noticed something about farces: The characters -- the ones meant to be funny, anyway -- are not all that free. They're clumsy in both walk and talk. They have passions and emotions they can't control. They get memory lapses. They get very drunk or stoned unintentionally. Their luck has them in many situations where they wouldn't get much choice even without the other factors.
I wonder if the writers of such farces owe a lot, however indirectly, to Ancient Greeks. After all, tragedies weren't the only plays that conveyed their fatalism. Maybe I should reread Lysistrata.
The apparent deficit of free will also could explain why many people today have no use for farces. It must be a common sentiment, because Death at a Funeral has been regarded as the first of its kind in a while. These viewers must find it hard to like tightly controlled stories, even ones not made to be taken seriously. Much as I like some farces, I can see how it could get uncomfortable.
I wonder if the writers of such farces owe a lot, however indirectly, to Ancient Greeks. After all, tragedies weren't the only plays that conveyed their fatalism. Maybe I should reread Lysistrata.
The apparent deficit of free will also could explain why many people today have no use for farces. It must be a common sentiment, because Death at a Funeral has been regarded as the first of its kind in a while. These viewers must find it hard to like tightly controlled stories, even ones not made to be taken seriously. Much as I like some farces, I can see how it could get uncomfortable.