Courses:

Course Info

• Course Number / Code:
• 21L.421 (Spring 2008) 
• Course Title:
• Comedy 
• Course Level:
• Undergraduate 
• Offered by :
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
  Massachusetts, United States  
• Department:
• Literature 
• Course Instructor(s):
• Dr. Wyn Kelley 
• Course Introduction:
•  
• 
  
  21L.421 Comedy
  
  
  
  

  Spring 2008

  
  
  

  
  
  

  Course Highlights

  
  
  

  
  
  21L.421 Comedy
  
  
  
  

  Spring 2008

  
  
  

  

  Artist's rendering of Mark Twain. (Image courtesy of America's Library.)

  
  
  

  Course Description

  
  
  

  This course looks at comedy in drama, novels, and films from Classical Greece to the twentieth century. Focusing on examples from Aristophanes, Shakespeare, Cervantes, Molière, Wilde, Chaplin, and Billy Wilder, along with theoretical contexts, the class examines comedy as a transgressive mode with revolutionary social and political implications. This is a Communications Intensive (CI) class with emphasis on discussion, and frequent, short essays.