Farce
Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable.[1] Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical humor; the use of deliberate absurdity or nonsense; satire, parody, and mockery of real-life situations, people, events, and interactions; unlikely and humorous instances of miscommunication; ludicrous, improbable, and exaggerated characters; and broadly stylized performances.
Genre
Despite involving absurd situations and characters, the genre generally maintains at least a slight degree of realism and narrative continuity within the context of the irrational or ludicrous situations, often distinguishing it from completely absurdist or fantastical genres. Farces are often episodic or short in duration, often being set in one specific location where all events occur. Farces have historically been performed for the stage and film.
Historical context
The term farce is derived from the French word for "stuffing", in reference to improvisations applied by actors to medieval
Sir George Grove opined that the "farce" began as a canticle in the common French tongue intermixed with Latin. It became a vehicle for satire and fun, and thus led to the modern Farsa or Farce, a piece in one act, the subject of which is extravagant and the action ludicrous.[5]
References
- ^ "farce | Dictionaries and vocabulary tools for English language learners | Wordsmyth". www.wordsmyth.net. Retrieved Mar 19, 2023.
- ISBN 978-0191030840.
- ISBN 0674615662.
- ^ "farce". Vocabulary.com.
- ^ Grove, Sir George (1908). Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians. New York: McMillan. p. 8.
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