Comedy of Humour by Ben Jonson II Comedy of Humour Characteristics II Types of Comedy

COMEDY OF HUMOUR: BEN JONSON

INTRODUCTION:

“Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think.” - Horace Walpole

Drama is primarily divided into two types. – Comedy and Tragedy. The play with a happy ending is called a comedy and that with a sad ending is known as a tragedy. In English literature, there are different types of comedies. - Romantic Comedy, Comedy of Humour, Comedy of Manners, Sentimental Comedy etc.

‘Ralph Roister Doister’ (1566) by Nicholas Udall was the first comedy of English literature. William Shakespeare popularized a new kind of comedy – Romantic Comedy – during the Elizabethan Age. But towards the end of the 16th century, Ben Jonson came out with his new innovative concept of comedy which was known as Comedy of Humour.

THE TERM HUMOUR:

The term “humour” comes from the ancient Greek physicians. It is a medical term. As per the ancient medical system, there are four major humours or elements in human body. 

1. Blood or fire (heat)

2. Phlegm or air (cold)

3. Choler or Yellow Bile or earth (dryness)

4. Meloncholy or Black Bile or water (moisture)

These four elements (heat, cold, dryness, and moisture) represent the quality of our health.

According to ancient physics, the nature or temperament of man depends on these four elements –fire (heat), air (cold), earth (dryness) and water (moisture). When there is an imbalance of all any one of these four in our body, it creates some complexities in our nature, behavior and health.

BEN JONSON’S CONCEPT OF COMEDY OF HUMOUR:

Ben Jonson’s concept of Comedy of Humour is based on this theory. Ifor Evans has rightly said in his book A Short History of English Drama:

“In Elizabethan times, this medieval physiology was not treated with complete seriousness, but its vocabulary became a popular fashion in sophisticated conversation and this again Jonson exploited.”

During the Elizabethan age, these four terms were used to describe the mood or fancy of the people.

Ben Jonson believed that just as a man has in his physique a dominant humour, similarly he has in his psyche a dominant passion. Under the influence of this dominant passion a man may become, as the case may be, greedy, jealous, cowardly, perceptible, foolhardy and so on. As Jonson clarified in the Prologue to Every Man out of His Humour, he was taking the word “humour” from medicine and was using it as a metaphor for the general disposition of a man—that is, his psychological set-up. He explains:

“When some one peculiar quality
Doth so possess a man that it doth draw
All his effects, his spirits, and his powers,
In their confluctions, all to run one way;
This may truly be said to be a humour.”

In short, humour or laughter comes out in Ben Jonson’s comedy of humour when any one or more such whim or fancy is presented in an exaggerated manner. Unusual characters having such unusual personality traits are presented which arouse laughter in this type of comedy.

EXAMPLES OF COMEDY OF HUMOUR:

Ben Jonson’s ‘Every Man in His Humour’ (1598)

Ben Jonson’s ‘Every Man Out of His Humour’ (1599)

Chapman’s ‘All Fools’ (1604)

Middleton’s ‘A Trick to Catch the Old One’ (1605)

Massinger’s ‘A New Way to Pay Old Debts’ (1625)

CONCLUSION:

Comedy of Humour, innovated by Ben Jonson, became widely popular in the beginning of the 17th century. Such comedies were character oriented and full of realism. The story dealt with the everyday life of the people. However, this type of comedy lost its charm later and the authors of the 17th century made some changes into this type of comedy and a new type came into existence which was known as Comedy of Manners.

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