The Development of English Humor

A. C. Bradley absurdity amusement artistic aspect attitude Beowulf Canterbury Tales century character Chaucer comedy comic conceits conscious contrast critics cynical Don Quixote dramatic elements England English humor English literature episode Euphuism expression fact Falstaff fancy farce feeling flavor fool France French genius genuine humor gift gives Hamlet Henry IV hints humorist Ibid implicit indirect instance instinct intellectual intent intuition irony jokes Jonson's kind laugh laughter less literary Love's Labour's Lost manner matter meaning medieval mental merry merry England method Middle English mind mirth mood moral nature ness original paradox parody perception personality play pleasantry poem poet poetry popular psychological Puritan purpose Rabelais racy realism remark Renaissance Samuel Butler satire scene sense serious shade Shakespeare's shows shrewd significant slyness soul spirit stage subtle temper theme things thought tion tone tradition tragedy truth vein verve whole writer