Comedy: From Ancient Greece to the Present Day



Overview

Join us to explore the commonalities and differences in different genres of comedy.

We will span several thousand years of drama, novels and film, mainly drawn from European and anglophone contexts. We will examine the recurring importance of comedy in negotiating identity and social authority, the importance of taboo, and the nature of laughter.

Themes covered will include: marriage comedy (Menander, Oscar Wilde, Philadelphia Story, Rye Lane), youth, age, redemption in Shakespeare and Jane Austen, transgression, taboo, cross-dressing, chaos, what is laughter? (Herodotus to Freud), physical comedy (Laurel and Hardy, Fleischer Studio cartoons, internet memes), satire (Horace, Juvenal, Swift, Jon Stewart) and tragi-comedy (Peanuts, Chekhov, Beckett, Ionesco).

This course is part of the Oxford University Summer School for Adults (OUSSA) programme.

Programme details

Seminars

Participants are taught in small seminar groups of up to 12 students, and receive two one-on-one tutorials with their tutor.

Sunday

Seminar 1: What is comedy? We start with an investigation into different definitions and genres of comedy, and types of comedic performance.

Seminar 2: Why do we laugh? This seemingly innocuous question has puzzled writers including Herodotus, Hobbes and Freud. We explore laughter, jokes, taboo, incongruity, and the role of humour in comedy.

Monday

Seminar 3: Happily ever after: the enduring appeal of the romantic comedy. We look at the structure of Greek New Comedy, screwball films, and romcoms. The importance of endings.

Seminar 4: Romantic comedy (cont’d): How this type of comedy helps us balance individualism with social expectations, rules with rule-breaking, age with youth. We also look at what happens when romantic comedies ‘go wrong’.

Tuesday

Seminar 5: Comedies of manners: Character types, broad social commentary, tight plotting, exaggerated situations and elements of farce and slapstick. We look at the Commedia dell'Arte, C17th plays and sitcoms.

Seminar 6: A focus on The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.

Wednesday

Seminar 7: Satire I: gentle or generalised satire in the tradition of Horace or Menippus, including Jonathan Swift, Dr Strangelove and Don’t Look Up.

Seminar 8: Satire II: Angry satire from Juvenal to Jon Stewart: can it ever change society? We also consider parody and ridicule.

Thursday

Seminar 9: Absurdism: comedy that fundamentally seems to challenge reality, often without laughter, can be nonsensical and childlike or highly philosophical and political. Charlie Brown, Laurel and Hardy, and the Theatre of the Absurd. We will also touch on anti-humour and slapstick.

Seminar 10: Contemporary comedy: a discussion on the role of comedy in our own lives, the status of different types of comedy, generational shifts and the impact of changing technology, including AI.

Friday

Seminar 11: Mixed genres: we explore the borders of comedy with other genres such as tragedy, and horror. How is laughter like a frightening jump-scare? Is Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard actually a tragedy?

Seminar 12: Comedy in the works of William Shakespeare: we will pick up themes from throughout our week of study, exploring the shift from farce to festival and then forgiveness, and see how what is funny in one era is poignant or cruel in another.

Programme timetable

The daily timetable will normally be as follows:

Saturdays

14.00–16.30 - Registration

16.30–17.00 - Orientation meeting

17.00–17.30 - Classroom orientation for tutor and students

17.30–18.00 - Drinks reception

18.00–20.00 - Welcome dinner

Sundays – Fridays

09.00–10.30 - Seminar

10.30–11.00 - Tea/coffee break

11.00–12.30 - Seminar

12.30–13.30 - Lunch

13.30–18.00 - Afternoons are free for tutorials, individual study, course-related field trips or exploring the many places of interest in and around Oxford.

18.00–19.00 - Dinner (There is a formal gala dinner every Friday to close each week of the programme)

A range of optional social events will be offered throughout the summer school. These are likely to include: a quiz night, visit to historic pubs in Oxford, visit to Christ Church for Evensong and after-dinner talks and discussions.

Fees

Description Costs
Fee Option 1 (Single en suite - inc. Tuition and Meals) £2050.00
Fee Option 2 (Double en suite - inc. Tuition and Meals) 1 person £2100.00
Fee Option 3 (Twin en suite - inc. Tuition and Meals) per person £1680.00
Fee Option 4 (No Accommodation - inc. Tuition, Lunch & Dinner) £1250.00

Funding

Concessionary rates are available on a non-residential basis for those that qualify, more information can be found here.

Unfortunately we do not offer any specific scholarships or funding opportunities for OUSSA programme, but you can visit our departmental funding webpage, where you may be able to find a particular source of funding that matches your requirements alongside meeting the funding criteria.

Payment

All fees are charged on a per week, per person basis.

Please be aware that all payments made via non-UK credit/debit cards and bank accounts are subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.

Tuition and meals are included in the programme fee, with both residential and non-residential options available.

Course change administration fee: Please note that course transfers may be permitted in exceptional circumstances; however, in accordance with our Terms and Conditions, an administration fee of £50 will be charged.

Payment terms

  • If enrolling online: full payment by credit/debit card at the time of booking
  • If submitting an application form: full payment online by credit/debit card or via bank transfer within 30 days of invoice date

Cancellations and Refunds

1. Cancellation by you

Participants who wish to cancel must inform the Programme Administrator in writing: by email to oussa@conted.ox.ac.uk or by post to OUSSA, OUDCE, 1 Wellington Square, OXFORD, OX1 2JA, UK.

The following cancellation and refund policy applies in all cases:

  • Cancellation within 14 days of online enrolment / payment of fees – full refund of all fees paid.
  • Cancellations received up to and including 30 April 2025 – OUDCE will retain an administration fee of £100 per week booked; all other fees paid will be refunded.
  • Cancellations received between 1-31 May 2025 – OUDCE will retain 60% of the fees paid; the remaining 40% of fees paid will be refunded.
  • Cancellations received on and after 1 June 2025 - no refunds will be made.

2. Cancellation by us

Where there is good reason, OUDCE reserves the right to cancel a course by giving you notice in writing at any time before the course is due to start. In these cases, we will endeavour to offer a transfer to another available course if practical and acceptable to you, subject to payment or refund of any difference in the course fees. Alternatively, we will refund the course fees that you have already paid. If we cancel a course, our liability is limited to the fees that we have received from you; this means that we will not compensate you for any pre-booked travel costs or any other expenses incurred. The status of this course will be reviewed on 1 May 2025. If it is likely that the course may be cancelled, anyone affected will be notified by email within 7 days; if you have not heard from OUDCE by 8 May 2025, you should assume that your course will be running. You may wish to delay finalising your travel arrangements until after this date.

OUDCE reserves the right to cancel a course at short notice in exceptional circumstances that would prevent the course from being delivered e.g. tutor illness. In these rare instances, we will notify you as soon as possible and arrange a transfer to another available Oxford Experience course. If we cancel a course, our liability is limited to the fees that we have received from you; this means that we will not compensate you for any pre-booked travel costs or any other expenses incurred.

Where course fees have been paid in currencies other than pounds sterling, refunds will be subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.

3. Travel insurance 

The Department cannot be held responsible for any costs you may incur in relation to travel or accommodation bookings as a result of a course cancellation, or if you are unable to attend the course for any other reason. You are advised to check cancellation policies carefully and to purchase travel insurance.

Tutor

Mr Richard Rowley

Tutor

Richard Rowley teaches early modern literature and Shakespeare as well as courses on Comedy and tragedy. His academic research background focused on the boom in satirical writing in London in the 1590s.

He has taught at the University of Oxford and for overseas undergraduate programmes in Oxford for the universities of Stanford, Middleton, Sarah Lawrence and Toronto for over fifteen years. He is also a consultant for the third sector on creativity, communication, problem-solving and Design Thinking.

Course aims

This course aims to give students a thorough grounding in the generic conventions of comedy (and several subgenres) and an introduction to theories of laughter.

Teaching methods

The teaching methods used during this course may include:

  • Short lectures/presentations
  • Physical handouts
  • Seminars/group discussions
  • Student presentations
  • Video/audio recordings

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be expected to understand:

  • how the genre of comedy offers a narrative template for a wide range of stories and performances across time and place;
  • the difference between types of comedy;
  • the significance of the audience to comedy;
  • the importance of taboo, and the ways in which comedy can be used to reinforce or undermine social norms;
  • theories about what laughter is and the physical processes involved;
  • major cultural shifts in European and anglophone culture over the last 500 years as seen in the changing criticism and production of comedy.

Assessment methods

Participants are required to undertake preparatory reading and complete a pre-course assignment of 1,500 words. Although this does not count towards credit, it is seen as an important way of developing your ideas and is mandatory. The pre-course assignment is typically due in the first week of June.

You will be assessed during the summer school by either a 1,000 word written assignment or a presentation supported by individual documentation. To successfully gain credit (10 CATS points) students should attend all classes and complete the on-course assignment. Participants will attend two one-on-one tutorials with their tutor during the week.

OUSSA is an accredited summer school taught at undergraduate level; each one-week course carries 10 CATS (Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme) points at FHEQ (Framework for Higher Education Qualification) Level 4. Learn more about CATS points.

Certificate of Higher Education

Credit earned from OUSSA can be transferred towards our flexible Certificate of Higher Education.

Study when and where it suits you by gaining credit from short courses, including short online courses, weekly classes and OUSSA, and build your way to an Oxford University award. This part-time undergraduate programme lasts between two and four years depending on how intensively you want to study.  

Find out more about the Certificate of Higher Education.

Application

Most courses fill quickly so early registration is strongly recommended. If your preferred course is fully booked, you may wish to add yourself to the waiting list and the Programme Administrator will contact you should a place become available.

Please note, the programme is only open to those over the age of 18.

Single accommodation, double room for 1 person and non-residential places may be booked online by clicking on the “Book now” button in the “Course details” box at the top right-hand side of the course page.

Those requiring twin, double or accessible accommodation should complete an enrolment form as these rooms cannot be booked online. Please send the completed enrolment form to the email address below. Both the PDF and Word option of the form below are editable, so you can complete them online before saving and sending to us as an email attachment. You do not need to print and scan them. (Please use these forms only if you are making a twin or double booking for two people.)

Online enrolments require payment in full at the time of registering.

Those who do not wish to register online or who have specific requirements (eg an accessible bedroom) should contact the Programme Administrator directly at oussa@conted.ox.ac.uk or OUSSA, OUDCE, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA, UK.

Accommodation

More information about our accommodation can be found here.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support