types of humour in 'Frogs'

scatological humour (toilet humour) ‘craprifice’; ‘I’m feeling the pressure…I’ll fart it all away’; ‘fart in the face of the rower below, cover their messmates in shit’ ‘my bum is wet and just about to poo’

Dover - ‘the humour of excretion belongs to all cultures; ‘the excremental humour of comedy’ offers ‘vicarious revenge on society’ ‘civilised life demands periods of release, reversal, even explosion’ ‘the outrageous behaviour of the character in comedy could provide an outlet for the spectators’.

cathartic liberation back to a time of childhood shamelessness and lack of inhibition; self-assertion against the world by talking about, or doing things which shock/ insult/ outrage - thus mocking of authority

comedy of insult - Charon calls Dionysus ‘a ridiculous fool’ ‘you’re a maniac… you are the most cowardly of gods… and men,’ ‘fatty', ’you bastard,’ ‘lousy shit’ - these insult Dionysus; politicians in ‘Frogs’ are ‘scum of the earth’ and in ‘Assembly Women’ they are ‘crooks and rascals… you can’t tell me they’re stone cold sober when they pass those crazy resolutions’ Deeply satisfying as it is cathartic release of frustration, and ‘empowerment of the little man’ (Dover) against the powers that push people around

slapstick violence- ass-spanking scene ‘a blow for me and a blow for him!’ Dionysus tells how Xanthias ‘sees me, clenches his fist/ smacks me on the jaw', ‘thwack him under the ribs’ = Xanthias’ advise to Aeacus as he beats Dionysus - cathartic release from polite behaviour, empowerment and self-assertion, mockery of authority

sexual humour ‘hunting pussy',’ ‘bonkmeagain,’ ‘buffing my chickpea’ ‘Cleisthenes’ arsehole is plucking out its hairs and tearing its cheeks’ - homophobic ‘the goddess’ holy circle’ ‘flowery glade’ - suggests yonic imagery. cathartic liberation of urges polite society demands we repress (‘the ordinary man enjoyed the sexuality of comedy as a channel for his own ‘excess’ sexuality Dover) shocks into laughter; serving a role of fertility magic - talks about sex leading to fertile fields and wombs; ‘titties like turnips’ (P+TW) ‘rounded like apples are my breasts’ (AW), the clitoris as a ‘wee berry’

comedy of misunderstanding ‘such a craving consumes me - for Euripides’ ‘even though he’s dead?’ - makes Heracles look amusingly dumb '

political satire - Theramenes ‘always rolls to the safe side of the ship’ ‘lines his pockets and betrays a garrison or crew;’ Cratinus has ‘eyes fixed on private gain’ politicians in ‘Frogs’ are ‘scum of the earth’ and in ‘Assembly Women’ they are ‘crooks and rascals… you can’t tell me they’re stone cold sober when they pass those crazy resolutions’ cathartic mockery of authority, empowerment of the little person; with the Theramenes example, you see the use of humour to enable catharsis over recent trauma

comedy of complaint - ‘he put a river in just like wool-sellers do when they sell wool’ - merchants who short-change you. AW complains about tavern keepers who water down the wine. the business of comedy is to ‘grumble and slander’ - Dover

paraprosdokian - Aeacus threatens to fetch ‘the hundred-headed viper who will rip your guts out’ ‘the Tithrasion Gorgons’ and he then limply ends ‘I’ll just run off and get them’ allowing for an easy escape