The example of El astrólogo fingido by Calderón de la Barca shows that Anthony Close’s reconstruction of the collective comic mentality of the age of Cervantes is an appropriate frame for understanding the workings of humor in contemporary theater. French philosopher Henri Bergson’s theory of laughter sheds light on other aspects of humor in the theatre. Particularly in the metatheatrical elements of El astrólogo fingido we see that Bergson’s concept of mechanical rigidness is characteristic of theatrical roles, producing, in the spectators, comic relief from rigid norms of conduct and social roles they experience in everyday life.
Abstract
The example of El astrólogo fingido by Calderón de la Barca shows that Anthony Close’s reconstruction of the collective comic mentality of the age of Cervantes is an appropriate frame for understanding the workings of humor in contemporary theater. French philosopher [...]