comedic devices
Joke-making methods
Comedic devices are techniques used to generate humor in writing, performance, or speech.
These include timing, exaggeration, irony, wordplay, callbacks, misdirection, and the rule of three.
The term appears in discussions of comedy craft: The sketch relies on classic comedic devices like the straight man and the absurd premise.
Some devices work on the page; others depend on delivery.
- punWordplay using double meanings
- misunderstandingFailure to grasp meaning
- malapropismSound-alike word confusion
- double entendrePhrase with hidden lewdness
- slapstickExaggerated physical humor
spoonerism · running gag · mistaken identity · fish out of water · pratfall · banana peel · caricature · timing · coincidence · irony · callback · sarcasm · breaking the fourth wall · mime · rule of three · sight gag · farce · clowning
comedic devicestragic elements
Components producing dramatic sorrow
pathos · tragic flaw · hamartia · horror elements · lamentation
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