In a modern sense, comedy (from the , "komoidia") refers to any discourse or work generally intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, television, film, and stand-up comedy. The origins of the term are found in Ancient Greece. In the Athenian democracy, the public opinion of voters was influenced by the political satire performed by the comic poets at the theaters. The theatrical genre of Greek comedy can be described as a dramatic performance which pits two groups or societies against each other in an amusing agon or conflict. Northrop Frye depicted these two opposing sides as a "Society of Youth" and a "Society of the Old". A revised view characterizes the essential agon of comedy as a struggle between a relatively powerless youth and the societal conventions that pose obstacles to his hopes. In this struggle, the youth is understood to be constrained by his lack of social authority, and is left with little choice but to take recourse in ruses which engender very dramatic irony which provokes laughter.

Satire and political satire use comedy to portray persons or social institutions as ridiculous or corrupt, thus alienating their audience from the object of their humour. Parody subverts popular genres and forms, critiquing those forms without necessarily condemning them.

Based on the article and the following list of answers, write a list of questions.

1. any discourse or work generally intended to be humorous or amusing
2. a dramatic performance which pits two groups or societies against each other in an amusing agon or conflict.
3. a "Society of Youth" and a "Society of the Old"
4. to portray persons or social institutions as ridiculous or corrupt, thus alienating their audience from the object of their humour.
5. in theatre, television, film, and stand-up comedy
6. the youth is understood to be constrained by his lack of social authority
7. in Ancient Greece.
8. by the political satire performed by the comic poets at the theaters.
9. Parody subverts popular genres and forms, critiquing those forms without necessarily condemning them.
10. as a struggle between a relatively powerless youth and the societal conventions that pose obstacles to his hopes

Numbered questions:
1. In modern terms what does comedy refer to?
2. How can Greek comedy bed described?
3. how did Northrop Frye characterize these two opposing sides?
4. How does satire and political satire use comedy?
5. Where is comedy especially used?
6. How is youth understood in the portrayal of greek comedy?
7. Where are the origins of the term comedy found?
8. How was the public opinioin of voters influnced in Athenian democracy?
9. How does parody function?
10. How does a revised view characterized the essential agon of comedy?