That was forty minutes of pretty hard graft, so you all deserved what came next. We're about to tackle Menander's Dyskolos ('Grumpy Old Man'), but to help frame our work, we had a think about what makes stuff funny. Three theories:
1) Social bonding - laughter brings a group together. Not only do we all like a good in-joke, but even the very act of laughter unites us. This footage managed to raise a few laughs in the classroom...
2) Schadenfreude, or enjoyment at others' misfortune/pain. When your mate wipes out and lies groaning on the floor, it's sometimes hard to suppress that chuckle. Some psychologists think this reaction may be an instinctive relief at bad things happening to someone else instead of us. Many of us (definitely me, I have to confess!) find humour in other people's physical or social misfortune. You've Been Framed would be out of business if we didn't. Here's a classic clip of how funny it can be when someone else hurts themself and looks a right idiot in the process...
3) Incongruity & the unexpected: weird situations and surprising people. Sometimes, things are funny simply because you're not expecting them. Who would think that this disruptive, rude, 'am-I-bothered?' pupil could do what she does at the end of this clip?...
So, have a think about what makes you laugh and we'll see next lesson if it's the same as the ancient Greeks. See you all in two weeks (next week's an INSET).