Literature Atlas

How Stories Are Told
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Genre

Black Comedy

Dramatic Genres

Black comedy, also known as dark humor, black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, gallows humor or morbid humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discuss, aiming to provoke discomfort, serious thought, and amusement for its audience.

Facts
Place of Origin
Literary critics trace the mode as far back as the ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes; the modern French term humour noir was coined by André Breton in 1935. 1
Notable Example
Jonathan Swift's satirical writing, which Surrealist theorist André Breton drew on in 1935 when he coined the term black humor (French humour noir). 1
Defining Trait
Comedy that makes light of subject matter generally considered taboo or normally serious and painful, aiming to provoke discomfort, serious thought and amusement together; also called dark humor, black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, gallows humor or morbid humor. 1
Connections

Features Author

Source A Clockwork Orange (novel) (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: A Confederacy of Dunces
Joseph Heller, Authors
Source Wikipedia: Joseph Heller
Source Wikidata: The Good Soldier Svejk
Additional Source The Good Soldier Svejk (Wikipedia)Infobox: genre

Form Of Genre

Comedy, Genres
Sources
1. Black Comedy (Wikipedia, Dark humor)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead paragraph, first sentence
    Dark humor, also known as black comedy, black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, gallows humor or morbid humor is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discuss, aiming to provoke discomfort, serious thought, and amusement for their audience.
  • Etymology section, on Andre Breton and Jonathan Swift
    The term black humor (from the French humour noir) was coined by the Surrealist theorist André Breton in 1935 while interpreting the writings of Jonathan Swift.
  • Lead paragraph, on Aristophanes
    Literary critics have associated black comedy and black humor with authors as early as the ancient Greeks with Aristophanes.
  • In Group: Comic Drama Forms, Lead section
    Dark humor, also known as black comedy, black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, gallows humor or morbid humor is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discuss, aiming to provoke discomfort, serious thought, and amusement for their audience.
View the Source
Wikipedia: A Confederacy of Dunces
WikipediaFeatures Author: A Confederacy of Dunces, Infobox, genre field
Quote, Features Author: A Confederacy of Dunces, Infobox, genre field
Genre: Black comedy, tragicomedy
View the Source
A Clockwork Orange (novel) (Wikipedia)
Features Author: A Clockwork Orange, Infobox, genre field
Quote, Features Author: A Clockwork Orange, Infobox, genre field
Genre: Science fiction, dystopian fiction, satire, black comedy
View the Source
Wikipedia: Joseph Heller
Features Author: Joseph Heller, Infobox, genre field
Quote, Features Author: Joseph Heller, Infobox, genre field
Genre: Satire, black comedy
View the Source
The Good Soldier Svejk (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationFeatures Author: The Good Soldier Švejk, Infobox: genre
Quote, Features Author: The Good Soldier Švejk, Infobox: genre
Satire, black comedy
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.