What's so funny about Plato's Lysis?

Abstract

Ovim radom nastojimo da pronađemo izvore komedije u Platonovom dijalogu Lisid. Razmotrićemo elemente ovog dijaloga, uporedive sa motivima komedija. Zatim ćemo delove Lisida sagledati sa stanovišta teorije inkongruencije. U središtu dijaloga je Sokratov pokušaj da poduči svog prijatelja Ktesipa veštom razgovoru sa miljenicima. Stoga sa Lisidom počinje dijalog o ljubavi i prijateljstvu, dok Ktesip potajno posmatra. Više elemenata Lisida se izdvaja svojom sličnošću sa motivima komedije. To su opis Ktesipovih osećanja i zaljubljenog ponašanja, njegovo skrivanje uzbuđeno reagovanje tokom razgovora sa Lisidom. Ovde spada i scena sa pijanim robovima, sa kraja dijaloga. Ove scene se mogu uporediti sa motivima Menandrovih dela Namćor i Devojka sa podrezanom kosom, Aristofanovih Vitezova i Šekspirovog dela Mnogo vike ni oko čega. Humor potekao iz inkongruencije se vidi tokom rasprave o ljubavi i koristi, kada Sokrat pitanjima, a Lisid odgovorima ukazuju na ostvarivost neprikladnih ili nemogućih događaja.

This paper aims to identify the sources of comedy in Plato's dialogue Lysis. We shall examine elements of this dialogue comparable to those in comic drama and approach Lysis from the viewpoint of the incongruence theory. This dialogue centres on Socrates' attempt to teach his friend Ctesippus the proper way of conversing with his favourite. On account of that, he converses with Lysis on love and friendship, while Ctesippus observes in secret. Several elements of Lysis stand out for their: for their similarity to the motives found in comedy - the depiction of Ctesippus' feelings and his lovesick behaviour, his hiding and excited reactions during the conversation with Lysis, and the scene with drunken slaves near the end of the dialogue. These can be compared to their equivalents in Menander's Dyskolos and Perikeiromene, Aristophanes' Knights, and Shakespeare's Much Ado about Nothing. Humour derived from incongruity can be seen during the discussion on love and benefit when Socrates' questions and Lysis' answers imply the feasibility of inappropriate or impossible scenarios. This paper aims to identify the sources of comedy in Plato's dialogue Lysis. We shall examine elements of this dialogue comparable to those in comic drama and approach Lysis from the viewpoint of the incongruence theory. This dialogue centres on Socrates' attempt to teach his friend Ctesippus the proper way of conversing with his favourite. On account of that, he converses with Lysis on love and friendship, while Ctesippus observes in secret. Several elements of Lysis stand out for their: for their similarity to the motives found in comedy - the depiction of Ctesippus' feelings and his lovesick behaviour, his hiding and excited reactions during the conversation with Lysis, and the scene with drunken slaves near the end of the dialogue. These can be compared to their equivalents in Menander's Dyskolos and Perikeiromene, Aristophanes' Knights, and Shakespeare's Much Ado about Nothing. Humour derived from incongruity can be seen during the discussion on love and benefit when Socrates' questions and Lysis' answers imply the feasibility of inappropriate or impossible scenarios.