Comedy naturally wears itself out -- destroys the very food on which it lives; and by constantly and successfully exposing the follies and weaknesses of mankind to ridicule, in the end leaves itself nothing worth laughing at.

Summary

This quote suggests that comedy inevitably has a self-destructive quality. Comedy relies on critiquing and mocking the flaws and foolishness in human behavior, but in doing so, it ultimately depletes the material that feeds its humor. By constantly and effectively exposing mankind's weaknesses, comedy eventually exhausts itself and finds no worthwhile subjects left to laugh at. In essence, this quote implies that comedy's success leads to its own downfall as it erodes the foundations of its own existence.

Topics