The Humor in Misunderstandings

In Hans Sachs' The Pregnant Farmer, there is a conversation of misunderstandings between Heinz, the farm-hand, and Isaac, the Jewish doctor. One character is on a completely different lingual plane of existence than the other.

This, basically.

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So what about this lack of understanding is so funny? Though I don't know the theoretical discourse behind the comedy of miscommunication, I did notice a few things that stood out to me.

Social Class

Heinz is a farm-hand. And though Isaac is more of a hoax than a healer, he still carries the deceptive title of doctor. This contrast is interesting on two levels: (1) There are two vastly different people standing in a room together, and (2) They are trying to communicate. Now, I don't know why, but the thought of the President of the United States stuck in a room with a Venezuelan coke dealer who doesn't speak a lick of English is hilarious to me. A super conservative Republican and an extremely liberal Democrat find out they go to the same church. A dog and a cat are trapped in the same kennel.

Even if opposites don't attract, they're still an attractive idea. Playing with the social hierarchy of any country has a morbid appeal, like mixing two elements that clearly don't match, just to see what happens.

Along the same lines lies...

Intelligence

Heinz doesn't understand what Isaac is alluding to. This is the basis of what a misunderstanding means. Heinz understands Isaac's words, but ends up applying them to the wrong meaning. It turns into a sort of reverse double entendre, where two meanings can be taken from the same phrase, but Isaac doesn't intend for that to happen.

Isaac, as well, is seen as a more crafty individual (with his scams and his invented "medicine"). And yet, he's still bested by Heinz's unintelligence. By his lack of understanding, Heinz manipulates Isaac into using language that Isaac would rather not say aloud.

Which brings us to...

Vulgarity

Lending to Heinz and Isaac's jargon is that Isaac is of a more subtle disposition, while Heinz speaks blatantly and without remorse. This incorporates both intelligence and social class. Isaac puts on a doctor's air, and must speak in a delicate, doctor-like manner. Heinz spilled a jar of human pee and replaced it with donkey piss -- he's something far removed from delicate.

Far removed.

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Part of the humor of putting one kind of person in a room with another kind of person is the uncharacteristic actions that are wrung from one or both. Isaac, for instance, tries very hard to skirt around using any form of vulgarity, but Heinz's misunderstandings force his hand.

In a way, this can be seen as simple-mindedness besting intelligence. Crassness trumping suaveness. It's an unexpected outcome, and for me, that's what makes it funny.