The Venetian Twins: Timeless Comedic Themes

While reading The Venetian Twins, I kept coming back to the idea that its humor seemed oddly familiar. There was something about the hit-or-miss way the Twins narrowly avoided each other, something about the comedic structure of the play itself that made it feel modern, rather than something written over two hundred years ago. Though there were many humorous moments throughout the play, certain themes kept jumping out at me, such as...

Twin Mix-Ups

"TONINO: And who do you think I am, then?" (p. 77)

Premeditated misconceptions.

(vid: source)

From Sister, Sister, to The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, twins (and getting them mixed up) have been a common theme in comedy. Though I'm not entirely certain why twin-related mishaps have adopted their own trope in our society, I have a hunch it has something to do with the humor in misunderstandings (re: my last post about this topic). It becomes an inside joke for the audience/reader. We know who's who -- it's obvious to us, their names are right there, written on the play we're reading. We are fully aware of the tension, of how close everything is to being resolved, and that everything is just a simple misunderstanding between characters that aren't privy to the big picture.

This use of mistaken identity (whether accidental, or on purpose) seems to originate from (you guessed it) misunderstandings. And this sort of comedic topic has no expiration date. It's an overarching theme that can be recreated in all sorts of scenarios.

Speaking of overarching themes...

Making Fun of the Government/Corrupt Law Enforcement/Lawyer Jokes

"ZANETTO: I don't care if I'm robbed by thieves or by the law." (p. 67)

Be it laughing with the government...

(vid: source)

... or laughing at it.

(vid: source)

There's something about authority that makes us want to trip it and laugh when it falls. Is this a unique brand of the everyday man expressing his opinions? Is it a sad state of awareness that notices corruption in higher power? Is it meant to humble our betters, or improve younger generations with cynical thinking about when and where to elect officials? I'm not sure of the exact purpose, but politics is a hot-button topic for current comic appeal. There even are two different shows dedicated entirely to political humor, that I know of.

Political humor in and of itself does have a time stamp. There are certain events more relevant to one particular time than to others. But the theme of political humor -- the very foundation of it -- has an ever-prevalent, ever-evolving quality. Political humor tends to play on the ironies and stupidities of authority. Even though I know nothing about Italy in the 1740's, Zanetto's displeasure with the local authorities veritably stealing from him via their layers of red tape was something even I could connect with.

As for universal connections...

Love

"ZANETTO: I love you so much; without you I'm like a bird without a nest, a rooster without a hen, a stallion without a mare, a little pig without his own little sow." (p. 74)

"I need you like a voyeur needs a branch."

(vid: source)

"If you're in here tonight, and you've never contemplated suicide...

Then you've never truly been in love."

(vid: source)

Love. Probably the most universal theme of all. You see it in RomComs, plastered all over popular music. It's in most of the stories you read, sometimes blatant, sometimes hiding out in the shadows. Love, human connection, draws people in, and I think its magnetism is ageless. Love has potential -- it can be morphed into a silly, comical thing (like Bo Burnham's video up top), or even make its rounds in the world of tragedy (Christopher Titus, above).

When you take a premise like in The Venetian Twins, love becomes a source of humor (the twins' constant rejection) or a remedy for tragedy (Zanetto and the poison). Love can be a catalyst for a bigger theme (like in Lysistrata, and the wives manipulation of the husbands for a political end), or the theme itself. Which makes love a topic with timeless comedic potential.