Society: Introduction of the Carnival Plays

The individual text chosen is the Introduction of the Carnival Plays, and the term chosen is “society.” Society is defined as the body of human beings, generally, associated as or viewed as members of a community (dictionary.com). In the introduction, Fastnacht was denoted as “an evening of feasting and fooling (pg.10)” in Germany, and it was a celebration time we know as “carnival.” From reading that line and from personal experience, I feel that feasting and fooling complement each other. Both are actions that humans do to refuel and energize themselves physically and mentally because both actions bring comfort or relieve stress in some way. I know eating makes me feel better in that my body is content, and laughing and fooling/joking makes me feel light and happy.

            Also, in the introduction it said “Carnival marked the suspension of all hierarchical rank…. Everybody was equal during carnival…. Carnival laughter was the laughter of all the people – universal in scope – directed at all... (pg. 13).” Carnival is just a time of celebration that lifts the hierarchical systems, which allows EVERYONE to laugh. To me this means, all humans are capable of laughing, but laughing is not for all humans, unless they feel included. Carnival was a way of unifying people of society to feel included so they could laugh. In society, it’s better to be included rather than be excluded. An event similar to Carnival would be New Year’s Eve parties. In this example, worldwide, everyone is celebrating the coming of a New Year as they laugh and fool around together, and it has nothing to do with rank.

During these celebrations of feasting and fooling, there would be comedic plays called fastnachtsspieles. The interest was usually in “food, wine, sex, and sheer love of waggery (pg. 12)”/mischief. The “exposure of human folly (pg.11)” in these plays could be of everyday situations and of anyone, regardless who it was, because the spirit of carnival was all about enjoying one’s self in feasting and fooling and NOT about starting troubles. Thus, carnival was like a Safe Zone in time for people to be able to think freely of their ideas without being punished. Thus, in general, people in society may hide behind this fun and humor to get their serious message out in public by poking fun of it.

            Overall the spirit of carnival was like a Safe Zone in time for everyone to enjoy themselves. Carnival-like instances show how the society of human beings are able to relax and relieve tension by actions of eating/feasting and fooling round/joking, and they also show how when humans feel included and unified, they feel more comfortable to fool and joke with each other. Not only that, carnival-like instances reveal how some people in society utilize these times of comfort, feasting, or fooling to get their own serious message out in public because they know that humans won’t resist against or fight their ideas as much if they feel more relaxed, at ease, and comfortable.