Humour is without doubt a vital element of the human condition but it has rarely been the subject of serious historical research. Yet a closer look at jokes and

This volume highlights the variety of forms comedy took in England, with reference to developments in Europe, particularly France, during the European Enlighten

Is laughter a sin? Or is it man’s best medicine? Is laughter now trivialised, mechanised or even weaponised by contemporary media? This book explores the soci

The De Gruyter Handbook of Humor Studies consolidates the cumulative contributions in theory and research on humor from 57 international scholars representing 2

This handbook addresses the methodological problems and theoretical challenges that arise in attempting to understand and represent humour in specific historica