Studying the Spanish Golden Age comedia can be a funny thing. In comedia criticism, humour is often mentioned in passing, or in connection with the peculiarities of the genre, but humour as a topic itself rarely takes centrestage. If one mentions the name ‘Calderón’ to most modern readers and viewers of the comedia, they may list several things that made him famous, but while they recite, rarely will you hear these people chuckle, snort or even mention anything related to humour. The number of articles and books written about Calderón de la Barca concerning honour, allegory or court spectacle far exceeds the number written about his sense of humour or capacity to write jokes. Sturgis Leavitt, nearly half a century ago, asked, ‘Did Calderón have a sense of humour?’ and the answer was a qualified ‘No’. Over forty years later, Constance Rose still felt compelled to ask, albeit referring only to a single play, ‘Was Calderón serious?’

Beyond answering whether or not Calderón was serious, or if he had a sense of humour, it is more fruitful – and entertaining, which is appropriate for studying the comedia – to explain how he was funny. Though some may question the value of studying humour up close, its investigation is as legitimate as the careful study of a play’s plot, to take a similar example. A single dramatic moment is not independent but connected to themes, genres (along with the expectations they create), staging, the play’s overall structure, language and myriad other aspects (some peculiar to theatre, others not) whose relationships to each other, as well as its literary and social contexts, require study for a richer understanding of the work. While the shocking effects of a well-known scene (such as Mencía’s descubrimiento in El medico de su honra) may have vanished with recurrent readings, examining how the surprise operates, exploring its connections with other moments in the play or simultaneous occurrences, adds significance instead of taking it away. The very same can be said of studying humour. Also, as with plot elements, characterisation, setting, etc., this phenomenon and its use in theatre can also be connected to morals, societal norms, questions of taste, hierarchy, religion, personal attacks, food, drink, clothing and other innumerable ideas, in themselves not immediately associated with laughter.