Chapter 9, Chapter 3 - Popular-Festive Forms Summary and Analysis

Next, the author brings up another element for stage, theatre and real life. Here, it is the way contrasts can be used for the sake of enhancing a sense of the comedic. The author remarks on several contrasts, such as tall with short, thin with fat, old with young, and other contrasts.

In the thrashing in the house of Basche, the thrashings offered are actually quite severe. In some cases, a man might be killed. In most cases, he is either very guilty or else is a Catchpole. The similarity between a Catchpole and a Scapegoat is obvious but goes without saying. Rabelais's novel contrasts what happens to the actual victim and what happens to the other participants. The one who is thrashed the most may well be so injured as to be...