ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the richness of the comic repertoire, it indebted to the variety of fields in the humanities and social sciences, with the focus being in comparative mythology and religion. The specific orientation is around "myth, ritual, and symbol" in the comic tradition, and thus its spiritual significance. The chapter considers the mythic background of both tragedy and comedy, and myths associated with figures such as the clown, fool, and trickster. It also examines the many comic forms as rituals of the human spirit, with the various comedic figures seen as comic equivalents of "prophets, priests, and sages". The chapter explores the profound symbolism and special wisdom embodied in the various comic figures and ritual forms. The result, therefore, is not only an academic inquiry but a philosophy of life. Among the defining characteristics of the human spirit is a capacity for laughter, humor, revelry, and setting things in comic perspective.
