Comedy, consciousness and the Natyasastra

<p>Against the background of Schiller’s argument that art creates pleasure through beauty, the chapter explores the role of comedy in achieving in the spectator of theatre an experience of pure consciousness. This context is related to the concept of rasa, central to the Natyasastra, and the chapter concludes with reflections about some aspects of comedy in the Natyasastra that may come across as politically incorrect.</p>