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- DictionaryBa·thos/ˈbāˌTHäs/
noun
- 1. (especially in a work of literature) an effect of anticlimax created by an unintentional lapse in mood from the sublime to the trivial or ridiculous: "his epic poem has passages of almost embarrassing bathos"
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Bathos is a literary term for the sudden appearance of the commonplace in otherwise elevated matter or style, or for exceptional commonplaceness or insincere pathos. Learn more about its synonyms, examples, etymology, and history from Merriam-Webster.
- Definition of Bathos
- Examples of Bathos in Literature
- Example #2: The Naked Gun
- Function of Bathos
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Bathos is a literary term derived from a Greek word meaning “depth.” Bathos is the act of a writer or a poet falling into inconsequential and absurd metaphors, descriptions, or ideas in an effort to be increasingly emotional or passionate. Some confuse bathos with “pathos.” The term was used by Alexander Pope to explain the blunders committed inadv...
Example #1: The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Showhad an episode that involved the death of the clown Chuckles, who was killed very brutally by a stampeding elephant. Everyone on the station keeps making jokes about it that Mary does not approve of. Later on, when she attends the funeral, she starts laughing hysterically while the rest of the people stare at her exasperated.
Absurd styles of humor can use the bathos method. Such is the television series Police Squad!, which uses bathos very often. Excerpts from The Naked Gunshow numerous points where a serious scenario is built up only to knock it down subsequently with Frank Drebin’s silly comments. For example:
Bathos is a device which, if used skillfully, can really build up a nice comic scene. Bathos brings a certain degree of wit to a scene by highlighting the contrast in tone. Initially, it is used to create a serious and powerful dramatic situation. This might be slightly hard to create for comedy writers. Thus, comedy writers must be very careful wh...
Bathos is a literary device that creates a contrast between serious and absurd elements in a scene. Learn how bathos is used in comedy, satire and drama with examples from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Naked Gun, Northanger Abbey and more.
Bathos (UK: / ˈ b eɪ θ ɒ s / BAY-thoss; Greek: βάθος, lit. "depth") is a literary term, first used in this sense in Alexander Pope's 1727 essay "Peri Bathous", to describe an amusingly failed attempt at presenting artistic greatness.
Bathos is a literary device that involves a sudden change from a serious or important topic to a trivial or absurd one. Learn how to use bathos in sentences, see examples from literature and hear the pronunciation.
Whether on purpose or by mistake, bathos provides audiences with an unexpected laugh. Clear definition and great examples of Bathos. This article will show you the importance of Bathos and how to use it. Bathos is an abrupt turn from the serious and poetic to the mundane and silly.
Bathos definition: a ludicrous descent from the exalted or lofty to the commonplace; anticlimax.. See examples of BATHOS used in a sentence.
BATHOS meaning: 1. a sudden change from a beautiful or important subject to a silly or very ordinary one…. Learn more.
