The Funny Chip

Henri Bergson: This is just why the tragic poet is so careful to avoid anything calculated to attract attention to the material side of his heroes. No sooner does anxiety about the body manifest itself than the intrusion of a comic element is to be feared. On this account, the hero in a tragedy does not eat or drink or warm himself. He does not even sit down any more than can be helped. To sit down in the middle of a fine speech would imply that you remembered you had a body. Napoleon, who was a psychologist when he wished to be so, had noticed that the transition from tragedy to comedy is effected simply by sitting down.

Oh, is that all? Merely take a seat and it’s comedy? Hot socks. I’m afraid we have seriously overdone it. Prevailing notions of today dictate that a sit must be accompanied by a stamp of the foot, three Porky Pig impersonations and an offstage fart. How outmoded is this Napoleon?