Turning the Spleen into Guffaws: Laughter

As a Cure for Melancholy in Eighteenth-Century England

Abstract

This article deals with some representations of the ability of laughter to cure melancholy that circulated in England during the 18th century. At that time, several testimonies claimed that England was particularly prone to the spleen, a form of melancholy, and that it was also endowed with an extraordinary sense of humour. In a context of great social and political change, marked by the memory of revolution and civil war, laughter and melancholy were objects of debate. This paper briefly outlines these debates. Then, through the analysis of a wide range of primary sources, it focuses on three therapeutic aspects
of laughter: amusement, absurdity, and purgation. This approach allows, on the one hand, for a critical reconsideration of Mikhail Bakhtin’s conception
of modern laughter. On the other hand, it helps to highlight the social and political significance of this laughter in eighteenth-century England.