▁and ▁rib ald ▁songs ▁or ▁rec itations ▁apro pos ▁of ▁ph all ic ▁process ions ▁and ▁fert ility ▁festiv als ▁or ▁gather ings . ▁ ▁Ar ound ▁ 3 3 5 ▁B CE , ▁Arist ot le , ▁in ▁his ▁work ▁Po et ics , ▁stated ▁that ▁comedy ▁origin ated ▁in ▁ph all ic ▁process ions ▁and ▁the ▁light ▁treatment ▁of ▁the ▁otherwise ▁base ▁and ▁ugly . ▁He ▁also ▁adds ▁that ▁the ▁orig ins ▁of ▁comedy ▁are ▁obsc ure ▁because ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁treated ▁seriously ▁from ▁its ▁in ception . ▁However , ▁comedy ▁had ▁its ▁own ▁Muse : ▁Th alia . ▁ ▁Arist ot le ▁taught ▁that ▁comedy ▁was ▁generally ▁positive ▁for ▁society , ▁since ▁it ▁brings ▁forth ▁happiness , ▁which ▁for ▁Arist ot le ▁was ▁the ▁ideal ▁state , ▁the ▁final ▁goal ▁in ▁any ▁activity . ▁For ▁Arist ot le , ▁a ▁comedy ▁did ▁not ▁need ▁to ▁involve ▁sexual ▁humor . ▁ ▁A ▁comedy ▁is ▁about ▁the ▁fort un ate ▁rise ▁of ▁a ▁sympath etic ▁character . ▁Arist ot le ▁div ides ▁comedy ▁into ▁three ▁categories ▁or ▁sub gen res : ▁ ▁far ce , ▁rom antic ▁comedy , ▁and ▁sat ire . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁contrary , ▁Pl ato ▁taught ▁that ▁comedy ▁is ▁a ▁destruction ▁to ▁the ▁self . ▁He ▁believed ▁that ▁it ▁produces ▁an ▁em otion ▁that ▁over rides ▁rational ▁self - control ▁and ▁learning . ▁In ▁The ▁Republic , ▁he ▁says ▁that ▁the ▁guard ians ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁should ▁avoid ▁laugh ter , ▁" for ▁ordin arily ▁when ▁one