While comedy is generally considered a male-dominated field, women and gender diverse writers and performers have been creating and shaping comic traditions for centuries. This course draws on feminist theory, queer studies, and primary sources from the ancient world to the present day to explore the intersections of comedy, gender, power, sexuality, race, and culture. Students will read and watch comedic works by women and gender-diverse creators and consider how they use humour as a subversive tool, a survival strategy, and a way of claiming agency and voice.