Which term describes duplications and repetitions as they relate to comedic structure?

• A. Duplications And Repetitions
• B. Reversal Of Expectations
• C. Epigram
• D. Deus Ex Machina

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how repeating elements—lines, setups, gags, or motifs—shape comedy. Duplications and repetitions describe that technique directly: by repeating familiar elements, a joke builds rhythm and recognition, priming the audience for the payoff and letting variations on the repeat generate additional humor. In a Wildean comic structure, running repetitions create a dependable scaffold for miscommunications and misunderstandings to land their punchlines, while the audience enjoys the cadence of returning phrases and setups. The other terms point to different devices: reversing expectations is about twists that surprise rather than rely on repetition; an epigram is a short, witty remark rather than a repeated structural device; and a deus ex machina is an unexpected, external rescue that resolves the plot, not a pattern of repetition. So, duplications and repetitions best capture the described comedic technique.