Which term best describes a work intended to provoke laughter through exaggerated styles or ridiculous scenarios?

Farce is a specific type of comedy that relies heavily on exaggerated situations, absurd events, and improbable scenarios to provoke laughter. It often involves physical humor and the use of slapstick, along with improbable events that challenge the boundaries of realism. This style is characterized by its focus on ridiculous circumstances and extreme characters that are typically placed in absurd situations, leading to humorous outcomes.

The other terms capture different aspects of humor in literature. Comedy is a broader category that includes various forms of humorous writing, while parody involves imitating the style of a particular genre or work to create humor—usually through satirical exaggeration of its traits. Satire aims at social critique, using humor to highlight societal flaws, but it does not necessarily rely on exaggerated scenarios alone for its effect. Therefore, farce stands out in this context as the term that specifically denotes humor derived from the extremes of absurdity and ridiculousness.