Prof Noël Carroll (CUNY) discusses the nexus between cruelty and humour, comedy and tragedy, by way of responding to Montaigne:

“Democritus and Heraclitus were two philosophers, of whom the first, finding the condition of man vain and ridiculous, never went out in public but with a mocking and laughing face; whereas Heraclitus, having pity and compassion on this same condition of ours, wore a face perpetually sad, and eyes filled with tears." 

Image: Hieronymus Bosch 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.