With origins from Ancient Greece, Comedy is one of the original four genres of literature as defined by the philosopher Aristotle in his work Poetics. The three other genres are consistent of tragedy, epic poetry, and lyric poetry. Not to be confused with the comedy associated with television and film which focuses entirely on humorous discourse generally intended to amuse; literary comedy is characterised by general humour, happy endings and communal celebration. This assignment will critically analyse the comedies of William Shakespeare and Bernard Shaw and consider what characteristics they share and how they differ. It is also important to fully understand the genre of comedy, exploring its origins, definitions and sub-divisions.
Literary comedy can be sub-divided into ‘Burlesque’ (associated with the ridiculous), ‘Comedy of Manners’, ‘Satirical’ and ‘Farce’, amongst others (Stott, 2005). The comedies of Shakespeare and Shaw take the form of dramatic comedy and can all be associated with the above criteria to some extent. Dramatic comedy begins in difficulty and rapidly involves its characters in amusing situations, ultimately ending happily; but it is worth noting that not all comedies are humorous and light-hearted. Dramatic comedy differs from burlesque and farce in the sense that it has a more closely knit plot, more sensible and intelligent dialogue, and more plausible characterisation.
The term ‘comedy’ comes from the Greco-Latin ‘comoedia’ which is formed by combining ‘komos’, meaning ‘to revel’ and ‘aeidein’, meaning ‘to sing’. Both are features of Shakespearean comedy and are evident in A Midsummer Night’s Dream especially with reference to Titania, who revels in her singing; and Bottom, who is revelled by her sing...
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...le in the contemporary society still look for comedy to evoke laughter and enjoyment as their Middle Age counterparts did. Thus, the aims, purpose and values of comedy have remained unchanged from those initially established in Aristotle’s Ancient Greece.
To conclude, the comedies of Bernard Shaw and William Shakespeare are both relevant to their specific time period and relatable to their respective societies. However, the similarities they both share show the extent to which the genre has remained unchanged. It is understandable that the plays may differ in some aspects because despite the consistency of the genre, the expectations of the audience have changed through the centuries. The main point being that the comedies of Shaw and Shakespeare are identifiable by a majority of the same characteristics outlined by Aristotle and developed by Shakespeare himself.
During the Renaissance, comedies and romances include many of the culture’s best, most remarkable, dramatic achievements. According to A Glossary of Literary Terms, edited by M. H. Abrams and Geoffrey Galt Harpham, comedies are written to entertain the audience, with the characters and their humiliations engaging our pleasurable attention rather than our thoughtful concern. Moreover, the audience is “made to feel confident that no great disaster will occur, and usually the action turns out happily for the chief characters” (c. 2012). For example, William Shakespeare, after his death, his work was published and classified into the sometimes overlapping genres of tragedy, comedy, romance, and history. One of his plays that have an overlapping genre is A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The play is a comedy but has some paradigms of romantic comedy. Since the play is a comedy, it's clear from the outset that it will be a comedy and that the ending of the play will be happy, rather than a tragedy ending that will try to make the audience feel sad for the character. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, ...
In I Henry IV and II Henry IV, William Shakespeare brings together drama and comedy to create two of the most compelling history plays ever written. Many of Shakespeare's other works are nearly absolute in their adherence to either the comic or tragic traditions, but in the two Henry IV plays Shakespeare combines comedy and drama in ways that seem to bring a certain realism to his characters, and thus the plays. The present essay is an examination of the various and significant effects that Shakespeare's comedic scenes have on I Henry IV and II Henry IV. The Diversity of Society
According to Aristotle, “Comedy can be any colloquy or performance generally intended to amuse or stimulate laughter”. In modern times, comedy can be found in different forms, such as television, movies, theatres and stand-up comedy.
Bell, Robert. “The Anatomy of Folly in Shakespeare’s Henriad.” Humor: International Journal of Humor Research 14. 2 (2001): 181-201. Print.
What is comedy? Funk and Wagnalls New Encyclopedia says: "A comedy depicts the follies and absurdities of human beings." Webster's Dictionary defines comedy as: "A drama or narrative with a happy ending." Shakespeare's play, Measure for Measure, fits both of these descriptions. Follies and absurdities are present in the play: Lucio slanders the Duke, not realizing that his crude remarks are being spoken to the Duke himself; Angelo abuses his power thinking that the Duke is not present to know; and Ragozine happens to die in prison the day a head is needed to substitute for Claudio's. The play also ends on several merry notes, consistent with the definition of comedy. For example, Angelo's life is spared and he is forgiven; Mariana is married to Angelo; the Duke punishes Lucio humorously with marriage; Barnardine is pardoned; and Claudio is saved. The parallels between Measure for Measure and three other Shakespearean comedies, The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, and Twelfth Night, also help to classify Measure for Measure as a comedy. In Measure for Measure, like in The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, and Twelfth Night, an arbitrary law or obstacle is eventually overcome; a disguised character affects the outcome of the play; a clown adds humor to the plot; a female character bears a large responsibility for the final resolution; and forgiveness and reconciliation mark the conclusion of the action.
Use of Humor in Romeo and Juliet & nbsp; Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's most famous plays. One. could give many reasons as to why this play became such a huge success, but one of the most important reasons could be the use of humour in the play. The main reason for doing this could be to relieve the tensions in the play. and to entertain and keep the Elizabethan audience interested. &
The satire that produces no comic reaction may turn out to be an accidental tragedy. Joseph Brooker in his article on “Satire Bust: The Wagers of Money” muses that “What distinguishes satire amid comedy’s broad remit is the intensity of its attention to a subject and the sense that something is at stake beyond sheer laughter. Perhaps comedy can have its own practical aims: one can construct instrumental views of the genre in which laughter is good for spiritual or even physical health, or confirms the benign spread of a comic world-view”
An audience will have no trouble ascertaining whether they are viewing a comedy or a tragedy when viewing a well written drama. Some audience members might be surprised as to how fine the line is between these two genres. According to Roberts and Zweig, when sharing Aristotle’s definition of tragedy, it would contain these key elements, a reversal of situation, a recognition by the protagonist and finally the scene of suffering (1304-1305). These elements were to produce the key components of tragedy through, “fear and Pity” an audience member would experience powerful emotions that would provide a cathartic experience (1303). In contrast a comedy, according to Roberts and Zweig, has a climax where the height of catastrophe is taking place and then the denouement which highlights how the “order is reestablished” (1533). Roberts and Zweig explain how the more chaotic the climax is the funnier the comedy (1533). These same chaotic, misunderstandings and bad behavior can be found in a tragedy. The difference is in a tragedy when the climax is reached the decisions made by the protagonist do not lead to a resolution, rather the result is almost always fatal. The misconceptions that occur throughout the play are met with fear and pity instead of humor and hope. A good writer could perhaps turn his work from a comedy into a tragedy by allowing his characters to make different
Through comedy and tragedy Shakespeare reveals the vast expanses and profound depths of the character of life. For him they are not separate worlds of drama and romance, but poles of a continuum. The distinction between tragedy and comedy is called in question when we turn to Shakespeare. Though the characters differ in stature and power, and the events vary in weight and significance, the movements of life in all Shakespeare's plays are governed by the same universal principles which move events in our own lives. Through myriad images Shakespeare portrays not only the character of man and society but the character of life itself.
Characters in comedy and tragedy are generally quite different. Comic characters are (or used to be) lower class individuals (Aristotle, Goldsmith). Indeed this is the case with t...
Humor in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night In Twelfth Night we see different types of humour. There is the witty
A tragedy is defined as beginning with a problem that affects everyone, i.e. the whole town or all the characters involved, the tragic hero must solve this problem and this results in his banishment or death [run-on sentence]. A comedy is defined as also beginning with a problem, but one of less significant importance. The characters try to solve the problem and the story ends with all the characters uniting in either a marriage of a party. Although these two genres are seen as being complete opposites of each other, through further analysis one can gather that though they are different certain similarities can also be seen.
Theater is a natural outlet for our desire to hear and tell stories, and in some ways it is even more primal and powerful than the written word. At its worst, theater will merely bore; while at its best it will not only entertain but move and shape its audience. Two such genres of theater, or drama, have consistently achieved this effect. Tragedy, represented by the weeping actors’ mask, usually features the title character’s fall from greatness to ruin, guided by the gods or fate. Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles, is the epitome of classic Tragedy, as defined by Aristotle (96-101). Here, Oedipus falls from kingship to blindness and exile. Drama’s other great genre, Comedy, is represented by the laughing actors’ mask. In Comedy the action is usually propelled by a problem or crisis of some sorts, but unlike tragedy it usually ends well. Lysistrata, written by Aristophanes, is a perfect example of classic Comedy. The farcical story line follows the title character, who rallies the women of Greece to withhold sex from their mates all in the good cause of ending war. At first glance these two genres would seem to have nothing in common with each other. Comedy entails laughter and good feelings while the audience will leave a Tragedy in tears. But the best of Comedy and the best of Tragedy will produce the same affect: catharsis. Catharsis is the purgation and purifying of the emotions, specifically fear or pity. (“Catharsis”) The plays that manage to produce catharsis in their audience are the ones that we return to time and time again. Although catharsis is one of the main objectives of Greek Tragedy (Jacobus 34), Comedy done well will shape and move its audience in the same way. These two classic genres use characters that are co...
If there is one way to bring a smile to someone’s face, it is laughter. Funny jokes, comical stunts, sarcasm- Every person is different when it comes to what makes them laugh. Some find dry humor comical. Others think sarcasm or joke-filled ranting are the best. ‘Comedy’ is such a broad term, broad enough to allow everyone to find something they find comical. In fact, ‘comedy’ includes a specific type of drama, one where the protagonist is joyful and happy endings are expected. Comedy is like a drug; it allows you to escape reality. When we say the word ‘comedy’ in the present, we are generally referring to a type of performance which provides humor. However, in its broadest sense, comedy has only one purpose: comedy makes people smile and
Shakespeare's comedies can be recognized in terms of plot, structure and characters. We can see that Shakespearean comedies follow the same structural pattern, a basic plot on which the play is based. For example, a key feature of all comedies is that they depend upon the resolution of their plots. However, Shakespeare's comedies are distinguishable, as some are classed as comic dramas and others as romantic comedies. In comic drama, there is usually a motif of a place where reality and the unreal merge, the roles of characters are reversed and identities are mistaken or lost. This place may take on the form of a feast or celebration, or it may be presented as a place segregated from the normal society, such as the wood in A Midsummer Night's Dream. When scenes are set in this place, the ordinary rules of life and society do not apply. There is always an experience of chaos, which must be resolved in order for the play to become a true comedy.