Comedy vs. Tragedy

There is not one person in this world who has the exact same preferences as another person. Everyone has their own unique style, which creates the need for a wider variety of genres. In the Elizabethan Ear, one of the world’s greatest poets emerged. His sonnets, stories, plays were written in such varieties that appealed to the masses, even in today’s society. Of all his works, the most popular styles were comedies and tragedies. These polar opposites appealed to many because of the way they brought the story to life. The same story written in both of these styles could have a completely different effect on the audience based on the style used. Although completely dissimilar, the two styles did have some similarities, which kept them in the Shakespearian style. Shakespeare’s more widely known comedy and tragedy, The Twelfth Night and Macbeth, respectively, are great examples to show the vast differences between the two styles, but since both works are by the same author, similarities can also be seen if one looks carefully.

A dismal, almost heart-wrenching downfall and a plot of darkness and confusion is what a reader encounters in Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth. The story, right from the beginning, created a sense of dread which increased as the reader saw the downfall of the tragic hero, Macbeth. This plot here is the basic foundation of the tragedy genre. Without the ultimate demise of the main character, the tragedy would be any different from another style. However, this is not the only component that makes up a tragedy. There are numerous others, some playing a more vital than others. Even though irony, which can provide for some comedic relief, is present, it really doesn’t provide for a laughable factor. Th...

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...lots do combine eventually to create this somewhat comedic climax, which slowly leads to the happy ending. In a comedy, everything is eventually sorted out. Chaos is quelled and order is restored – what was wrong then becomes right. Instead of death, which is what a tragedy would end in, comedies usually end in either life, or I the case of The Twelfth Night, marriage. The love triangle is solved; Orcino takes Viola’s hand in marriage while Olivia takes Sebastian, Viola’s twin brother. The pranks by the subplot characters are called out into the open and apologies are given. A happy ending is given to a plot full of laughter and silliness, as it rightly should.

Although the tragedy and comedy have many, many difference, such as the foundations for each genre and just about everything else that composes the two, they still retain things that tie them together.