Compare and Contrast Comedy and Tragedy
In a comparison of comedy and tragedy, I will begin by looking at narrative. The narration in a comedy often involves union and togetherness as we see in the marriage scene at the end of Midsummer's Night Dream. William Hazlitt tells us that one can also expect incongruities, misunderstandings, and contradictions. I am reminded of the play The Importance of Being Ernest and the humor by way of mistaken identity. Sigmund Freud tells us to expect excess and exaggeration in comedy. Chekhov's Marriage Proposal displays this excess both in language and in movements. Charles Darwin insists that in a comedy "circumstances must not be of a momentous nature;" whereas, Northop Frye identifies comedy as having a happy ending and using repetition that goes nowhere.
On the other hand, narration in tragedy often goes from high to low. Oedipus is a clear example of this. At the beginning he is in a high position and held in high esteem by the people. By the end he has fallen to the depths of despair. Aristotle tells us that plot is the "soul of tragedy," and he points out that we see this through an imitation of life through realistic actions. Taking risks and thinking big characterize narration in tragedy. Hamlet exemplifies these characteristics throughout the storyline. Aristotle insists that tragedy should have the right ending, which generally means that it will have an unhappy ending. We see this in Desire Under the Elms when Eben and Abbie are taken away to jail for the crime.
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...
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...ddition to the characteristics mentioned previously we see Bottom using malapropisms. This is also associated with low comedy; whereas, high comedy is considered more intellectual. It may include wit that adds another layer to an already comic scene. This is seen during both plays within a play as the audience makes witty remarks about the play. High comedy may become dated sooner because it frequently centers on current events.
Both the comedy and the tragedies we have read alluded to or used the elements of the unnatural. Poison or a love potion was central to both Midsummer Night's Dream and Hamlet. Complicated romance was seen in MND, Hamlet, and Desire. Fate had a strong role in several of the plays as well. In Oedipus the oracle was at the very heart of the play, and in Desire Cabot and even the play itself seemed driven by the will of God.
The Jacksonian Period from 1824 to 1848 has been characterized as the era of the “common man.” Jackson’s election to presidency was based on the fact that he himself did not come from a wealthy background so in return, during his presidency he openly advocated for the rights of the “common man”. Although the era did not always stay true to its name, both economic aspects and reform movements caused the Jacksonian period to mostly live up to its characterization as "the era of the common man.”
The Jacksonian Democrats had at least one misconception about themselves; they did not strive to guard the individual liberty of all Americans. They were yet to break away completely from the old beliefs that one race was superior to another. However, they did have some clear perceptions of the purpose they served. They protected the Constitution and the rights it gave to Americans by promoting equality of economic opportunity and by advancing political democracy.
The founders of the US left England and other countries because of the region of the Queen and King. The Founding Fathers feared that a monarchy would arise in this “New World.” A person acting as a President could potentially become a monarchy and not represent the people as the role of president should. Rather than a president representing the people, the founding fathers believed that a strong congress could better represent the people. Jackson, however took a different approach to President leading to his revolutionary change in politics. His approach to President was that it was his job as President to reflect the people and actions taken as President should help the American people. Congress to Jackson was a body of higher elitist that do not care about the common man. For the first time the election was the public interest not just for the elite and selective group of people. Even candidates running against Jackson and the selective group of people agreed that Jackson caused a turning point of Presidential elections. Jackson’s strong will to make change led him to using his veto power more than any other previous President. Some of Jackson’s actions included the closing of the second national bank and a removal of the Cherokee Indians after Congress voted to let them stay. Jackson was a common man before becoming President once he got a taste of power he did at some points
Andrew Jackson was not democratic because the way he ran the government, the Bank of America, and the removal of the Native American.
The 1820’s and 1830’s mark an era when the Jacksonian Democrats reigned supreme in American government. Led by President Andrew Jackson, the Democrats appealed to the common man and worked towards helping the general populace. The Jacksonians regarded themselves as the guardians of the Constitution and individual liberties, however, the Jacksonian Democrats did not act accordingly. They infringed upon the Constitution, exploited political democracy, tainted individual liberties, but at times defended economic opportunities.
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
For the first time in American history, a presidential election was the focus of public attention. Jackson's election in 1828 marked a new direction in American politics. Jackson’s early presidency was unlike many others because his general vision was to bring American people into the presidency. The Age of Jackson was the widespread desire for equality of opportunity, born of the conviction that no one should have special privileges at the expense of anyone else (pg. 132). He had faith in the American people to know what is in the best interest of the nation. He spoke on behalf of ordinary people and against established elites. The Age of Jackson is a period in history referred to as the rise of political democracy in America through the creation of the Democrat party. President Andrew Jacksons goal was to reform the government by reestablishing the Spoils System, where he fired anyone that was not a loyal Democrat and replaced them with new federal workers for partisan reasons. Jacksonians’ believed that the role of the government was to fulfill the country’s destiny by looking after the economic
The ability of an author to capture the interest of the audience has and will always be an important factor in the art of storytelling and even the expression of research or related material. When an author is able to seize the attention of any partaking of their work, curiosity will develop which will lead to the wonder of what the conclusion my bring about. Not only is it important to snatch the audience’s attention in the beginning, it is necessary to hold it prisoner throughout the tale. Authors do this by having an interesting plot development in which many unexpected details come into play and the course of the story is thrown from the norm and into the conflict. Shakespeare was a master of this art in the work he produced throughout his life and was able to create stories of humor and those of tragedy. For example, his play King Lear is a terrible tragedy in which many awful things take place and the story ends by disastrous means. While in the play Much Ado About Nothing, very little conflict is present and if it is, it is resolved quickly and the play concludes with the joyfulness of marriage nuptials. His ability to develop plot and story in a way in which the audience who love to devour, Shakespeare will in a way immortalize himself, “Shakespeare proved himself to be both the "soul of the age" his works reflected and adorned and the consummate symbol of the artist whose poetic visions transcend their local habitation and become, in some mysterious way, contemporaneous with ‘all time.’” (Andrews) As stated, Shakespeare went beyond his time and created traditions, symbols, sayings, and even stories that people today will remember forever. King Lear and Much Ado About Nothing are each examples of Shakespeare's detailed ...
If we seek to justify Shakespeare's King Lear as a tragedy by applying Arthur Miller's theory of tragedy and the tragic hero, then we might find Lear is not a great tragedy, and the character Lear is hardly passable for a tragic hero. However, if we take Aristotle's theory of tragedy to examine this play, it would fit much more neatly and easily. This is not because Aristotle prescribes using nobility for the subject of a tragedy, but, more importantly, because he emphasizes the purpose of tragedy -- to arouse pity and fear in the audience, and thus purge them of such emotions.
In between the election of 1824 and the election of 1828, Jackson and his supporters created the Democratic political party. According to the textbook, “This new party, they promised would would represent ordinary farmers, workers, and the poor, not the rich and well-born who had taken control of the Republican Party” (Hart, 2005). During the election of 1828, many new democrats voted. Previously, only educated men who owned property were allowed to vote. Now, the common people, like farmers from the west, were also given the right to vote. For this reason, the amount of voters significantly increased. Also, Jackson introduced the United States to the idea of mudslinging which is still used today. Mudslinging is a campaign strategy that consists of outing your opponents down in order to get more votes. Additionally, democrats replaced the caucus system with nominating conventions. So, instead of congress committees choosing political candidates, delegates from the states chose them. Furthermore, Jackson exchanged federal employees with democratic supporters. As stated in the textbook, “Rotating people in office was more democratic than lifetime service, he said, because it gave more people a chance to serve their government” (Hart, 2005). This was called the spoils system, it returned the government to a democracy, and made it equitable. Moreover, a bureaucratic government was introduced. This is a form of government that is still used today where non-elected officials can hold office positions. Though one may argue Andrew Jackson’s spoil systems resemble tyrannical acts, his intentions were to ameliorate the government. Prior to this, the government was overpowered by republicans; president Jackson returned it to impartiality. This is significant because Jackson and his supporters created a major political party that is still standing to this day. Likewise, the majority of the population were common
Tragedy, irony and modernism are only a few interpretations of the valued play The Taming of the Shrew by the respected writer William Shakespeare. However, one of the most intriguing and popular of these analyses is comedy. Shakespeare is recognized for writing several plays with comedic genres, a few of which include Much Ado About Nothing and The Comedy of Errors. Comedy, being a complex genre, is composed of many different concepts. This particular play can be interpreted as a Shakespearian comedy, a screwball comedy, a farce, or slapstick.
William Shakespeare’s dramatic and poetic techniques and his use of hyperbole are used to describe the characters emotions and weaknesses. The use of dramatic irony is used to create personal conflict. This is done throughout the play to describe the characters concerns and their situations.
Aristotle believed that every tragedy’s story structure must contain six parts; Plot, Character, Diction, Thought, Spectacle, and Song. Of those six, Plot, Character, and Thought stand out most in the play Hamlet. First, Aristotle believes the principles of the Plot make it the most important factor in a tragedy. To Aristotle the plot of a tragedy must be complete with beginning, middle, and end. Hamlet has a complete plot starting with guards at Elsinore seeing a ghost, leading them to tell Hamlet, who will go seek revenge for his father’s death, and ends with no open questions as Hamlet dies from the poison blade and Fortinbras becomes king of Denmark. Second, according to Aristotle, a Character in a tragedy must be good, they must aim for propriety, they must be true to life, and they must be consistent. As Polonius sends his servant off to question Laertes’s friends, Polonius tells Reynaldo he may “put on him what forgeries [he] pleased – marry, none so ra...
In ancient Greece citizens hoped to go unnoticed by the Gods. The Gods played a huge role on what occurred in a citizen’s life. If a prophecy was decided by a God, then there was no altering it. Aristotle believes that this is what makes up a true tragedy. He suggests that tragedy is plot driven, and if the plot is set then there is no way around it. In Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, Oedipus is paying for the sins of his father King Laios. Laios was given horrible future by the Gods for angering them when he rapes another man. He was given a prediction that his son would murder him, and would marry his mother, Queen Jocaste. To prevent the prediction from happening Laios sent his shepherd to kill Oedipus, but gave him to a messenger from a different kingdom for another royal family to call their own. After many years the prophecy came true with Oedipus killing Laios and marrying Jocaste, without anyone knowing who Oedipus really was. Aristotle states, “Thus the structure of events, the plot, is the goal of tragedy, and the goal is the greatest thing of all” (2196). He puts tragedy into two categories: simple and complex.
In society today, there are thousands of genres in the world that can be used in a plethora of ways. Probably the most common and most popular genres in this current generation are horror and comedy. These genres are found at the opposite end of the spectrum but it is not rare to see them side by side in movie theaters or even some libraries. Horror and comedy are known for their fictitious storylines along with some semblance of a lesson to be learned. Although in most cases lessons that are taught in horror films or novels are more likely to stick then in a comedy situation.