Tragedy & Comedy
One popular method of distinguishing between a comedy and a tragedy has always been by virtue of whether a play or film has a happy or tragic ending. Today, however, it is largely considered that a tragedy can be comic in parts, and need not necessarily result in an unhappy ending or death (Thorndike, p.2-3) Similarly, although comedies are widely defined as humorous entertainment, evoking a great deal of laughter and amusement, it does not necessarily follow that there are no serious, underlying messages. Thus, it is evident that types or genres of drama are intended to be categories that are not firm and that many plays may fit into a number of categories simultaneously. Indeed, the preceding observation is certainly true of many of Shakespeare's plays: "Shakespeare -- uses comedy in tragedy and tragedy in comedy...difficult to categorize." (Trumbull, 2002) It is the purpose of this paper to identify one characteristic of comedy and two characteristics of tragedy and thereafter, demonstrate their application to scenes from four plays, which are considered to be among the greatest tragedies ever penned: Oedipus Rex, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet. The scope of this paper will also include a discussion on two films, Pretty Woman and The Path to War, as examples that epitomize comedy and tragedy respectively.
Although several characteristics are used to distinguish between a comedy and a tragedy, only three have been identified for the purposes of this paper. The singular characteristic of comedy that will be discussed is the exaggerated or wry manner in which human folly or foolishness is underscored (Trumbull, 2002), while the two characteristics of tragedy, which will be explored, are the struggles or suffering of the protagonist over moral issues and the raising of questions about the meaning of human existence (Trumbull, 2002).
Perhaps the most appropriate starting point for demonstrating that a comedy and tragedy are not necessarily mutually exclusive, though they have long been considered to be the main divisions of drama (Thorndike, p. 4-5), is Romeo and Juliet. Indeed, although Romeo and Juliet is hailed as one of the greatest love tragedies ever written, it, almost deceptively, appears to be a comedy for the most part. In fact, had Shakespeare not used the prologue to announce that the play was about star-crossed lovers; the audience may well have been completely deceived in expecting or hoping for a happy ending, particularly since the opening scene itself is a witty one that mocks human foolishness through a dialogue between Sampson and Gregory from the house of Capulets.
Filled with quick repartee, the opening dialogue between Samson and Gregory evokes much hilarity over the typical posturing of many humans. For instance, when Samson threatens that he "strikes quickly, being moved," Gregory retorts by pointing out that he is a man who is not "quickly moved to strike." Even when Samson attempts to defend himself by remarking, "a dog of the house of Montague moves me," Gregory is unrelenting and continues to poke fun at Samson and human behavior: "To move is to stir; and to be valiant is to stand: / therefore, if thou art moved, thou runn'st away."(1.1. 5-8)
The fact that Gregory's wit is very much intentioned to underscore Samson's foolish posturing is confirmed when the two shortly meet Abraham and Balthasar, two serving-men from the house of Montagues. At this juncture, it is evident that Samson's boasts are, indeed, mere posturing, as evidenced by his urging Gregory to pick a quarrel: "My naked weapon is out: quarrel; I will back / thee." (1.1. 31-32) In fact, all doubt over Samson's cowardice is removed when he, thereafter, backs out of picking a quarrel: "Let us take the
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Audiences can ponder the issue of fate when presented with Oedipus, afterlife when thinking of Antigone, and motherhood and marriage when confronted with Medea. Further, modern plays often offer this type of ending as well. For instance, Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie allows audience members to consider the theme of love and romance, superimposed with family. At the end of the story, audience members must contemplate whether Tom should
This echoes life. To others we present as a simple person, perhaps even shallow and one-dimensional. Yet inside we are a mass of interminable twists and turns of plots and subplots. The story must reflect positive morality or, as Aristotle warned, when storytelling goes bad, the result is decadence. As stories become more extravagant and violent, and all the areas of storytelling - acting, stage settings or environments, music,
Then comedy disappeared when the Roman Empire collapsed. Nonetheless, the moulds for its future development had been cast. Greek comedies were rediscovered during the Renaissance, the point of origin of comedy as we know it today. Furthermore, the Renaissance brought two major developments to the comedy: the commedia dell'arte, and plot developments and defined archetypal characters (Storey: 407). "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is what theoreticians may call a classical
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Aristotle and Tragedy To Aristotle, tragedy had to follow certain characteristics. These included certain rendering of protagonist, the style of the writing, the direction of the plot, the diction, the reflection, the context, and the melody. Each and everything had its own nuances and meaning and the ideal Tragedy would be written in such a way that the reader or spectator would find the protagonist similar to himself and pity him
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