Essay on Compare and Contrast Comedy and Tragedy - 914 Words

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 Midsummers 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. Chekhovs 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†¦show more content†¦Comic characters are often likable and sweet as Jack and Algeron in The Importance of Being Ernest. Oliver Goldsmith characterizes comic characters as being good and exceedingly generous as well as having an abundance of sentiment and feeling. Goldsmith is speaking esp ecially of sentimental comedy, the forerunner of the sit-com. Tragic characters, however, are usually of a higher class, even nobility Aristotle tells us. This seems to be more the case the further back in history we go. Oedipus fits this description far better than the characters in Desire Under the Elms. Characters in tragedy may be heroic and seem larger than life as does Hamlet. A quality of greatness is usually seen through characters in a tragedy. Comedies and tragedies also differ in their audience appeal. Hazlitt tells us when watching comedy we laugh at what disappoints our expectations in trifles. But Henri Bergson warns us to expect laughter without feeling. Bergson also believes that a group is necessary for comedy to work. George Meredith says that comedy is dependent on a society where there is social freedom and common sense. This may be why Chekhovs The Cherry Orchard is seen by some as a comedy but not by others. Since it comments on social change, the humor would be a strain for Russian audiences who lack the social freedom necessary to laugh at such ideas. Tragedy, on the other hand, evokes fear and pity accordingShow MoreRelatedWilliam Beckett s Waiting For Godot947 Words   |  4 Pagesacts of comedy are dispersed through the tragedy. which provides a physical act to be performed on stage, as well as expanding the depth of the ideas presented. Beckett uses the tragicomedy style to demonstrate how traged y and comedy are two of the most important parts of life, and to provide a shocking and stark contrast between ideas presented in the play. Dramatically, the comedic moments offset the gloom around the characters. The actors use the few props they have to mix the comedy into theRead MoreMovie Review : Lost On Hong Kong977 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is a comedy film? 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