This presentation is useful for the students who study drama.

1. COMPARE AND CONTRASTING
SHAKESPEAREAN COMEDY DRAMA
AND TRAGEDY DRAMA
H.Piyumi Wijethunga
ELT/18/B1/29

2. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
 Who is William Shakespeare?
 The birth of Shakespeare - on 23rd April 1564 in
Stratford-upon-Avon
 William Shakespeare’s family- his father is John
Shakespeare and mother is Mary Shakespeare.
 The marriage-married with Anne Hathaway in November
1582
 The education of William Shakespeare.
 The death – on 23rd April 1616

3. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S WORKS
 The greatest literacy service of William Shakespeare –
38 plays, 2 narrative poems, 154 sonnets and a variety of
other poems.
 Shakespearean drama – tragedies, comedies and
histories.
 The poems of William Shakespeare – “Venus and
Adonis”, “The rape of Lucrece”, “A lover’s complaint”
 Shakespearean sonnets – “Shall I compare thee to a
summer’s day?”, “A woman’s face with nature’s own
hand painted”, Your love and pity doth the impression
fill”, “My mistress” eyes are nothing like the sun”

4. COMEDY DRAMA VS TRAGEDY
DRAMA
What is comedy drama?
Comedy is a literary genre and a type of dramatic
work. It always has a happy ending. Also it is one
of the oldest forms of drama.
The comedy drama highlights that human beings
cannot change. Therefore, comedies often confirm
our view of the world.

5. WILLIAM SHAKESPERARE COMEDIES
ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL
AS YOU LIKE IT
COMEDY OF ERRORS
MEASURE FOR MEASURE
MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
TAMING OF THE SHREW
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
TWLFTH NIGHT
MERCHANT OF VENICE

6. COMEDY DRAMA VS TRAGEDY
DRAMA…..
What is tragedy drama?
Tragedy is a genre of story in which a hero is
brought down by his/her own flaws (ordinary
human flaws).

7. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE TRAGEDIES
JULIUS CAESAR
MACBETH
HAMLET
OTHELLO
ROMEO AND JULIET
KING LEAR

8. Character development
Examination of social issues
Morally flawed characters
The way of beginning
Human weakness
SIMILARITIES

9. COMPARING
AND
CONTRASTING
[CONT]
Protagonist
Themes
Setting
Expressing feelings
The way of ending

10. COMPARING AND CONTRASTING
 Protagonist fails to
achieve goals and
alienated from society.
 Protagonist falls from
leadership, losing respect,
dreams, positions.
 Protagonist achieve goals
often becomes leader of
new society.
 Protagonist achieves
success, often as a result
of own mistakes.
Comedy drama
Tragedy drama
[CONT]

11.  Theme is universal or
appeal.
 Setting – Great hall or
battlefield.
 Feelings - Emotional.
 Sad ending.
 Theme – often time and
place oriented.
 Setting – homes including
bedroom and bathroom.
 Feelings - Intellectual ,
mental
 Happy ending.
Tragedy drama Comedy drama

12. William Shakespeare is the greatest dramatist in
Elizabethan period. His dramas were comedies, tragedies
and histories dramas. Comedy and tragedy dramas are
highlighted, presenting their definitions.
It can be depicted comparison and contrasting between
comedy and tragedy drama under some topics.

13. REFERENCE
 https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-
shakespeare/shakespedia/william-shakespeare/william-shakespeare-
biography/#:~:text=William%20Shakespeare%20was%20a%20renown
ed,date%20he%20died%20in%201616.&text=Shakespeare's%20poems
%20also%20remain%20popular%20to%20this%20day.
 https://poets.org/poems/william-shakespeare
 https://findanyanswer.com/what-is-the-main-difference-between-a-
shakespearean-comedy-and-a-shakespearean-tragedy
 https://williamshakespearefacts.com/sonnets/all/
 https://literarydevices.net/comedy/#:~:text=Comedy%20is%20a%20lite
rary%20genre,a%20happy%20or%20successful%20conclusion.
 https://literarydevices.net/comedy/#:~:text=Comedy%20is%20a%20lite
rary%20genre,a%20happy%20or%20successful%20conclusion.