About the genres of Comedy & Tragicomedy

1. Comedy & Tragicomedy
PRESENTED BY: GROUP 2
MEMBERS: CAHAYAGAN (REPORTER), PALANOG (REPORTER), PLAZA,
SALIMBOT, LLOREN, OCSO, MAGPALE

2. What is a Comedy play?

3. Comedy
Comedy is any work that is intended to incite laughter and
amusement, especially in theatre, television, film, stand-up comedy or
any other entertainment medium. It dates back to the Ancient Greeks,
originating from the comedy literary definition which refers to a
medieval story or narrative involving an amusing character that
triumphs over poor circumstances, creating comic effects. The tone here
is light and satirical and the story always ends well.
The word ‘Comedy’ has been derived from the French word
comedie, which in turn is taken from the Greco-Latin word Comedia.
Comedia is made up of two words: komos, which means “to revel,” and
aeidein, which means “to sing.”

4. What are the types of Comedy?
• Slapstick — it is a physical comedy comprising body
movements, clowning, and making faces.
• Parody — deliberately mimics or ridicules another
• Spoof — This comedy uses imitation to ridicule or
ironize real life events.
• Satire — mocking a section of society or politics

5. • Irony — when the opposite of what’s expected
happens
• Sarcasm — scornful response, sometimes ironic
• Farce —This comedy uses exaggeration of the
situation.
• Dark comedy —makes heavy or grave subjects and
themes look lighter through fun and comic remarks.
• Romantic Comedy - It is a sub-genre of comedy
comprising lighthearted themes and humorous plots,
specifically about love and romance.

6. What is an example of a Comedy
play?

7. •Lysistrata by Aristophanes - This comedy is set
during the Peloponnesian War and its title
character decides she is tired of the men fighting.
As a result, she convinces women from the Greek
city-states to withhold sex from men until they
end the war. In addition the women take over the
Acropolis and the treasury so that the war cannot
be funded. As the play progresses, the men
become desperate for sex, begin peace talks, and
agree to terms.

8. Function of Comedy
Though comedy serves many purposes, the most
important and visible function of comedy is to entertain
readers. The audience is forced to laugh at the problems of the
comedy’s various characters. As a result, he is overjoyed and
forgets about his mundane life. In other words, comedy is an
artificial play whose main purpose is to draw attention to what
is wrong with the world. A comedy contains no contempt or
anger. A Comedy exposes and mocks stupidity and immorality,
and to give a message in a funny way.

9. What is a Tragicomedy play?

10. Tragicomedy
Tragicomedy is a literary device used in fictional works,
especially in plays. It is where both tragedy and comedy are
mixed together. Mostly, the characters in tragicomedy are
exaggerated, and sometimes there might be a happy ending after
a series of unfortunate events. It is incorporated with jokes
throughout the story, just to lighten the tone.
It can be a tragedy with a happy ending, or it can be a
tragedy with enough comic relief that the mood of the entire play
is improved.

11. But what is a Tragedy?
Tragedy is a genre of play in which a hero is brought
down by his/her own flaws, usually by ordinary human
flaws – flaws like greed, over-ambition, or even an excess
of love, honor, or loyalty.
Sometimes, people use the word “tragedy” for any sad
event. For example, we might say that an airplane crash or
tsunami was “tragic.”

12. What is an example of a
Tragicomedy play?

13. • The Merchant of Venice (William Shakespeare)- is
considered one of the most popular traditional
tragicomedy examples. Though it has a comedic structure,
there are tragic characters, such as Shylock, and tragic
events, such as Antonio’s loss of life. Although the play
ends on a happy note with the union of the lovers in the
story, and Antonio is saved from a tragic incident, readers
are left with a taste of Shylock’s sufferings. Hence, the
feeling and mood of the play at the end is neither happy
nor gloomy. Though, this play definitely has a comic
structure, it also has a strong tragic story.

14. What is the function of a
Tragicomedy play?

15. Tragicomedies tread the line between comedy and
tragedy. They typically attempt to maintain the seriousness
of a tragedy without the grim and ruinous end. At the same
time, they periodically alleviate the weight with comedic
moments or scenes to lighten the audience's viewing
experience. Tragedies are rarely enjoyable affairs, though
they are often rather moving. Comedies rarely inspire as
much moral introspection and emotion as a tragedy, but
they tend to be much more enjoyable. Tragicomedies
attempt to blend the positive potentials in both genres.
Thematically, tragicomedies tend to portray duality in both
society and the larger world.