Comedy definition: Comedies are clever and enjoyable literary works that elicit favorable responses from the audience.
What Exactly Is a Literary Comedy?
The term comedy was initially used to refer to plays that were explicitly funny or entertaining, but it is now used more widely to apply to any work created with these goals in mind.
An example of humor
The well-known television program Seinfeld would serve as a contemporary example of a comedy. This sitcom was created to amuse the audience with sharp humor.
Variety of Comedy
Depending on their qualities, comedies are categorized under many headings. It’s crucial to remember that even though we now refer to every clever literary work as a comedy, the term refers more particularly to dramatic works created with this intent.
The various types of comedies are listed below:
Romantic Comedy: A romantic comedy gives a joyful conclusion to a love story between two people. Even if they can still face obstacles, the pair succeeds in their goal in the end.
- The romantic comedy Sweet Home Alabama is a prime illustration.
Comedy of Manners: This humor style is sarcastic and mocks high culture.
- A drama that fits the description of a comedy of manners is Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.
Sentimental Comedy: Characters in a sentimental comedy ultimately triumph over hostile or evil powers despite being strongly tempted to do so and experiencing a happy ending. These characters contrast the high class with the average middle class, unlike the comedy of manners.
- A sentimental comedy is The Conscious Lovers by Richard Steele.
Tragicomedy: A tragicomedy incorporates both comedic and tragic elements. These plays frequently have gloomy starts and happy endings.
- An illustration of a tragicomedy is Cymbeline by William Shakespeare.
The Purpose of Comedy in Literary Works
Because they allow audiences to be inspired, comedies are a crucial literary genre. Presenting amusing scenarios to the audience enables laughter and joy to result from witnessing them. Comedies may appeal to a broader audience because their primary goals are to amuse and entertain, including both children and adults.
Literature Examples of Comedy
Romantic comedies include William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The characters in this play go through comedic instances of misguided love, but in the end, they are united with sentiments for their genuine attachments.
A good illustration of a comedy of manners is Pygmalion by George Bernard. In this drama, a gentleman of high society tries to improve a lower-class woman by teaching her appropriate behavior.
What Are Comedies, in Brief?
In literature, a comedy is described as a dramatic work composed to amuse or entertain the audience.
As an example,
A comedy is something like the television program The Big Bang Theory. It chronicles the highs and lows of a group of primarily nerdy young adults.
The characters may experience comedic catastrophes throughout the comedy, but the results are primarily favorable.
Athens, Greece, in the fifth century BC, gave birth to the comedy genre. Different styles of comedy—such as romantic comedy, comedy of manners, comedy of manners, tragic comedy, and emotional comedy—are typically featured in movies and books.