Comedy and tragedy in literature

Comedy & Tragedy

Analyzing the Lines Between Comedy and Tragedy

Throughout the years, the distinctions between comedy and tragedy in drama have become rather blurred. As late as the early to mid 20th century, even the traditional tragedies became infused with elements of comedy, as modern audiences did not want to sit for a purely tragic play. Instead, elements of comedy fused with elements of tragedy have allowed for the dramatic conclusion to the play, while providing the audience with some relief from tragedy upon tragedy. So, then, if elements of comedy include tragedy and vice versa, how can the lines be drawn? According to T.A. Arp, "the popular distinctions between comedy and tragedy are fairly simple: comedy is funny; tragedy is sad. Comedy has a happy ending, tragedy an unhappy one.... Successful tragedies though they involve suffering and sadness, do not leave the spectator depressed. Some funny plays have sad endings." A response to each of the claims that Arp makes, however, will suggest that the definitions of comedy and tragedy are, by far, not so cut and dry.

First, Arp claims that the "distinctions between comedy and tragedy are fairly simple," listing comedy with "funny" and tragedy with "sad." The validity of this statement, however, varies with the genre of play that one is considering, along with its time period. The traditional divisions between comedy and tragedy are most often associated with the Greek. These comedies are nearly always solely comedic, the most famous of which is probably Aristophanes' Lysistrata, a play about women who see an end to war through the barring of conjugal relations. Greek tragedy, on the other hand, is nearly always incredibly somber. It is not only the fates of Oedipus and Antigone that are so dire, for example, but the entire play is tragic, as each event drags the audience into hopelessness after hopelessness. But while this might be true for Greed drama, it is not necessarily true about more modern plays. This is why most interpretations of Greek drama are infused with some sort of element that removes the tragic pressure -- modern audiences simply do not want to sit through a lengthy, depressing play. In modern plays, like The Death of a Salesman, funny bits are sprinkled through in order to make the audience laugh and relieve tension, such as the boys' scuffling and talking about women. Further, whether or not Arp's statement is even true in the classical sense is a point over which the may be contention. Some may argue that the endings of Greek tragedies are not necessarily sad. Oedipus, Antigone, and Medea are not necessarily the world's most like able characters. Oedipus is proud, Antigone is bull headed, and Medea will not be winning the world's best mother prize any time soon. Some audience might find satisfaction in the tragedies that befall these characters simply because the main characters are so unlikable.

It is most likely for these reasons that Arp made his second claim: "Successful tragedies though they involve suffering and sadness, do not leave the spectator depressed." This can be true for three reasons. First, as already discussed, the main characters in the play may be so unlikable that the audience may actually enjoy some malevolent pleasure when horrible things happen to them. Second, the moral or point of the play may be so effective that the ending leaves the audience contemplating some higher dilemma, purpose, or theme instead of feeling depressed or even malevolently happy. The Greek dramas can incite this kind of feeling in the audience. Though many of their themes have to do with gods and other nuances of Greek culture, they can be generalized to apply to the human condition, which is why they are classics. 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 have ever brought Jim home for Laura. This forces them to ask the general question -- is it better to leave someone in apparent misery or risk the chance of giving them false hope? In addition, audiences can ask the even more general question -- is it wrong to hope? Finally, Arp's claim can be true because of art. Even a terribly sad ending, if done beautifully, can leave the reader with a feeling of satisfaction rather than depression. This is true with Shakespeare's Hamlet. Instead of leaving the reader depressed, the final bloody scene of the play, just before Hamlet is honored as a slain warrior, leaves the audience not depressed but shocked with the beauty of it all, the beauty of Hamlet's valor and sacrifice. Thus, Arp's statement that successful tragedy does not leave the audience depressed is true, but once again it can only be true with a caveat -- successful drama does not leave the audience depressed if the audience is capable of appreciating the drama for its unlikable characters, moral or greater theme, or beauty.