Genre Studies Unit-IV Comedy

 

Comedy

Introduction

            Literature is the reflection of life and society. Human life is mixture of both tragedy and comedy. Tears and smiles, shouts of joy, merry making and the grief of funeral go side by side. Goethe, a German thinker says, “Human life is a tale told in tears with smile.” So comedy and tragedy are the two important forms of any literature.

Definition of Comedy

            Comedy is a type of play which deals with some lighter events of human life and it amuses the readers. Aristotle defines Comedy as “Comedy is an imitation of men worse than the average; worse as regards one particular kind, the ridiculous.... The ridiculous may be defined as a mistake or deformity of pain or harm to others.” Horace Wolpole said, “ Life is a tragedy to those who feel and a comedy to those who think.”

Function of Comedy

            The most important function of comedy is to make people laugh. The primary function of literature is to please the readers and this has been accomplished very well by comedy. Comedy aims at social reform through laughter. The secondary function of literature is to teach the readers, and this too is accomplished by comedy.

Types of comedy

Types	Works
Classical Comedy	Roman & Greek, ‘Platus Terence’ and ‘Aristophanes’
Romantic Comedy	Shakespeare’s ‘ A Midsummer Night’s Dream’
Comedy of Humour	Ben Jonson’s ‘Everyman in his Humour’
Comedy of Manners/ Anti-                            sentimental Comedy	William Wycherley, ‘The Country Wife’
Sentimental Comedy	Richard Steele ‘The Conscious Lovers’ (1722) Oliver Goldsmith’s ‘She stoops to conquer’ (1773) Richard Sheridan’s ‘The Rivals’ (1775)

 

·         Classical Comedy is a kind of comedy, which was written by ancient Greek and Roman writers. It follows Three unities of Time, Place and action. It does not only aim at entertainment, rather, but it also aims at correcting the society.

·         Romantic Comedy is a type of comedy, wherein the playwright does not follow the rules. Its only function is to provide entertainment to the readers. Comedies of Shakespeare are romantic in nature. This genre of comedy combines themes of romantic love with humour.

            William Shakespeare popularized a new kind of comedy- Romantic Comedy- during the Elizabethan Age. His romantic comedy does not make an appeal so much to our intelligence as to the heart of man. Its primary aim is neither satire nor correction of the evils of the society. Its aim is just to give pure pleasure and joy. Unlike classical comedies, romantic comedies do not follow the unity of time, place, and action. Shakespeare has his own norms of writing romantic comedies. Let’s examine the chief characteristics of Romantic comedy.

·         Fanciful world of Imagination

·         Element of Realism

·         Element of Humour

·         Subject matter of love

·         Light mood

·         Music and songs

·         Comedy of Humours is centred on the four liquids- Blood (Sanguine), Phlegm, Choler (Yellow bile), Melancholy (Black bile). These four liquids are not creating any humour but these four liquids have association with the Medical science. These four liquids were the invention by Hippocrates (Greek Philosopher). Comedy of Humours was developed by Ben Jonson in his Play ‘Everyman in his Humour’ (first used in this play).

 

           ‘Ralph Roister Doister’ (1566) by Nicholas Udall was the first comedy of English Literature. But towards the end of the 16^th century, Ben Jonson came out with his new innovative concept of comedy which was known as Comedy of Humour.

The Term ‘Humour’ comes from the ancient Greek Physicians. It is a medical term. As per the ancient medical system, there are four major humours of elements in human body.

1.       Blood or fire (heat)

2.      Phlegm or air (cold)

3.      Choler or Yellow Bile or earth (dryness)

4.      Melancholy or Black bile or water (moisture)

These four elements represent the quality of our health. When there is an imbalance of all any one of these four in our nature, behaviour, and health.

·         Comedy of Manners is a type of realistic, satirical comedy of the Restoration period (1660-1710) that questions and comments upon the manners and social conventions of a greatly sophisticated, artificial society. it is also known as the anti-sentimental comedy. It is in opposition to the romantic comedy of William Shakespeare.

Beginning of Comedy of Manners

            With the arrival of King Charles II, the theatres were reopened and new theatrical performances began which were later on named as Comedy of Manners. These plays presented the manners and ideals of the aristocratic society. Contemporary topics like religion, politics, love affairs etc. were focussed in this type of play. It appealed and entertained the servant class, middle class and aristocratic class of England. John Dryden was the first writer to write Comedy of manners with his ‘Wild Gallant’ which was a failure. He wrote several other comedies of Manners also which were more successful.

Characteristics of Comedy of Manners

1.       Rich with wit and satire, appeals to our intellect.

2.      Heroines are more interesting than heroes.

3.      Fashion of the time is reflected.

4.      The manners of only the upper class people are presented realistically.

5.      Realism, social analysis and satire

6.      Politics, religion, and love affairs.

7.      Witty dialogues were given much importance than plots.

Sentimental Comedy

            During the 18^th Century, a new form of drama emerged in English Literature which was later on known as The Sentimental Comedy. It was a reaction against the comedy of manners which was popular during the Restoration period (17^th Century). In this Comedy, laughter and humor were completely driven out and in place of comedy, sadness was introduced. The Sentimental comedy lacked the true spirit of comedy, comparatively.

Characteristics of Sentimental Comedy

            Humor was replaced by pathos and humorous situations in pathetic situations. Middle-class life is characterized by virtue without vices. The writers of sentimental comedy were moralists and wanted to teach morals through the medium of their plays. It provided moral lectures in place of entertainment. It appeals our heart more than the mind. It was characterized by emotions of pity and sympathy and lacked wit or humor. It was serious from beginning to end and was entirely removed from the realities of life. Its characters were not real men and women, but the production of minds of playwrights. The keen observations and realistic touches which had always brightened the earlier comedy completely disappeared.