Comedy in Drama

History of Western comedy in drama

Let's explore the history of comedy in the West!

Origins

Western drama originated around the 6th century BC in the city-state of Athens, in Classical Greece (5th-4th centuries BC). More specifically, the first forms of Western theatre appeared at the City Dionysia festival. People would celebrate the god Dionysus by singing a hymn called dithyrambs. Later, the singing turned into more coherent performed stories that were eventually split into two genres – comedy and tragedy.

The earliest surviving text that defines the characteristics of both tragedy and comedy is Poetics (c. 335 BC) by Aristotle. According to Aristotle, comedy should show people as worse than they are in real life. In this way, by making the audience laugh at the exaggerated flaws of people, a comedy can teach valuable lessons. Aristotle also believed that comedy is needed because it makes people happy. For him, to reach happiness was to reach an ideal state. To this day, many comedies follow Aristotle's concept of the three unities of drama which is also referred to as the unity of time, place and action. This means that that time, place and action in a play should be connected in a linear and logical way. Ideally, the story would take place within the time frame of 24 hours with no time jumps. The scenes should happen in one place only. The action should consist of events that are logically connected.

Another Greek philosopher, Plato, also shared his theory on comedy. Unlike Aristotle, Plato perceived comedy as unnecessary and as an obstacle to rationality and self-control.

Comedy was more clearly established as a genre by the Classical Greek dramatist Aristophanes. In his works, Aristophanes used satire and humour to explore the behaviour of people in society. These are traits that we still associate with comedy today.

Beyond Classical Greece

Now we will look at the evolution of Western comedy through the ages and at the development of comedy specifically in English literature.

Western Comedy in Classical Rome

In the Classical Roman Period in literature (200 BC–455 CE), the comedies were adaptations of Greek comedies or Greek tales.

Comedy in the Medieval Period

In the Middle Ages, the prevalent genres in theatre were religion-oriented – morality plays and mystery plays. Still, there was a form of comedy called elegiac comedy.

Elegiac comedies were often inspired by Roman plays which, as we've mentioned, were adapted from Greek texts and themes.

Another form of comedy that emerged during the Middle Ages and continued to be performed during the Renaissance is farce.

Comedy in the Renaissance

Comedy thrived in the Renaissance. Commedia dell'arte developed in Italy in the 16th century and it remained popular across Europe until the 18th century. Theatre in other European countries, such as Britain, Germany and France, used elements and characters from commedia dell'arte and adapted them into their own cultural contexts.

Comedy in the 19th, 20th and 21st Centuries

In the 19th century, the most popular forms of comedy were the ones that involved the use of slapstick.

Vaudeville emerged at the end of the 19th century in France and it soon took over the rest of Europe and the United States. It was at the height of its popularity until the 1930s.

Later in the 20th century, in the aftermath of the two world wars, comedy changed from primarily being a source of entertainment to addressing more serious subjects such as the meaning of existence. The most prevalent genre that used humour to question the purpose of human existence is the Theatre of the absurd.

Nowadays, comedy continues to be a beloved genre for theatre-goers in the West. When writing a comedy, a contemporary playwright can choose to incorporate elements from different types of comedy, depending on what is suitable in the context of their work.

Comedy in Drama in English literature

During the Renaissance in Britain, the most popular comedy author was William Shakespeare. He wrote the type of comedy that we now call classic romantic drama or classic romantic comedy. Some of the famous Shakespearean comedies include Much Ado About Nothing (1598–99), Twelfth Night (1601–02), and The Tempest (1611). Read on to learn more about these genres in the next section!

The British pantomime and the Punch-and-Judy show were other forms of comedy that emerged at the time, inspired by commedia dell'arte.

In the 18th century, the most prevalent genres of comedy in Britain were comedy of manners and satire. We will explore these in the next section!

In the 19th century vaudeville was immensely popular both in Britain and in the United States. While in America, it was still called vaudeville, in Britain it went by the name of variety and it was performed in the so-called music halls. Another comedic genre that emerged was the drawing room comedy.

In the 20th century, absurdist comedy was also prevalent in English literature. Famous playwrights who wrote in this genre include Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter.

Types of comedy in drama

There are three main types of comedy in drama: classical romantic drama, satire, and comedy of manners.

Classic romantic drama

Classic romantic drama or classic romantic comedy is a type of comedy which depicts an idyllic world. Classic romantic dramas usually involve young lovers who go through some confusing and funny predicaments before they end up happily married. Classic romantic dramas are set in pastoral places, such as a forest in the spring or an island overlooking the sea, and they often include some kind of magic and mischief.

Satire

Satire is a type of comedy that criticises and ridicules human behaviour. Satire achieves comedic effect but it also provides serious comments on different issues in society. Playwrights throughout the centuries have used satire to tell uncomfortable truths about society and the human world in a comfortable way – through laughter.

Comedy of manners

Comedy of manners is a type of comedy which uses witty and sophisticated language to make fun of the manners of a particular social group, often high society and upper social classes. Comedy of manners incorporate satire but they are not entirely satirical plays. Performances of comedies of manners often aim to expose the flaws of the audience. This means that the behaviour of the characters resembles the way people act in social situations.

Examples of comedy in drama

Now we will look at some examples of the three main types of comedy in drama.

Classic romantic drama was most common during the Renaissance, the most famous dramatist who wrote in this genre being William Shakespeare.

Satire was at the height of its popularity from the 17th to the 19th century and it remains popular today.

Comedy of manners was an important genre from the late 17th century into the 18th century.

Aspects and elements of comedy in drama

We've discussed that there is a wide range of different types, genres and styles of comedy. But how can we know for sure that the play we're reading or watching is a comedy? Most comedies, regardless of their type and age, feature common aspects or elements:

• A satire or a parody of the behaviour of people in society – Comedies point out our flaws by making fun of them.

• The protagonist's journey towards happiness – The protagonist in a comedy might go through some obstacles but eventually they reach their happy ending, be it marrying the person they love or finding a fortune of some kind.

• Comic exaggeration – Comedies use exaggeration to highlight certain details and to make them funnier for the audience.

• A comic villain – If a comedy features a villain, they are not actually scary or dangerous but funny. The comic villain is someone whose evil plans fail and the only thing they achieve is embarrassing themselves.

• Disguise and other elements that cause confusion – A comedy involves many situations that are funny because some level of confusion and chaos is caused.

• The use of wordplay – The language of comedy is usually very witty and it involves wordplay.