Essay on Comedy vs. Tragedy - 876 Words

There is not one person in this world who has the exact same preferences as another person. Everyone has their own unique style, which creates the need for a wider variety of genres. In the Elizabethan Ear, one of the world’s greatest poets emerged. His sonnets, stories, plays were written in such varieties that appealed to the masses, even in today’s society. Of all his works, the most popular styles were comedies and tragedies. These polar opposites appealed to many because of the way they brought the story to life. The same story written in both of these styles could have a completely different effect on the audience based on the style used. Although completely dissimilar, the two styles did have some similarities, which kept†¦show more content†¦The use of insanity reoccurs in the course of the play with dire consequences. A serious tone of voice and subject matter is always present during a tragedy. Throughout the entire course of Macbeth, the rea der is under the constant weight of how the hero was slowly meeting his demise. Unfortunate event after unfortunate event occurred, each becoming more serious and tragic. It started with the death of Duncan, then to more murders, then suicide, and finally the dramatic downfall of Macbeth, himself. There is nothing in this long cycle of death that even remotely puts a smile on one’s face. Since the plot was riddled with death, the characters even had a somber note to them. They constantly talked of blood, death, and murder – subjects that would never appear in a comedy in such the manner they were used. The severity of the plot in Macbeth causes the need for equally severe characters. This serious tone provides the perfect setting for the destruction of the main character as well as irony that puts one’s mind at unease, which is nicely packaged into a style of writing known as the tragedy. On the complete opposite side there is the comedy. As its name suggests, the genre is stuffed with buffoonery, confusion, and just all around nonsense that makes the reader submit into fits of laughter. Shakespeare’s The Twelfth Night places a great amount of emphasis onShow MoreRelatedShakespearean Comedy Vs. Tragedy1777 Words   |  8 PagesShakespearean Comedy vs. Tragedy Some people tend to think that William Shakespeare was some famous writer that was only capable of spitting out sad love stories. This is widely disproved through the reading of multiple Shakespearean works. During his life, Shakespeare used a plethora of writing formulas and plot outlines to produce many works of literature of many genres, such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a popular comedy, and The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, one of his most famous tragedies, as opposedRead MoreThe Evolution Of Greek Theater1576 Words   |  7 Pagesconsidered to be one of the building blocks for our theater today. 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