Tragedy and Comedy Essay - 1248 Words

Theater is a natural outlet for our desire to hear and tell stories, and in some ways it is even more primal and powerful than the written word. At its worst, theater will merely bore; while at its best it will not only entertain but move and shape its audience. Two such genres of theater, or drama, have consistently achieved this effect. Tragedy, represented by the weeping actors’ mask, usually features the title character’s fall from greatness to ruin, guided by the gods or fate. Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles, is the epitome of classic Tragedy, as defined by Aristotle (96-101). Here, Oedipus falls from kingship to blindness and exile. Drama’s other great genre, Comedy, is represented by the laughing actors’ mask. In Comedy the†¦show more content†¦At their core, Comedy and Tragedy are two sides of the same coin. Without characters, there would not be a story. Whether that character is a human being or an idea, we need something or someone th at can be the reflection of something real onstage. In Oedipus Rex the main character is a young king. On the surface, one might not relate to a rich, powerful king destined to ruin by mythical gods. The Greeks, however, believed that â€Å"tragedy could only befall the great.† (Jacobus 34) Oedipus’ character resonated because he was above them. If it were a plebeian who killed his father and married his mother, it would be our equivalent of an inbred trailer-park tabloid story. His nobility is what keeps the dramatic from becoming the melodramatic. So for the Greeks, Oedipus’ story became a classic because he achieved that perfect balance of nobility and relatability. They experienced fear when Oedipus, a man in a position just under the gods, fell and failed. But both modern man and the ancient Greek can experience pity because we can see part of ourselves in Oedipus. When Oedipus is helpless to escape his fate, part of us shares his frustration. His humanity is timeless. While a Comedy’s main character does not require us to feel pity or fear, we still must relate, albeit in different ways. In Lysistrata, the main character is a confident and quick-witted and although she is subject to sexistShow MoreRelatedDifferences Between a Tragedy and Comedy672 Words   |  3 Pagesthe differences of tragedy and comedy From what I can tell the difference between a good comedy and a good tragedy are the effects of the audiences intended to see or read. There are a few key differences that change them from one genre to the next and these differences really only rely on the hero to separate them from â€Å"comedy† to â€Å"tragedy†. What I notice is in the comedy the hero is normally playful and funny to a degree or at least until he is needed to take on a really serious role which evenRead MoreThe Differences Between Comedy and Tragedy996 Words   |  4 PagesThe Differences Between Comedy and Tragedy â€Å"Comedy is tragedy plus time.† – Lester in Crimes and Misdemeanors (Rayner Online). â€Å"Satire is tragedy plus time. You give it enough time the public the reviewers will allow you to satire it. Which is rather ridiculous when you think about it.† – Lenny Bruce (Rayner Online). â€Å"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into a sewer and die.† – Mel Brooks in 2000 Year Old Man (Rayner Online). There are many people who share the opinionsRead MoreEssay on Comedy vs. Tragedy876 Words   |  4 Pagesall 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. 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