What is a comedy? Definition in the literature

Each of us will probably be able to explain in his own words what a comedy is. However, if you try to state the definition of this concept on paper, you face difficulties, because explanations such as "this is when funny" sound too simple.

It is known that comprehension of the comic is attributed to the rites of antiquity.

What is a comedy in the literature? The definition of this concept we will now try to deduce.

The subject of the comedy, its types

The subject of comedy can be considered as the desire to give out the ugly for the beautiful, stupid - for the clever, petty - for the noble.

In the literature high types of comedy and puns are singled out. To high types include such works as "Don Quixote" by M. de Cervantes.

Kinds of comic

Before we begin to understand what a comedy is in literature, we first consider the kinds of comic.

These include: humor, irony, satire, sarcasm, grotesque.

Humor can be defined as a good-humored laugh.

Irony is a mockery based on criticism. Among Russian writers, irony was often used by Pushkin, for example in the poem "Eugene Onegin": "Girls jump in advance", "In the village happy and a horned one".

Sarcasm is the highest degree of irony and in translation from Greek means "tear the meat".

Satire is a way of reproducing reality, the task of which is unpleasant criticism.

Grotesque is easy to distinguish from other kinds of comic because the funny is difficult to separate from the terrible, terrible. This kind of comic is characteristic of Gogol ("The Nose") and Mayakovsky ("Bedbug", "Bath").

What is a comedy in the literature? Definition

Comedy from the scientific point of view is a special kind of drama in which the conflict or opposition of characters is resolved specifically.

The struggle in comedy is different in that it:

- does not lead to serious consequences;

- is aimed at small, mercantile goals;

- is conducted in ridiculous ways and means.

Comedy Themes

In order to fully answer the question "what is a comedy", it is necessary to understand the features of its subjects.

It certainly depends on the needs and needs of the class that is its creator. Of course, the creators take into account the interests of those to whom it is oriented.

It is worth noting that the comic heat is very resistant to the impact of time. So, for example, from the days of antiquity to the present days, a scheme of intrigue in a love comedy has survived , when parents oppose the union of young people, but they are forced to adopt by a third person, who helps young people to build happiness.

Types of Comedy

To answer the question "what is a comedy" you need to understand what types of this genre can be distinguished.

The first type to be mentioned is the comedy of morals. It depicts human characters, their opposition.

Now let's see what a sitcom is. In it, laughter causes certain ridiculous actions, the behavior of heroes.

History of comedy

Comedies existed in ancient antiquity. The most famous author of that time is Aristophanes. We got information about 11 comedies written by this author in 425-388. BC. E., For example, "Clouds", "Frogs". For the ancient comedies is characterized by ridicule of human vices, a clear tracking of the author's assessment of all that is happening.

In the Middle Ages , an interlude appeared (a small comic play), a farce (light comedy with external comic features), soti (sharp satire), fastnahtshpil (Maslenitsa game).

For the Renaissance, attention is drawn to the nature of man. Among the authors of that time, W. Shakespeare ("The Taming of the Shrew", "A Midsummer Night's Dream") is most famous. The main idea of the works of this author is the idea of the domination of nature over the soul of man.

The era of classicism ridicules human vices, ignorance (Moliere's comedies, for example, "Imaginary sick").

Enlightenment encourages comedians to turn to common sense.

The epoch of romanticism gives us a comedy based on the idea of the impossibility of the perfection of the world. In the XIX century, the features of the comic are associated with the notion of an aesthetic ideal, which includes common ideas about human life. In the Russian literature, this tendency is manifested in the immortal works of D.I. Fonvizin, A.S. Griboyedov, N.V. Gogol.

For the literature of the 20th century, social-everyday comedies are characteristic (V. Mayakovsky, M. Bulgakov).

This article looks at the question of what a comedy is. It should be noted that this genre is the most popular nowadays and enjoys special love, as, as you know, laughter prolongs life, and the opportunity to see the comedic in life makes our everyday life brighter and easier.