Tragedy and Comedy Contrasted

Tragedy sad ending ends in death ideal absolute acceptance of life noble hero shows man's great potential shows man's grandeur shows the dignity and courage of man nobility of spirit high character man in godlike state hero has a tragic flaw hero of titanic size man made sublime the individual one hero isolated figure of heroic size alienation full characterization
audience distanced by mockery and humor audience feels pity and terrorhero retains our

Comedy happy ending ends in marriage real relative rejection of life likeable hero shows man's limitations, foibles exposes pretense mocks excess wit and sophistication exaggeration and caricature folly, incongruity of human behavior hero has many weaknesses ordinary mortal man made ridiculous society many characters people in groups disagreements with parents limited characterization audience feels amusement we see others we feel superior we laugh at the folly of others petty concerns the world is absurd quarreling ends in marriage engaging amusement themes such as appearance vs. reality many interwoven plots and characters Oliver Goldsmith Restoration and Eighteenth Century Falstaff, Don Quijote, Tom Jones, Portia and Bassanio, Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley,

sympathy we see ourselves we feel our own limitations we experience catharsis serious and profound concerns order and stability in the world restoration of order action with magnitude themes such as revenge and honor Freytag Pyramid Aristotle, The Poetics Renaissance/romanticism Ahab, Heathcliff and Catherine, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear

Emma http://blue.utb.edu/mimosa/Handouts/T&C.htm

Comedy
According to Aristotle (who speculates on the matter in his Poetics), ancient comedy originated with the komos, a curious and improbable spectacle in which a company of festive males apparently sang, danced, and cavorted rollickingly around the image of a large phallus. (If this theory is true, by the way, it gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "stand-up routine.") Accurate or not, the linking of the origins of comedy to some sort of phallic ritual or festival of mirth seems both plausible and appropriate, since for most of its history--from Aristophanes to Seinfeld--comedy has involved a high-spirited celebration of human sexuality and the triumph of eros. As a rule, tragedies occur on the battlefield or in a palace's great hall; a more likely setting for comedy is the bedroom or bathroom. On the other hand, it's not true that a film or literary work must involve sexual humor or even be funny in order to qualify as a comedy. A happy ending is all that's required. In fact, since at least as far back as Aristotle, the basic formula for comedy has had more to do with conventions and expectations of plot and character than with a requirement for lewd jokes or cartoonish pratfalls. In essence: A comedy is a story of the rise in fortune of a sympathetic central character. The comic hero Of course this definition doesn't mean that the main character in a comedy has to be a spotless hero in the classic sense. It only means that she (or he) must display at least the minimal level of personal charm or worth of character it takes to win the audience's basic approval and support. The rise of a completely worthless person or the triumph of an utter villain is not comical; it's the stuff of gothic fable or dark satire. On the other hand, judging from the qualities displayed by many of literature's most popular comic heroes (e.g., Falstaff, Huck Finn) audiences have no trouble at all pulling for a likeable rogue or funloving scamp. Aristotle suggests that comic figures are mainly "average to below average" in terms of moral character, perhaps having in mind the wily servant or witty knave who was already a stock character of ancient comedy. He also suggests that only low or ignoble figures can strike us as ridiculous. However, the most ridiculous characters are often those who, although well-born, are merely pompous or self-important instead of truly noble. Similarly, the most sympathetic comic figures are frequently plucky underdogs, young men or women from humble or disadvantaged backgrounds who prove their real worth--in effect their "natural nobility"--through various tests of character over the course of a story or play. Ordinary People

Traditionally, comedy has to do with the concerns and exploits of ordinary people. The characters of comedy therefore tend to be plain, everyday figures (e.g., lower or middleincome husbands and wives, students and teachers, children and parents, butchers, bakers, and candlestick-makers ) instead of the kings, queens, heroes, plutocrats, and heads of state who form the dramatis personae of tragedy. Comic plots, accordingly, tend to be about the kind of problems that ordinary people are typically involved with: winning a new boyfriend (or reclaiming an old one), succeeding at a job, passing an exam, getting the money needed to pay for a medical operation, or simply coping with a bad day. Again, the true hallmark of comedy isn't always laughter. More often, it's the simple satisfaction we feel when we witness deserving people succeed. Types of Comedies Comedies can be separated into at least three subordinate categories or sub-genres-identified and briefly characterized as follows:

Farce. The identifying features of farce are zaniness, slapstick humor, and hilarious improbability. The characters of farce are typically fantastic or absurd and usually far more ridiculous than those in other forms of comedy. At the same time, farcical plots are often full of wild coincidences and seemingly endless twists and complications. Elaborate comic intrigues involving deception, disguise, and mistaken identity are the rule. Examples of the genre include Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors, the "Pink Panther" movies, and the films of the Marx Brothers and Three Stooges. Romantic Comedy. Perhaps the most popular of all comic forms--both on stage and on screen--is the romantic comedy. In this genre the primary distinguishing feature is a love plot in which two sympathetic and well-matched lovers are united or reconciled. In a typical romantic comedy the two lovers tend to be young, likeable, and apparently meant for each other, yet they are kept apart by some complicating circumstance (e.g., class differences, parental interference; a previous girlfriend or boyfriend) until, surmounting all obstacles, they are finally wed. A wedding-bells, fairy-tale-style happy ending is practically mandatory. Examples: Much Ado about Nothing, Walt Disney's Cinderella, Guys and Dolls, Sleepless in

Seattle.

Satirical Comedy. The subject of satire is human vice and folly. Its characters include con-artists, criminals, tricksters, deceivers, wheeler-dealers, two-timers, hypocrites, and fortune-seekers and the gullible dupes, knaves, goofs, and cuckolds who serve as their all-too-willing victims. Satirical comedies resemble other types of comedy in that they trace the rising fortune of a central character. However, in

this case, the central character (like virtually everybody else in the play or story) is likely to be cynical, foolish, or morally corrupt. Examples: Aristophanes's The Birds, Ben Jonson's Volpone. In its most extreme forms (e.g., the movies Fargo and Pulp Fiction), satirical comedy spills over into so-called Black comedy--where we're invited to laugh at events that are mortifying or grotesque.

Tragedy In essence, tragedy is the mirror image or negative of comedy. For instead of depicting the rise in circumstances of a dejected or outcast underdog, tragedy shows us the downfall of a once prominent and powerful hero. Like comedy, tragedy also supposedly originated as part of a religious ritual--in this case a Dionysian ceremony with dancers dressed as goats or animals (hence tragoedia, literally a "goat-song) pantomiming the suffering or death-rebirth of a god or hero. Aristotelian Tragedy. Once again, the most influential theorist of the genre is Aristotle, whose Poetics has guided the composition and critical interpretation of tragedy for more than two millenia. Distilling the many penetrating remarks contained in this commentary, we can derive the following general definition: Tragedy depicts the downfall of a basically good person through some fatal error or misjudgment, producing suffering and insight on the part of the protagonist and arrousing pity and fear on the part of the audience. To explain this definition further, we can state the following principles or general requirements for Aristotelian tragedy:

A true tragedy should evoke pity and fear on the part of the audience. According to Aristotle, pity and fear are the natural human response to spectacles of pain and suffering--especially to the sort of suffering that can strike anybody at any time. Aristotle goes on to say that tragedy effects "the catharsis of these emotions"--in effect arrousing pity and fear only to purge them, as when we exit a scary movie feeling relieved or exhilarated. The tragic hero must be essentially admirable and good. As Aristotle points out, the fall of a scoundrel or villain evokes applause rather than pity. Audiences cheer when the bad guy goes down. On the other hand, the downfall of an essentially good person disturbs us and stirs our compassion. As a rule, the nobler and more truly admirable a person is, the greater will be our anxiety or grief at his or her downfall. In a true tragedy, the hero's demise must come as a result of some personal error or decision. In other words, in Aristotle's view there is no such thing as an innocent victim of tragedy, nor can a genuinely tragic downfall ever be purely a

matter of blind accident or bad luck. Instead, authentic tragedy must always be the product of some fatal choice or action, for the tragic hero must always bear at least some responsibility for his own doom. Critical Terms Anagnorisis ("tragic recognition or insight"): according to Aristotle, a moment of clairvoyant insight or understanding in the mind of the tragic hero as he suddenly comprehends the web of fate that he has entangled himself in. Hamartia ("tragic error"): a fatal error or simple mistake on the part of the protagonist that eventually leads to the final catastrophe. A metaphor from archery, hamartia literally refers to a shot that misses the bullseye. Hence it need not be an egregious "fatal flaw" (as the term hamartia has traditionally been glossed). Instead, it can be something as basic and inescapable as a simple miscalculation or slip-up. Hubris ("violent transgression"): the sin par excellence of the tragic or over-aspiring hero. Though it is usually translated as pride, hubris is probably better understood as a sort of insolent daring, a haughty overstepping of cultural codes or ethical boundaries. Nemesis ("retribution"): the inevitable punishment or cosmic payback for acts of hubris. Peripateia ("plot reversal"): a pivotal or crucial action on the part of the protagonist that changes his situation from seemingly secure to vulnerable.

Hegelian Tragedy More than two thousand years after Aristotle's Poetics, the German philosopher G.W.F. Hegel (1770-1831) proposed his own original and highly influential theory of tragedy. Unlike Aristotle, who defines tragedy in terms of specific requirements of plot and character, Hegel defines it as, at bottom, a dynamic contest between two opposing forces-in effect, a collision or conflict of rights. According to this scheme, the most tragic events are those in which two esteemed values or goals are in opposition and one of them must give way. For instance, suppose in a particular case we find ourselves torn between our private conscientious opinions or religious beliefs and our legitimate duties and obligations to the state. Such would be the circumstance, for example, of a conscientious objector facing military service. And such indeed is the situation of Sophocles's play Antigone, whose title heroine finds herself caught between her religious and family obligations and her duties as a public citizen. In essence, then, a properly constructed Hegelian tragedy involves a situation in which two rights or values are in fatal conflict. Thus it is not (strictly speaking) tragic when good defeats bad or when bad defeats good. From Hegel's point of view, the only tragic confrontation is one in which good is up against good and the contest is to the death.

Revenge Tragedy There remains one further species of tragedy to define and analyze--namely, revenge tragedy, a type that originated in ancient Greece, reached its zenith of popularity in Renaissance London, and which continues to thrill audiences on the silver screen today. In general, revenge tragedy dramatizes the predicament of a wronged hero. A typical scenario is as follows: Your daughter has been brutally raped and murdered; but because of legal technicalities, the killer is allowed to go free. What do you do? Stoically endure your pain? Or take justice into your own hands? Examples of the revenge theme abound in Greek tragedy (e.g., Agamemnon, Medea) and in Elizabethan drama (Hamlet, Titus Andronicus). The theme is also illustrated in numerous Hollywood westerns and crime thrillers (e.g., Death Wish).

What Are the Elements of Drama?

By: Jenney Cheever Essential elements of drama are present in any play that you see. Aristotle was the first to write about these essential elements, more than two thousand years ago. While ideas have changed slightly over the years, we still discuss Aristotle's list when talking about what makes the best drama. Aristotle's Six Elements of Drama Aristotle considered these six things to be essential to good drama.

Plot: This is what happens in the play. Plot refers to the action; the basic storyline of the play. Theme: While plot refers to the action of the play, theme refers to the meaning of the play. Theme is the main idea or lesson to be learned from the play. In some cases, the theme of a play is obvious; other times it is quite subtle. Characters: Characters are the people (sometimes animals or ideas) portrayed by the actors in the play. It is the characters who move the action, or plot, of the play forward. Dialogue: This refers to the words written by the playwright and spoken by the characters in the play. The dialogue helps move the action of the play along. Music/Rhythm: While music is often featured in drama, in this case Aristotle was referring to the rhythm of the actors' voices as they speak. Spectacle: This refers to the visual elements of a play: sets, costumes, special effects, etc. Spectacle is everything that the audience sees as they watch the play.

In modern theater, this list has changed slightly, although you will notice that many of the elements remain the same. The list of essential elements in modern theater are:

Character Plot Theme Dialogue Convention Genre Audience

The first four, character, plot, theme and dialogue remain the same, but the following additions are now also considered essential elements of drama.

Convention: These are the techniques and methods used by the playwright and director to create the desired stylistic effect. Genre: Genre refers to the type of play. Some examples of different genres include, comedy, tragedy, mystery and historical play. Audience: This is the group of people who watch the play. Many playwrights and actors consider the audience to be the most important element of drama, as all of the effort put in to writing and producing a play is for the enjoyment of the audience.

SSESSMENT RUBRIC FOR THEATRE - UPPER ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE LEVEL

Performance Objective: Demonstrate how the theatre reflects culture. Activity: After reading the play Romeo and Juliet, learners stage their own production that relates the play to events of today. Then, learners view a professional performance or videotape of Romeo and Juliet and discuss and rework their own production. Rubric Development: First, develop criteria for the assessment of the performance objective. Second, list criteria in the first vertical column of the rubric grid. Third, write an exemplary performance and record this description in the advanced column for each criterion. Fourth, develop indicators for the other levels of achievement . CRITERIA 4 - Advanced 3 - Proficient 2 - Basic Has the learner Learner has Learner has Learner has demonstrated an analyzed how the explained how the described the understanding of elements of the culture and history cultural/historical the historical and play exemplify of the time affect aspects of the play. cultural aspects the time period. the play.

1 - In Progress Learner has identified the time period in the play.

of this play? Learner has conceptualized Has the learner Learner has contrasting demonstrated an analyzed how the productions (to understanding of components of the learner the development theatre are used in created of a theatrical this learner-created production) using production? production. the components of theatre. Can the learner Learner has Learner has demonstrate an evaluated the articulated his/her understanding of effectiveness of performance the creative and his/her choices and related collaborative performance these to other's processes used in choices and the choices in the his/her choices of others. production. performance? Learner has described and Learner has Has the learner analyzed the described and constructed meaning of the analyzed the meaning from theatrical meaning of the the theatrical production and theatrical production? articulated how it production. connects to his/her life. Learner evaluates Learner identifies and analyzes how situations in Has the learner situations in "Romeo and Juliet" related the "Romeo and relate to today and situations in Juliet" by relating develops scenarios "Romeo and them to the that are used Juliet" to events improvisations improvisationally of today? based on similar to illustrate this situations found relationship. today. Learner has understood how the components of theatre are used in this learner-created theatrical production. Learner has identified the components of theatre that are used in this learner-created theatrical production.

Learner has Learner has described his/her performed in performance in the the production. production.

Learner has Learner has described issues described the which the theatrical theatrical production presents. production.

Learner identifies situations in "Romeo and Juliet" which relate to events of today.

Learner identifies situations in "Romeo and Juliet"

Adapted from Jean Detlefsen, Columbus (Nebraska High) School

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