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TRAGEDY VS COMEDY

The distinction originates from the ancient Greek where the two form of literature (tragedy and

comedy) were among the three types of play used in theaters. The comedy got based on farce and

satire, a point where comic came to be the divine comedy. On the other hand, tragedy got based

on a typical story where a person got doomed by his/her character flaws. Shakespeare who’s

literature work emerge in 1564-1616 did not have a definite explanation for tragedy and comedy,

but analyzing his literature works one can conclude the idea the man had on comedy and tragedy.

In Shakespeare plays comedy meant mirthful or pleasant acts while tragedy often got associated

with an event that resulted in a downfall of the innocent rather than the guilt. ‘Shakespeare’s

Midsummer night’s dream and Hamlet portray significant differences between comedy and

tragedy.’

Midsummer Night’s Dream

Shakespeare play of Midsummer night’s dream can be used to elaborate the comedy

interpretation based on Shakespeare ideas. There are several features that, and other typical

conventions that prove comedy is evident in the play.

• In most of Shakespeare comedy play, the whole story ends up with several marriages or a

promised marriage. It was a technique used by Shakespeare to bring back social order of his play
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world. For instance, in the Midsummer Night’s Dream Theseus eventually marries Hippolyta and

the two spend a night together, which Shakespeare talk about since the begging of the play

(Shakespeare, 2009). The other four characters that were chasing each other in the forest while

falling in and out of love, at last, they settle down with their right partner. Hermia got married to

Lysander and Helena to Demetrius.

• There is also comedy in a dramatic incident that turned out to be ironical. Hermia’s dad

Egeus wanted to choose who will marry her daughter, but despite the disobedience and the

consequences, Hermia got married to her ideal person (Shakespeare, 2009).

Hamlet

This particular play is a drama of how Prince Hamlet plans to avenge the death of his father King

Hamlet who got killed by his brother Claudius seizing the throne and married his brother widow.

• Prince Hamlet is the main character and seeking revenge for his father’s death while

conducting his father’s ghost wishes. He did not achieve his mission entirely as he lost his life at

the duel with Laertes (Shakespeare W. , 2002).

• An eruption of violence emerged when Hamlet’s uncle and Laertes plotted a ‘friendly’ duel

that will be between Prince Hamlet and Laertes. In the duel, Gertrude drink’s the poisoned cup of

wine meant for the Prince. Using a poisoned tipped sword, Laertes poked Hamlet and Hamlet

turned to poke Laertes with the same sword. Laertes being upset he told on Claudius plan and

Hamlet stabbed him to with the poisoned sword and compelled him to drink the poisoned cup of

wine, a situation that caused a revenge tragedy (Shakespeare W. , 2002).

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• At the end of the play, the body count was enormous, to the point of almost all the main

characters of the play were nearly all dead. Some of the other deaths included; Hamlet mistakes

Polonius to his uncle and stabs him while spying on him and Gertrude. Ophelia drowned

mysteriously no clear of the cause. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were sent to execute Hamlet in

London, but they got executed instead. Also, the Fortinbras’ army was killing people although it

was not shown on stage and finally the duel incidence that led to the revenge tragedy

(Shakespeare W. , 2002).
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Works Cited

Shakespeare, W. (2002). Hamlet. Hauppauge, N.Y:: Barron's.

Shakespeare, W. (2009). A Midsummer Night's Dream. . Mineola, N.Y:: Dover Publications .