Comedy in literature is a multi-variant variety of dramaturgy

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Generally speaking, drama is a work that is meant to be staged. They differ from narrative ones in that the presence of the author is practically not felt and they are built on dialogue.

Literature genres by content

Any work of art is a historically established and developed type. It is called a genre (from the French genre - genus, species). In relation to various types of literature, four main ones can be named: lyrical and lyrical epic, as well as epic and dramatic.

• The first, as a rule, includes poetic works of the so-called small forms: poems, elegies, sonnets, songs, etc.
• The lyrical epic genre includes ballads and poems, i.e. big shapes.
• Narrative patterns (from essay to novel) are examples of epic works.
• The drama genre is represented by tragedy, drama and comedy.

Comedy in Russian literature, and not only in Russian, was actively developed already in the 18th century. True, it was considered of a lower origin compared to epic and tragedy.

Comedy as literarygenre

The work of this plan is a kind of drama, where some characters or situations are presented in a funny or grotesque way. As a rule, with the help of laughter, humor, often satire, something is denounced, whether it be human vices or some unsightly aspects of life.

Comedy in literature is the opposition of tragedy, in the center of which an irresolvable conflict is built. And her noble and ex alted hero must make a fatal choice, sometimes at the cost of his life. In comedy, the opposite is true: her character is ridiculous and ridiculous, and the situations in which he finds himself are also no less ridiculous. This distinction dates back to antiquity.

Later, in the era of classicism, it survived. Heroes were portrayed on the moral principle of kings and petty bourgeois. But nevertheless, such a goal - to enlighten, ridiculing shortcomings - was set by comedy in literature. The definition of its main features was given by Aristotle. He proceeded from the fact that people are either bad or good, differ from each other either in vice or virtue, therefore the worst should be portrayed in comedy. And the tragedy is designed to show those who are better than those that exist in real life.

Types of comedies in literature

The cheerful dramatic genre, in turn, has several types. Comedy in literature is also vaudeville and farce. And according to the nature of the image, it can also be divided into several types: comedy of situations and comedy of manners.

Vaudeville, being a genre variety of this dramatic look, representsis a light stage action with an entertaining intrigue. In it, a large place is devoted to singing verses and dancing.

The farce also has a light, playful character. His move is accompanied by external comic effects, often for the sake of crude taste.

Comedy of positions is distinguished by its construction on external comedy, on effects, where the source of laughter is confusing or ambiguous circumstances and situations. The most striking examples of such works are "The Comedy of Errors" by W. Shakespeare and "The Marriage of Figaro" by P. Beaumarchais.

A dramatic work in which funny morals or some hypertrophied character traits, flaws, vices are the source of humor can be attributed to a comedy of manners. Classical examples of such a play are “Tartuffe” by J.-B. Moliere, "The Taming of the Shrew" by W. Shakespeare.

Examples of comedy in literature

This genre is inherent in all areas of belles-lettres from Antiquity to the present. Russian comedy has received special development. In literature, these are classic works created by D. I. Fonvizin ("Undergrowth", "Brigadier"), A. S. Griboedov (“Woe from Wit”), N. V. Gogol ("Players", "Inspector", "Marriage"). It is worth noting that A. N. Ostrovsky and A. P. Chekhov was called a comedy.

The last century is marked by classic comedy plays created by V. V. Mayakovsky, - "Bedbug" and "Bath". They can be calledexamples of social satire.

V. Shkvarkin was a very popular comedian in the 1920s-1930s. His plays "Harmful Element", "Alien Child" were willingly staged in different theaters.

Many comedies by Soviet authors were filmed. So, based on the work of V. Rozov "In Search of Joy", a film called "A Noisy Day" was made.

Conclusion

The classification of comedies based on the typology of the plot is also quite widespread. It can be said that comedy in literature is a multi-variant variety of dramaturgy.

So, the following plot characters can be distinguished by this type:

• household comedy. As an example, Moliere's "Georges Dandin", "Marriage" by N. V. Gogol;
• romantic (P. Calderon "Himself in custody", A. Arbuzov "Old-fashioned comedy");
• heroic (E. Rostand "Cyrano de Bergerac", G. Gorin "Til");
• fabulously symbolic, such as "Twelfth Night" by W. Shakespeare or "Shadow" by E. Schwartz.

At all times, the attention of comedy was drawn to everyday life, its negative manifestations. Laughter was called upon to fight them, cheerful or merciless depending on the situation.