Comedy is a type of literary genre in which the tone is amusing and satirical, and texts of this genre often have a cheerful ending. A main motif of this genre is the triumph of the characters over unpleasant circumstance by creating comic effects, resulting in a happy and/or successful ending. The purpose of Comedy texts is to amuse the audience, using a range of elements and devices to trigger a response.
Comedy often involves laughing at the mistakes of others but requires a certain use of observation and critique. It is not supposed to be abusive but playful and accepting of human flaws and vulnerabilities.
Much Ado About Nothing - Alfred Elmore 1846
There a various elements to the Comedy Genre, among these are:
- Material - the substance of the comedy, its content and words. The stories and characters used. Tactful use of scathing words, wordplay and understandable sentences can be key to a winning comedy.
- Communication - communication or the lack thereof is often used in comedy texts to set up the ensuing hijinks that will evoke a reaction for the audience.
- Expression - the ability of the writer to express the emotions and feelings of the characters is key to invest the audience in the story and as such elicit their response.
- Originality - creativity and unique humour is a key aspect to garnering a response from the audience.