In
Theatre, the
OED defines comedy as "a stage play of light and amusing character with a happy conclusion to the plot." The plot is often far-fetched, dealing with moral concerns, as a tragedy does; however, a comedy's main issues focus more on the politics of society than on the politics of leadership. Comedy often exaggerates human eccentricities, leading to misunderstandings about events or confusion about characters’ identities (as we see in contemporary sitcoms like
Frasier). Through mirth, levity and wit, the story moves towards happiness and an ending characterized by harmony, festivity and celebration, often the wedding of the main characters. See also
Comedy of Manners,
Tragedy.
New Comedy is a tradition of continuous scripted drama, while Old Comedy is usually prose fiction marked by linguistic inventiveness, fantasy, political satire and cheerful obscenity.
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