Tragedy vs Comedy

Tragedy

• Must come in catastrophe involving death of the main character
• The catastrophe can't be the result of accident but brought on by some trait in the character of the hero ("Tragic flaw") either by direct action OR through its effect on others
• The hero must have something in him which outweighs his defect/s and makes us interested in him so we care about his fate–the tragic satisfaction 
• In Shakespeare it can be more complex. What IS it in Shakes' view? Did he even believe in it?
• Lear may be a better man at play's end than at play's beginning–without suffering he would not have learned sympathy–but this doesn't apply to Hamlet or Othello.

Comedy

• 17 plays - Many are funny from start to finish. Others, like The Merchant of Venice have a serious tone and strong dramatic aspects
• All have these in common:
• Young lovers struggling to overcome obstacles (often brought on by elders/parents–are kept apart figuratively or literally and must find their way back together.
• Mistaken identity–mixed-up twins or gender identity–women masquerading as men
• Clever plot twists
• Wordplay–puns–innuendo–double entendre
• Stock characters
• Happy endings–always in Shakespeare. Marriage, impending marriage–love always wins in the end.