Comedy In Literature

Comedy in literature research papers look at the many different types of literary comedies from world literature to contemporary American literature. Paper Masters writes any type of literature research paper needed.

Comedy is defined as any attempt at humor, intended to produce laughter. While many modern ideas of comedy come from stand-up, television, or movies, there is a long tradition of comedy in literature. Comedy derives from the ancient Greeks, who used the term to describe plays that had happy endings, in opposition to tragedies, which had sad endings.

Greek Comedy

The Greeks developed comedy out of satyr plays, which were filled with ribald and bawdy songs and recitations. Aristotle wrote a treatise in which he described comedy as producing happiness, the ideal state. During the medieval period, translations of Greek and Latin literature produced the modern interpretation of the word "comedy." Shakespeare wrote many plays that were comedies, ones with ribald elements, mistaken identity, and ultimately happy endings.

In literature, the idea of the humorous novel arose beginning in the mid 18th century. Henry Fielding's The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling (1749), which details the comedic, lusty adventures of the title character, was one of the first notable examples of comedy in prose literature. American author Mark Twain was one of the best examples of comedy in literature in the 19th century. Modern examples of comedy in literature include such works as:

• Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy novels
• The subtle absurdity of Joseph Heller's Catch-22
• The works of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.