Comedy

The term "comedy" refers to works meant to make people laugh, whether in the theatre, on film, in stand-up comedy, on television, on the radio, in novels, or in any other form of entertainment. According to ancient Greek tradition, political satire presented in theatres had considerable impact on public opinion in Athenian democracy. An amusing agony or conflict between two groups of people may be defined as the theatrical genre of Greek comedy in a dramatic performance. The "Society of Youth" and the "Society of the Old," as represented by Northrop Frye, represent these two conflicting groups. The fundamental agon of comedy, according to a new interpretation, is a conflict between a relatively helpless young man and the social constraints that stand in the way of his dreams. During this conflict, the young man finds himself restricted by his lack of social power and is forced to resort to ruses that elicit dramatic irony and amusement.

People or institutions shown as stupid or corrupt in satire and political satire are isolated from their audience. In parody, popular genres and styles are subverted and critiqued without necessarily being condemned.

Some more types of comedy include screwball and black comedy, which are both defined by a sort of humour that incorporates darker elements of human conduct or human nature, respectively. Humor that breaks societal taboos, such as scatological humour, sexual humour, and racial humour, may be perceived as offensive by those who are offended by it. A comedy of manners is frequently a parody or satire of the conduct and mannerisms of people of a certain social class (usually upper-class society). In the popular genre of romantic comedy, the developing relationship is humorously depicted and the faults of individuals who are falling in love are explored.