ABSTRACT
Comedy might simply be defined as a dramatic presentation which makes us laugh. Literary and cultural critics, however, tend to regard something as a comedy because a certain set of conventions is being followed. Laughter may also be evoked in other genres, including tragedy. The conventions of comedy include disguise (often involving cross-dressing), thwarted love, mistaken identity and marital and romantic misunderstandings. Comedies end in multiple marriage. Even if these ‘rules’ are deliberately broken, they remain an unspoken presence against which the play is reacting.
