15 Examples of Tragicomedy

Within dramaturgy, it is called tragicomedy at plays in which comic and dramatic episodes are interspersed, although they are essentially realistic pieces. The term is also applied to cinema and literature. For example: The Celestine.

Its origin dates back to the Greco-Roman culture and, since then, it has evolved, preserving some fundamental features.

Characteristics of tragicomedy

The main characteristics of this genre are:

Evolution of the genre

The tragicomedy emerged in antiquity, but has evolved since then and is still valid today.

Structure of the tragicomedy

The tragicomedies are short compositions without a fixed structure, and whose characters, simple and somewhat stereotyped, facilitate the progress of the work, which quickly introduces the conflict.

The ending is almost always simple and quick, and tends to restore order to bring happiness to the hero after a long and painful journey.

Examples of tragicomedies

1. Celestine, anonymous work, continued by Fernando de Rojas (1499). It tells the story of two lovers, whose relationship is possible thanks to the intervention of a pimp. Although the ending is tragic, the work abounds in comic episodes and burlesque characters that add humor to the plot.
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2. The merchant of VeniceWilliam Shakespeare (1596). It tells the story of a Jewish merchant, Shylock, resentful and hated by all, who seeks revenge on a Christian merchant, who has not paid his loan. The play is humorous but in a dark and poignant way.
3. the faithful shepherdess, John Fletcher (1606). It tells the story of Clorin, a virgin shepherdess and expert healer, who retires to live next to the grave of her first love. But she will be involved in the stories of three couples whom she will help to reconcile.
4. the silly lady, Lope de Vega (1613). It tells the story of two sisters, Finea and Nise, both victims of the machismo of the time. In response, one of them writes down her hateful thoughts while the other feigns naivety. It is a work that reveals the place of women in the 16th century and the possibility of pedagogy based on love.
5. Sheep Fountain, Lope de Vega (1614). It narrates the rebellion of a people against the injustice and tyranny of the rulers, at the end of the fifteenth century. It stands out for its social and protest content.
6. The life is dream, Calderon de la Barca (1636). It narrates the deprivation of Sigismund's freedom by his father, King Basil of Poland, who fears that the predictions of an oracle that held that his son would defeat him and would humiliate The captive prince wonders about the meaning of life and the possibility of freedom.
7. divine words, Ramón María del Valle Inclan (1919). It narrates the family dispute between two brothers for staying with a nephew, due to the loss of their parents. Laureaniño is a dwarf and hydrocephalus and his relatives plan to exhibit him in fairs to obtain money at his expense. The work describes situations of cruelty, but treated in a tragicomedy tone.
8. El Cid, Pierre Corneille (1636). It narrates the amorous misadventures of Rodrigo and Jimena, a knight and a noblewoman who love each other but who are forced to face a series of revenges.
9. Tragicomedy of Don DuardosGil Vicente (1525). It narrates the adventures of a knight who challenges the king's son in front of the entire assembled court, for having offended a lady. The duel does not materialize due to the intervention of Princess Flerida, with whom the protagonist falls in love. From there, he will begin a long fight to win his love.
10. Pastor Fido, Gian Battista Guarini (1585). It narrates the amorous misadventures of Silvio and the nymph Amarilli, who due to their pious qualities must marry to end the curse that forces the people to sacrifice to a virgin every years. However, both will discover love separately.
11. The Trickster of Seville and Stone Guest, Tirso de Molina (1616). It narrates the adventures of Don Juan, protagonist of a Sevillian legend, who believes in justice but that he has full confidence that he will be able to repent of his profligate life and be forgiven for God.
12. AlcestisEuripides (438 B.C. C.). He narrates the moment when Alcestis, about to die, asks Admetus not to marry again and he promises. At the moment of the woman's death, Heracles arrives at the palace, who is unaware of this episode and bothers the mourners with jokes and comments. When a servant explains to him what happened, Heracles feels ashamed and visits death to retrieve Alcestis.
13. Major BarbaraGeorge Bernard Shaw (1905). It narrates the conflict between an idealistic young woman, Barbara Undershaft, who helps the poor as a commander of the Salvation Army in London and her father, Andrew Undershaft, a wealthy and successful munitions manufacturer, whom she is reunited with after several years. The father gives money to the Salvation Army, which offends Major Barbara and the debate then turns to who is doing more to help the society: Andrew, who maintains that his contribution is more valuable because he gives his workers employment and a stable income, or Major Barbara, who helps them by giving them bread and soup.
14. the cherry orchard, Anton Chekhov (1903). It tells the story of an aristocratic family facing serious financial problems. A merchant, the son of former family servants, proposes to save the farm by transforming it into a resort, which would mean cutting down the cherry orchard that represents a historic tradition for the family. They must make a decision and define the future of the farm.
15. Uncle Vanya, Anton Chekhov (1899). The work, written at the end of the 19th century, narrates the decadence of the society of the time. In the old country house of a run-down aristocratic family, all the characters they reflect on their place in the world, when Professor Serebyakov and his wife arrive, Elena.

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