A comic scene interspersed inside the middle of serious or sad components of a play frequently results in a release of emotional or some other tension. A clumsy, wisecracking sidekick of the hero or villain inside a fictional work is a common source of comic relief. A comedic relief sidekick would frequently comment on the ridiculousness of the hero’s circumstances and make remarks that would be improper for just a serious character. Other characters may utilise comedic relief to upset others or maintain their self-assurance.
In comic fiction, comedic relief characters will occasionally occur. This usually happens when the piece reaches a dramatic point, however, the character remains humorous.
Greek tragedy did not permit for any comedic relief, although it did have a custom of finishing a series of sad performances with such a hilarious satyr play. Following Horace’s Ars Poetica, even just the Elizabethan critic Sidney argued that comedic elements should not be included in a tragic theatre.
However, in Renaissance England, Marlowe, one of the University Wits, supplied comedic relief in Doctor Faustus by presenting vulgar scenes, following the native practice of Interlude, which had been frequently presented between two sad plays. In fact, in ancient tradition, mixing tragic and comedic elements was frowned upon.
In Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, The Merchant of Venice, as well as Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare departed from the classical norm and introduced comedic relief. The Porter incident in Macbeth, the grave-digger scene in Hamlet, and Roderigo’s gulling all give a lot of laughs. The fool’s ridicule in King Lear might just be seen as comedic relief.
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