Although there are many types of plays, there are two broad categories of plays: comedies and tragedies. A play can be only comedy, only tragedy, or it may combine elements of the two types to create something new. For example, a tragi-comedy has elements of a comedy and a tragedy¹. Elements of a tragedy or comedy can also be exaggerated to create something new. For example, farce and melodrama have elements of comedy and/or tragedy but are more exaggerated² in nature. In this section, you will learn more about comedy and tragedy. You will also learn a little about the other types of plays.

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Comedy and Tragedy

You may be familiar with comedy and tragedy from U1 Poetry Concepts. A comedy is a generally happy play with humor and a happy ending. A tragedy is a generally more serious play with a character who causes their own downfall and so has a sad ending. 

Tragedies as a form of plays date back to about 500 b.c.. Tragedies are about serious topics, and they are designed to cause the audience to feel negative emotions that are then resolved at the end of the play¹. 

Tragedies usually have a flawed main character. The flaw or character weakness of the main character is what causes the main character's downfall and the audience's negative emotions. For example, a great hero is also prideful about his strength. He goes on many adventures where he seems to do well, but he encounters problems because of his pride. He may brag of his strength to the wrong person and be punished. He may get into a competition where he thinks he will easily win because of the strength he is so proud of. However, because of that pride, he doesn't practice and loses the competition. He has a downfall. The audience feels bad for the hero. This is an example of a tragic flaw, a personal weakness of the main character that leads to his or her downfall. 

A tragic play does not usually end on the downfall of the character. The audience would not come to a play that only made them feel negative emotions. There needs to be catharsis, a resolution or relief from negative emotions in a tragic play. For example, after losing the competition, the hero realizes he was wrong to be so prideful and tries to be more humble. This ending gives the audience a release from the negative emotion of watching the hero fall because there is a positive emotion from the hero deciding to be more humble. A tragic play has a tragic ending that includes both a downfall and a catharsis. 

Comedies as a form of plays date back to about 400 b.c.. Comedies are about more simple, unimportant topics², and they are designed to cause the audience to feel joy or amusement³. Comedies are not just a funny story though.  As Britannica explains, the purpose of a comedy is to "hold a mirror up to society to reflect its follies [foolish habit] and vices [bad habits], in the hope that they, as a result, be mended"⁴. 

A comedy has a different structure than a tragedy. It does not have a tragic ending, and therefore, does not have a character with a tragic flaw. A comedy usually is about a character or group of characters overcoming a series of problems or adversities; often these problems are mistakes or secrets⁴. In the example below, the magic of the fairy leads to many people falling in love by mistake before the problems are solved and there is a happy ending. 

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Other Types

These two types of plays are the broadest categories. As mentioned above, there are also tragi-comedies, farces, and melodramas to name a few others. There are also operas, ballets, and musicals. 

A tragi-comedy involves both humor and a character with a tragic flaw though the tragic flaw does not usually cause death¹. A farce is a more exaggerated and typically crude comedy². A melodrama is also exaggerated and generally focuses on over-the-top situations and simple or stereotypical characters³. 

Operas, ballets, and musicals are types of plays that involve music and/or dancing. They have their own set of conventions and structures and will not be studied here. 

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