In five pages this paper examines how the comedy form evolved from tragedy during the time of Louis XIV of France and considers its differences from the tragic genre. Four sources are cited in the bibliography.
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Up until then the tragedy was the main theme of stage productions. This paper will trace the history and development of comedy in the Renaissance time as compared to
now, with the main thesis of this paper being the difference between comedy and tragedy of that time period. THE BEGINNING
OF COMEDY The seventeenth century experienced a number of significant changes in the arts. Moliere was responsible for revolutionizing the theater and making the King (Louis XIV) and his
family appreciate comedy. Up until that time the tragedy had been the only form of theater, however, with Moliere came a new aspect with regard to live performance.
Particularly evident of this drastic change is that of Molieres comedy-ballet entitled Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, which utilizes rhyme with unique structure and function as it is mixed with the plays
prose. Using the relatively new concept of farcical comedy, Moliere was able to encourage the King and his people to laugh at the ridiculous aspects of life, as well
as view the arts in a way that had never before been seen in such a manner, making it more than an "unimportant luxury for the high brows who have
plenty of time to waste" (Anonymous astudyof.htm). As well, the very nature of the prose and movement became based more in reality in relation to the natural way they
talked and walked. While Corneille had previously addressed all of these aspects, his definition of comedy significantly differed from Molieres, whose collaboration with composer Lully served as the very
beginning of what ultimately came to be developed as the comedy-ballet. CONTRASTING THE COMEDY AND THE TRAGEDY In the comedies, appearances and reality are manipulated for comic effect.