Comedies are centered on human relationships and the stresses and conflicts that arise from everyday social interactions. The characters in comedies find themselves enmeshed in complicated and perplexing situations that lack the inevitability and dire consequences of tragedy. The problems that confront them are the result of human vices and weaknesses, not cosmic fate. The characters are punished for their weaknesses by discomfort, embarrassment, or humiliation rather than physical pain or death. We recognize in comic characters certain personal truths, thus they provide a convenient scapegoat, allowing us to laugh at ourselves.
Comedy ends happily with reconciliation and often celebration.
A black comedy is one whose subject matter is dark, macabre, or unpleasant. Aristotle wrote that comedy evolved from skits at rustic country festivals which included the mocking of real people and joking about topical subjects, especially those involving sex. Drama A drama is a serious play that does not rise to meet the strict definition of tragedy. It may contain some humorous episodes, but is mainly sober in tone. Its characters may come from any social class and it is usually placed in domestic settings such as the home and workplace.