There are three main genres in which every story can be categorized into, Tragedy, Comedy, and Tragicomedy. Tragedies and Comedies are typically thought of as opposites, because of this many people come up with a genre model which resembles a number line. Extreme Comedy is on one end while extreme Tragedy is on the other. This also leads to the conclusion that Tragicomedy is in the dead center since it is comprised of the two. I believe this model to be inaccurate, and prefer to view the genre model as more of a continuum in elliptical form. On one end of the ellipse there is Tragicomedy, while on the other end there are both Tragedy and Comedy side by side. In other words Tragicomedy is the farthest point from both the extremely Comedic and the extremely Tragic. By using examples of both the extremely Tragic and Comedic and the sub-genre of Dark/Black Comedy I hope to show the relation of both extremes. .
A Tragedy is a reminder that to be human is to be weak. These stories deal with the loss and pain of the human experience, and are reflections of our own struggles. .
The comedy could almost be considered the opposite of a tragedy. Rather than a reflection, comedy is a celebration of the human experience. It holds up our great achievements, as individuals, and pays homage to them. These stories usually contain humor and typically have a happy ending. It isn't until we start looking at the extremes of these two genres that we start to see how eerily close they can be. This is best done by looking at the main components of humor, Distortion and Obsession. Distortion is defined as a major deviation from the norm and Obsession as a repetitive behavior to the point of absurdity. Distortion isn't usually considered funny unless there are positive outcomes. By human nature it is okay to laugh at those who are different as long as they are successful. This success, in a way, gives us permission to laugh.
