Difference between comedy and tragedy according to Aristotle

How does Aristotle compare and contrast tragedy and comedy?

In poetry or literature into two main types. One is the tragic which developed from heroic poetry. The other is the comic which probably developed from the satire. Aristotle doesn't elaborate upon the stages of development in comedy; he says that these stages are obscure. But he does not indicate that he is going to deal mainly with tragedy in his Poetics.

On the other hand, there are indications that he would deal with comedy and satire too. the first chapters of the Poetics Aristotle classify Aristotle regarded Comedy as the reverse of Tragedy. The difference between tragedy and comedy is fundamental - a difference of theme and treatment; characterization and atmosphere. Aristotle defines tragedy as

an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic content, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play in the form of action, not of narrative; through pity and fear effecting the catharsis or the proper purgation of these emotions."

And Aristotle's well-known definition of comedy runs as follows:

Comedy is as we have said, an imitation of characters of a lower type - not, however, in the full sense of the word bad, the ludicrous being merely a subdivision of the ugly. It consists of some defect or ugliness which is not painful and not destructive. To take an obvious example, the comic mask is ugly and distorted, but does not imply pain.

Aristotle's definition of comedy is simpler and less complete than that of tragedy. Its clear that the intention of this incomplete definition is to contrast it with tragedy. The basic difference between the comedy and the tragedy is their objects of imitation. Tragedy idealizes characters - imitates men as better or higher than they actually are. Comedy, on the other hand, caricatures characters - shows men as worse or lower than they actually are.

According to Aristotle, comedy is a representation of characters of a lower type, worse than the average. They are not morally bad, but they have some defect, flaw or shortcoming which provokes laughter. A tragic character, on the other hand, is a person highly placed in society. He has some error or flaw in judgement as a result of which he moves from happiness to misery, which arouses pity and fear in the audience.

Thus tragedy evokes pity and fear, but comedy produces laughter. Comedy deals with the basic foibles and follies of human nature. Its subjects are the inconsistencies and eccentricities present in human behaviour. Its aim is to present foibles and follies in such a manner that it may cause laughter but not pain. If tragedy is concerned with ennobling the aspects of human nature which need to be ennobled, comedy is concerned with those ridiculous aspects of human nature, which deserve to be ridiculed.

But these ridiculous aspects are universalised, and not particularised in comedy. It may be said that whereas tragedy deals with the unusual but moral, comedy deals with the abnormal but not unusual. The abnormality of comic characters isn't absolute; we should feel that they're capable of behaving normally if they would. But it's the main concern of the comic writer to discriminate between what's normal and abnormal in human behaviour; he's detached from his subject matter in a sense in which other artists are not.

It is not possible to say with conviction what Aristotle's views on comedy are. But we can try and make a guess at the possible views Aristotle might have had on comedy. It is clear that like a tragedy, a comedy would have to have a single action. It is also clear that it should produce the special pleasure of comedy; and the laws of probability and necessity would have to be followed by the poet of comedies, as well as the poet of tragedies.

Both in tragedy and comedy, plot gains primary importance. The events of tragedy have to be painful and fearful, but the incidents of comedy are ludicrous or ridiculous. Like a tragedy, a comedy does not rule out reversal and recognition; but these will be in the nature of inducing surprised laughter rather the awesome sense of destiny and fearful inevitability.