Final answer:
A comedy is a type of play or performance that aims to generate laughter and amusement. It involves practical choices and situations, and often features common people as characters.
Step-by-step explanation:
A comedy is a type of play or performance that aims to generate laughter and amusement. It focuses on practical choices and situations faced by the characters, rather than ethical dilemmas.
Comedies often feature common people as characters and have a happy ending. There are different styles of comedy, such as situation comedy (sit-coms), comedy of character, comedy of manners, and tragicomedy.
In situation comedy, the humor comes from the situations the characters find themselves in. For example, Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors" revolves around two sets of twins.
Comedy of character focuses on the adventures and misadventures of a specific character, such as Moliere's "The Miser". Comedy of manners satirizes the social mannerisms of the aristocracy, as seen in Oscar Wilde's plays.
Comedies use various devices to generate laughter, including misunderstandings, foul language, violations of social hierarchy, coincidences/mistaken identities, and physical comedy.
Slapstick comedy, introduced by Commedia dell'Arte, emphasizes larger-than-life movements and often involves petty violence. Tragicomedy combines elements of tragedy and comedy, featuring everyday characters dealing with relevant subjects and often ending on a positive note.