Literary Terms

Tragi-Comedy: A dramatic piece partaking of the nature of both tragedy and comedy, i.e. with tragic situations which right themselves and end happily. Fletcher gives the following jesting definition in the preface to the Faithful Shepherdess: 'A tragi-comedy is not so called in respect of mirth and killing, but in respect it wants deaths, which is enough to make it no tragedy, yet brings some near it, which is enough to make it no comedy'. The class of play is also referred to by Sidney in his Apology for Poetry.

[Regarding Shakespeare's plays, three of the comedies could be classified as tragi-comedies: Measure for Measure, The Winter's Tale, and Cymbeline.]

How to cite the article:
Vivian, Percival. A dictionary of literary terms. London: G. Routledge & sons. 1900. Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2010. (date when you accessed the information) < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/literaryterms/tragicomedy.html >.

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