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tragicomedy

/ˌˈtrædʒəˌkɑmədi/
IPA guide

Other forms: tragicomedies

A play that blends elements of both tragedy and comedy is known as a tragicomedy. The remarkable thing about a tragicomedy is that it can make you laugh and cry.

A tragicomedy might be a serious drama interspersed with funny moments that periodically lighten the mood, or a drama that has a happy ending. The Roman playwright Plautus is usually credited with coining the term in his play Amphitryon, when the character Mercury says, of a play-within-a-play featuring both gods and servants, "I will make it a mixture: let it be a tragicomedy."

Definitions of tragicomedy
  1. noun
    a dramatic composition involving elements of both tragedy and comedy usually with the tragic predominating
    see moresee less
    type of:
    tragedy
    drama in which the protagonist is overcome by some superior force or circumstance; excites terror or pity
  2. noun
    a comedy with serious elements or overtones
    synonyms: seriocomedy
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    type of:
    comedy
    light and humorous drama with a happy ending
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