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The Tempest has been called a tragi-comedy. Show why you think this is an apt classification of Shakespeare’s last play.
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| Submitted: Thu Jul 11 2002
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LITERATURE The Tempest has been called a tragi-comedy. Show why you think this is an apt classification of Shakespeare's last play. A tragedy according to the Concise Oxford Dictionary is a " drama in prose or verse of elevated theme and diction and with unhappy events or endings ". A comedy is defined as a " stage play of light, amusing and often satirical character, chiefly representing everyday life and with happy endings ". If a play can host elements of the two " genres ", it is called a tragi-comedy. A study of action, characters and themes in The Tempest would reveal if it is an apt classification of the play. The proximity to death is the main criteria that defines tragic events.The opening scene of The Tempest has an obvious tragic potential : a boat conveying the King of Naples and his court is caught in a fierce...
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