The characteristics of the theatrical genre have evolved since its emergence with the Greek tragedy towards the multiplication and fusion of genres.
Aristotle established the characteristics of tragedy and comedy in the Poetics through a philosophical reflection, laying the foundations of a generic classification of dramaturgy. To this day, the same categories continue to be used: tragedy and comedy, to which other terms such as melodrama, tragicomedy, opera, etc. have been added.
Both the names and the definitions have been changing, so that a genre can be described in different ways, as can be deduced from the paradoxical subtitle of a farce by Don Ramón de la Cruz, Tragedy to laugh or farce to cry, with which he mocks generic definitions. The new approaches around the characterization of theatrical genres avoid the establishment of rigid borders, seeking, rather, the intersections and fundamental elements that have remained throughout history.
The theatrical genre focused on human suffering or tragedy: the tension between transcendence and freedom
El tragic genre It is part of the legacy of Hellenic culture, developing over 2.500 years, but maintaining certain characteristics that determine its specificity. In the tragic representations of the XNUMXth century BC, the stage elements -masks, chorus, costumes, scenery, etc.- and the action are intended to strengthen the values of Athenian democracy and involve the public in the specific problems that arise. This is the time of the great tragedians: Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, whose works are built in a universe with similar characteristics under a tension between myths and new values.
Basically, the myth generates a struggle between powers that push the hero into a conflict. Apparently, the mythical hero leads a life similar to ordinary mortals, until he is impelled by the gods to fulfill his destiny, from which moment he undertakes a tortuous search. The tragedy expands this conflict and deepens the character of the characters, focusing on the individual responsibility of the hero more than on the divine powers of the myths.
The aesthetic concerns of the beginning of the XNUMXth century seek free art from old restrictions, experimenting with techniques that break the continuity of conventional forms, changes that are clearly observed in painting with the development of cubism or dadaism. Dramatic art participates in these concerns with the emergence of theories that focus on an innovative thematic and stage treatment.
The theatrical genre of comedy: the portrait of the worst
Since the origin of theater in ancient Greece, a sharp differentiation has been established between serious and festive dramatic expressions. While the tragedy was inspired by compassion and terror, the comedy sought to show "the daily and prosaic reality of simple people", as indicated by the writer, actor and playwright Miguel Ángel Medina Vicario.
One of the characteristics of comedy according to the Aristotelian definition is the elaboration of the "portrait of the worst", understanding by "worst" the ugly, the defective, that which produces laughter and not pain on the viewer. This will be precisely the characteristic that will remain typical of comedy throughout history.
In its beginnings, comedy was based on a mixture of witty and satirical attacks on institutions, customs and public figures of the day. Subsequently, political interest declined and shows were preferred over private life, a situation that evolved towards the emphasis on everyday life, with the main interest of entertaining the public, without political or personal allusions that could cause unpleasantness.
Starting with the new comedy, thanks to the work of the playwright Menandro, the characteristics of the genre are expanded with a) the use of non-vulgar language; b) the creation of standard characters; c) the reflection of daily life; d) the portrait of a vice of the protagonist that leads him to laughable situations; e) love as the main theme, and f) the moralizing aspect.
The theatrical genre of tragicomedy: the mixed poem
Although tragedy and comedy were clearly differentiated at the beginning, over time, both types of theater would come to be combined. The poet Euripides begins the hybridization of the two classical genres combining the religious and cosmogonic themes of tragedy with matters related to human passions.
During Roman times, new elements arose that would endure over time: the very name of tragicomedy, the mixture of vulgar actions in noble characters and elevated virtues in common characters, and the staging of everyday situations. Later, features such as the representation of two parallel lines of action and the use of solemn speeches in comic situations and satirical dialogues in tragic situations.
In modern times, tragicomedy acquired a bad reputation, so playwrights began to use the term "drama", reminiscent of the "free drama" used during the XNUMXth century to describe plays that did not fit classical parameters. The so-called "theater of ideas" also arises with the works of Ibsen and Chekhov, in which the moral element is displaced by the realism and introspection of human nature replace social criticism.
However, the genre continues to preserve two essential characteristics: the portrait of the daily life of the human being under a critical approach and a "serious" tone linked to the expression of humor.
In conclusion, as indicated by the playwright and researcher Norma Roman Calvo (2007: 197), "in reality there is no pure genre, because in each text the generic invariants will be present, but also the generic variants, which will give the work a special physiognomy".
Reference:
Roman Calvo, N. (2007). Dramatic genres and their specificity. Mexico: National Autonomous University of Mexico.
