Forms: 4 comedye, 4–6 commedy, 6–7 com(m)odie, -y(e, 7 comœdy, -ie, 5–7 comedie, 5– comedy. [a. F. comédie (14th c. in Littré), ad. L. cōmœdia, a. Gr. κωμῳδία, n. of practice f. κωμῳδός comedian; a compound, either of κῶμος revel, merry-making, or of its probable source, κώμη village + ἀοιδός singer, minstrel, f. ἀείδ-ειν to sing (cf. ODE). The κωμῳδός was thus originally either the ‘bard of the revels’ or the ‘village-bard’: see Liddell and Scott.]
1. A stage-play of a light and amusing character, with a happy conclusion to its plot. Such are the comedies of the ancient Greek and Latin writers, and of the modern stage. But in the Middle Ages the term was applied to other than dramatic compositions, the ‘happy ending’ being the essential part of the notion. In the English use of the term the following stages may be distinguished:
† a. Its mediæval use for a narrative poem with an agreeable ending. [Probably taken from Italian; cf. the Divine Comedy, the great tripartite poem of Dante, called by its author La Commedia, because ‘in the conclusion, it is prosperous, pleasant, and desirable,’ and in its style ‘lax and unpretending,’ being ‘written in the vulgar tongue, in which women and children speak.’]
1374. Chaucer, Troylus, V. 1800. Go, little booke, go, my little tragedie, Ther God my maker, yet er that I dye, so sende me myght to maken som comedye!
c. 1430. Lydg., Bochas, Prol. V. i. My maister Chaucer with fresh comedies … that whilom made ful piteous tragedies. Ibid. (1430), Chron. Troy, II. xi. A comedy hath in his gynnynge, A pryme face a maner complaynynge, And afterwarde endeth in gladnesse.
1774. Warton, Eng. Poetry (1840), II. vi. 17. The nature and subject of Dante’s comedy, as it is styled, is well known.
1825. Macaulay, Milton. The Divine Comedy is a personal narrative.
1837–9. Hallam, Hist. Lit., IV. v. 30. This difference … between the Divine Comedy and the Paradise Lost.
† b. Applied to mystery-plays or interludes with a prosperous ending.
1530. Palsgr., 207/1. Commedy of a christmas playe, commedie.
1538. Bale (title), A brefe Comedy or enterlude concernynge the temptacyon of our lorde and sauer Jesus Christ by Sathan in the desart.
1568. (title) A newe mery and wittie Comedie or Enterlude … treating vpon the Historie of Iacob and Esau.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., V. ii. 462. Heere was a consent, Knowing aforehand of our merriment, To dash it like a Christmas Comedie.
1616. Bullokar, Comedie, a play, or interlude the beginning of which is ever full of troubles and the end joyfull.
c. Applied to the ancient comedies, as they became known after the Renaissance.
1531. Elyot, Gov., I. xiii. Therence and other that were writers of comedies.
1551. Robinson, trans. More’s Utop., I. (Arb.), 64. Whyles a commodye of Plautus is playinge.
1588. M. Kyffin, Andria, the first Comœdie of Terence in English.
1651. T. Randolph, A pleasant Comedie entituled Hey for Honesty … translated out of Aristophanes his Plutus.
1839. Thirlwall, Hist. Greece, III. xviii. 81. A direct address to them [the spectators] became a prominent and almost an essential member of every comedy.
d. The modern use, arising out of b and c.
‘Roister Doister is regarded as the transition-play from the Mysteries and Enterludes of the Middle Ages to the Comedies of Modern Times’ (Arber, R. D., Introd. 6). ‘“Ralph Roister Doister” is the first regular comedy in our language’ (Hazlitt, O. E. P., III. 54).
a. 1553. Udall, Royster D., Prol. 22. Our Comedie or Enterlude which we intende to play Is named Royster Doyster in deede.
1623 (title), Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies.
1632. Brome (title), The Northern Lasse a Comoedie.
1775. Sheridan, Rivals, Pref. The play … was at that time at least double the length of any acting comedy.
1821. Byron, Juan, III. ix. All comedies are ended by a marriage.
1872. Geo. Eliot, Middlem., l. They looked like a couple dropped out of a romantic comedy.
2. That branch of the drama that adopts a humorous or familiar style, and depicts laughable characters and incidents. (Sometimes personified.)
Old, Middle, and New Comedy: the three stages of Attic comedy; the first two were largely farcical or burlesque in character, and indulged freely in political and social caricature; the last corresponded to modern high comedy.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 315. Þere [in Sicily] was commedy a song of gestes firste i founde.
1581. Sidney, Apol. Poetrie (Arb.), 44. The Comedy is an imitation of the common errors of our life.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, I. xiv. (Arb.), 47. This bitter poeme called the old Comedy, being disused and taken away, the new Comedy came in place, more ciuill and pleasant a great deale.
1598. B. Jonson, Ev. Man in Hum., Prol. Persons, such as comedy would choose, When she would shew an image of the times, And sport with human follies, not with crimes.
1704. Addison, Italy, Venice. Their Poets have no notion of genteel Comedy.
1769. Johnson, in Boswell, 19 Oct. Comedy … exhibits the character of a species, as that of a miser gathered from many misers: farce … exhibits individuals.
a. 1859. De Quincey, Shaks. (Morley’s Univ. Libr.), 169. Beaumont and Fletcher when writing in combination … had a freedom and breadth of manner which excels the comedy of Shakespeare.
† 3. A humorous or burlesque composition. Obs.
1607. Topsell, Serpents (1653), 718. Homer in his Comedy of the fight betwixt Frogs and Mice.
4. fig. (of action or incidents in real life.)
1570. B. Googe, Pop. Kingd., II. (1880), 20 a. Then hath the Comedy all hir partes.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., V. ii. 886.
1592. G. Harvey, Fovre Lett., 9. They … can relate straunge and almost incredible comedies of his monstrous disposition.
1709. Pope, Lett. to Cromwell, 19 Aug. Here is a glorious standing comedy of Fools.
1872. Morley, Voltaire (1886), 158. Those who look with cynical eye upon … the great human comedy.
1875. Hamerton, Intell. Life, III. ix. 119. A perfect comedy of misunderstandings.
5. attrib. and Comb., as comedy-player, -writer.
1552. Huloet, Comedye parte, actus. Comedye player, actor uel trix.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, ix. 116. Sophocles, Aeschylus, and the very Comediwriters speake after the same manner.
1836–48. B. D. Walsh, Aristoph. Clouds, I. iv. Don’t strain after jests, or attempt to perform The Comedy-clown.
1888. Daily News, 24 Sept., 6/3. Made … to yield a handsome profit as a comedy house.
