Between comedies and tragedies

23/12/2025 Nilson Lattari

The difference between comedies and tragedies is subtle; however, there is a common element between them: the caricature. I’m not talking about art itself, or about comedians and dramatic actors, because there is something behind their characters when they smile or cry.
People see comedies as a light, easygoing entertainment, created to make people laugh and have fun, offering a way to relax. On the other hand, tragedies try to depict true life, full of personal dilemmas and their consequences. People often recognise representations of their own lives in the characters portrayed on stage or in movies. The difference between tragedies and comedies is subtle because both genres show people’s difficulties in dealing with daily life problems. Afterwards, tragedies can reveal their comic side when artists depict people using their ordinary language and show how they share their personal and family issues.
Tragedies generally turn our daily lives into comedies, especially when they include our failures and mistakes. So, in a way, comedies and tragedies are connected.
What’s their common thread? The grotesque.
If a comedian exaggerates their performance, it can influence the audience’s mood, and their smiles may disappear. In short, if an actor emphasises an action and repeats it many times, the action becomes grotesque.
Tragedies can resemble comedies when actors repeat the same gesture over and over and exaggerate their performance. People tend to react by laughing, and tragedies become grotesque sketches – the common point between comedies and tragedies. When we link these performances to our daily lives, and vice versa, this grotesque mixture shows us smiles and tears occurring simultaneously.
People bully or mock others with jokes and chuckles, for example, trying to make something hilarious that should be serious. This attitude toward vulnerable people may turn their experience into tragedy because some people feel no empathy for others. A couple’s arguments that end in a bizarre expose of bodies or secrets is a tragedy for those who reveal their lives and turn their problems into laughs and entertainment.
Whether tragedies or comedies, the audience’s reactions are important because they may laugh, cry or remain indifferent, showing their opinions.
Life is full of dramas that reflect our daily experiences. It’s an opportunity for people to see themselves. Between tragedies and comedies, it’s important to understand that personal or family dramas can be amusing or tragic – but only for the viewers.
Between human tragedies and comedies lies our empathy and our ability to understand what affects others. The most important question is whether we will applaud or howl at them.
In political speeches or on social media, it is possible to notice these tragic or comic elements. Can we fix them? My answer is no. The grotesque exists in people’s greed when they try to earn money or other benefits while exploiting sexual assault and death as tragic or comic material for audiences. In the end, it’s always the grotesque that makes our life what it is.