ASSIGNMENT-2

(Unit 1 to 16)
(Course Name-British and European Drama)
(Course Code -PEG-103)

Group –A

1. Answer any one question each within 500 words: (5×1= 5)

(a) Differentiate between tragedy and comedy in drama.
SOLUTION
Tragedy and Comedy in Drama: A Comparative Analysis

Drama, one of the oldest forms of literary expression, can be broadly categorized into two
major genres: tragedy and comedy. While both aim to reflect human experiences and
emotions, they do so through vastly different lenses, tones, and outcomes. Understanding
their differences is essential to grasping the essence of theatrical art.

Tragedy is a form of drama that presents a serious and often somber theme. It typically
revolves around a central character—usually someone of high status or nobility—who
experiences a downfall due to a personal flaw (known as *hamartia*), fate, or the will of the
gods. Tragedies explore profound human suffering, moral dilemmas, and the consequences
of human actions. The tone is grave, and the narrative often ends in catastrophe or death,
evoking pity and fear in the audience—a concept Aristotle called *catharsis*. Examples
include Sophocles’ “Oedipus Rex,” Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” and “Hamlet,” where characters
grapple with fate, guilt, revenge, and personal weakness.

In contrast, comedy is designed to amuse and entertain. It deals with lighter themes and
often portrays ordinary characters caught in humorous situations. Comedy relies on wit,
satire, misunderstanding, exaggeration, and happy resolutions. The primary aim is to
provoke laughter while often delivering social commentary. Comedies end on a positive
note—marriages, reunions, or victories of cleverness over foolishness. Characters in comedy
may be flawed, but their mistakes lead to reconciliation or joy rather than doom. Examples
include Aristophanes’ “Lysistrata,” Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” and modern sitcoms or
farces.

Structurally, tragedies follow a downward arc—from prosperity to ruin—emphasizing

inevitability and helplessness. Comedies move upward—from confusion to clarity, disorder
to harmony—highlighting resilience and hope. Tragic heroes are often isolated by the end,
whereas comic characters are reunited or embraced by their communities.

Language and tone also differ: tragedy uses elevated, poetic, and sometimes archaic
language to reflect seriousness. Comedy often employs colloquial or witty dialogue, puns,
and wordplay to appeal to a broader audience.

The emotional effect is another critical difference. Tragedy appeals to the audience’s
empathy, offering a deep emotional and moral experience. It may leave one reflective or
melancholic. Comedy, however, offers relief from tension, laughter, and a sense of optimism
about human nature and society.

Despite their differences, tragedy and comedy can overlap. Many modern dramas
incorporate both tragic and comic elements—a style known as tragicomedy. This blending
mirrors the complexity of real life, where sorrow and joy often coexist.

In conclusion, tragedy and comedy serve distinct purposes in drama. Tragedy probes into the
darker aspects of human existence, evoking deep emotions and contemplation, while
comedy celebrates life’s absurdities and provides joy and relief. Together, they encompass
the full spectrum of human experience, making drama a powerful mirror of society and the
human soul.
 Group –B
2. Answer any one question each within 1000 words :

(a) Case: A theatrical group decides to stage Hamlet with a female actor playing Hamlet.
How would a gender-reversed portrayal of Hamlet affect the reading of the themes of
power, madness, and revenge?
SOLUTION

Case Analysis: A Gender-Reversed Portrayal of Hamlet

The decision to cast a female actor in the role of Hamlet offers a compelling reinterpretation
of one of Shakespeare’s most complex tragedies. Hamlet, as a play, is deeply entrenched in
issues of power, madness, and revenge—all of which are traditionally filtered through a
masculine lens. When the role is gender-reversed, not merely in casting but also in character
conception, the thematic fabric of the play shifts significantly. It opens new dimensions for
understanding these timeless themes, drawing attention to gender roles, expectations, and
societal pressures.

1. Power: Reinterpreting Authority and Resistance

Traditionally, Hamlet is a prince grappling with questions of legitimacy, succession, and the
use of political power. A male Hamlet's hesitation to act is often interpreted as philosophical
introspection or a strategic delay. When Hamlet is portrayed as a woman, the theme of
power must now be viewed through a gendered lens.

In a patriarchal monarchy such as that of Denmark, a female Hamlet would face additional
obstacles to wielding authority or claiming a moral or political right to the throne. Her
resistance to Claudius’s rule would no longer be interpreted solely as filial duty or political
loyalty to her father, but also as an act of subversive defiance against a male-dominated
hierarchy. The portrayal can emphasize how women's voices and claims to power are
marginalized or dismissed. Hamlet’s soliloquies, in this version, may take on additional
emotional depth as expressions of isolation not just from power, but from a society that
questions her agency. Power, in this reading, is not only about political right but also about
personal autonomy and female subjectivity in a male-dominated court.

2. Madness: Gender and Emotional Expression

Madness is one of the core motifs of *Hamlet*, used both as a disguise and a reflection of
psychological torment. In Shakespeare’s time—and often still today—madness in men is
read as a philosophical crisis, while in women it is associated with emotional instability or
hysteria.

When Hamlet is played as a woman, her descent into or feigned madness may be viewed
through the lens of gendered expectations around emotionality. Her erratic behavior might
be more readily dismissed by other characters as "typical female behavior," thus adding a
layer of realism and irony to the plot. It can also highlight how women’s mental health
concerns are often minimized or misinterpreted. A female Hamlet’s madness would become
a powerful metaphor for the emotional labor and psychological fragmentation women
experience in oppressive environments.

The audience, aware of societal biases, might sympathize more deeply with a woman forced
to mask her intellect and ambition beneath a façade of madness. Her internal struggle could
also mirror the broader conflict between conforming to societal roles and expressing one’s
authentic self.

3. Revenge: The Politics of Female Vengeance

Revenge in *Hamlet* is traditionally framed as a masculine prerogative tied to honor,

bloodlines, and justice. A female Hamlet pursuing revenge challenges this paradigm, as
vengeance is rarely framed as a noble or acceptable path for women in classical literature or
even modern narratives.

A woman seeking revenge for her father’s murder would be perceived differently by both
the characters within the play and the audience. She would likely face moral scrutiny not for
inaction, as the male Hamlet often does, but for acting at all. Her delay would be interpreted
less as intellectual struggle and more as a result of internalized social constraints. When she
finally takes revenge, the act could be read as a reclaiming of agency—an assertion of
strength in a world that denies women violent or assertive roles.

Furthermore, the relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude (her mother) could be radically
altered. Instead of the often Freudian reading of Oedipal tension, we might see a complex
mother-daughter relationship marked by betrayal, protection, and generational conflict
about femininity and survival. Ophelia’s tragic arc could also gain a mirrored resonance—two
women, both broken by the court's manipulations and gender expectations, but responding
in opposite ways: one through silence and death, the other through rage and rebellion.

Conclusion: A Feminist Reimagining

Recasting Hamlet as a woman does not merely change the casting; it reframes the entire
narrative. It challenges long-held interpretations and brings contemporary feminist insights
into Shakespeare’s classic. The power struggles become about more than politics; they
become about voice, autonomy, and the right to be heard. Madness is no longer a dramatic
device but a poignant commentary on the emotional strain of navigating a patriarchal
society. Revenge is not a quest for honor but a struggle for justice and recognition.

Such a portrayal opens space for modern audiences to rethink the play’s moral and
psychological landscape. It helps deconstruct rigid gender roles, allowing *Hamlet* to
continue evolving as a living work of art—one that still speaks to the complexities of the
human condition, irrespective of gender.
In essence, a gender-reversed *Hamlet* can deepen and complicate the play's central
themes, encouraging audiences to reflect not only on what is said, but who is allowed to say
it—and at what cost.