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Generic Transgression of Tragicomedy in Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull and George Bernard Shaw’s The Apple Cart



Author(s)

Sadia Riaz;Farhan Ebadat Yar Khan;Naheed Ashfaq

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DOI:10.17265/2159-5836/2016.10.004

ICCS, University Of Management and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan Higher Education Department Government of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan ICCS, University Of Management and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan

This paper delves into Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull and George Bernard Shaw’s The Apple Cart to extensively analyze their infusion of certain comical elements in depicting ostensibly tragic concerns. The paper aims at exploring the use of the comic elements that is not without purpose. Instead through this incorporation of farce, linguistic humor, witty repartee and exaggeration, the holistic vision of life is obtained which was earlier compartmentalized by the Greeks and Roman playwrights. Comic elements including slapstick humor, the singing of songs, and certain character portrayal are discussed as techniques employed at the hands of the playwrights to reflect over the real historical milieu of their respective times, yet giving a boost to realism as a theory and a practice. This is a qualitative study based upon hermeneutic theory of textual analysis. The paper establishes the similarities in Bernard Shaw’s and Anton Chekhov’s employment of comical elements as well as the difference between their essential purposes in generic transgression. Although the two writers have their roots in different countries, their humorous portrayal of various issues is seen to be similar. From the microanalysis of these plays, the same comic strains can be traced out in modern drama at macro level that will enhance the implication of this research paper. This paper therefore concludes that comic and tragic elements are not antagonistic rather complimentary to each other. 

tragicomedy, realism, modern drama, farce, slapstick humor, generic transgression