Poll: Romeo and Juliet: A tragedy or a comedy?

[Cherry Cola]

So I was watching a live streaming of Silent Hill: Shattered Memories last night, when there came up a puzzle in where you had to find "The best Shakespeare Comedy". You could choose between Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and The Twelfth Night. The streamer pointed out that only The Twelfth Night is a comedy, and picked it.

However, then one of the viewers started arguing with the streamer that Romeo and Juliet was a comedy. He claimed that he was a Professor in English and questioned whether or not the streamer ever had been to an English lesson in his life. Not the most mature behavior for a professor, but I digress.

What do you think? Is Romeo and Juliet a tragedy, or a comedy?

 

[JRCB]

They off themselves in the end, so I`d say tragedy. Hell, my English teacher thinks so as well.

 

[oliveira8]

It's a tragedy. It's not even up to debate, it's the quintessential romantic tragedy, which people are still ripping off after all these years.

Tragedy.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

Comedy: a play, movie, etc., of light and humorous character with a happy or cheerful ending; a dramatic work in which the central motif is the triumph over adverse circumstance, resulting in a successful or happy conclusion.

I follow a fairly simple rule. If all the protagonists die then it's a tragedy.

 

[blankedboy]

Comedy: a play, movie, etc., of light and humorous character with a happy or cheerful ending; a dramatic work in which the central motif is the triumph over adverse circumstance, resulting in a successful or happy conclusion.

I follow a fairly simple rule. If all the protagonists die then it's a tragedy.

Greek categorisation FTW.

 

[[Kira Must Die]]

Tragedy.

Back in Shakespearian time, a comedy just means no one died in the end.

Twelfth Night was a comedy.

 

[MetaKnight19]

Its more of a tradegy. However if you have ever seen the modern film adaptation, then it is most definetely a comedy.

 

[Trivun]

I studied the play for GCSE. I absolutely love Shakespeare, too. And although R&J does have a few comedic moments, mainly revolving around The Nurse, or Mercutio, the play is specifically a tragedy. I reckon the guy who said that is definitely not a professor of English. If he is he probably went somewhere crap to study. I call troll on that guy. To answer the OP, it's a tragedy.

 

[Gigaguy64]

Tragedy.

I dont consider a story where BOTH of the main characters die in a way that makes cry or go "Oh.....wow..." a comedy.

You want comedy?
Twelfth Night was one of the funnest plays i have ever seen.
It is a comedy.

 

[The Lost Big Boss]

Considering the play tells the audience (Or reader) in the first paragraph that it's not a happy ending, and people will die, I think it is safe to say its not a comedy.

 

[dont_blink]

shakespearian tragedy- they die
shakespearian comedy- they dont die

romeo and juliette died.

 

[StriderShinryu]

I studied the play for GCSE. I absolutely love Shakespeare, too. And although R&J does have a few comedic moments, mainly revolving around The Nurse, or Mercutio, the play is specifically a tragedy. I reckon the guy who said that is definitely not a professor of English. If he is he probably went somewhere crap to study. I call troll on that guy. To answer the OP, it's a tragedy.

Yep, definitely some comedic parts and some of the less then veiled insults are quite funny, but it's definitely a tragedy.

 

[zen5887]

Its a tradegy, I didn't think there was much to debate.

Everyone dies - Tradegy.
Someone gets hit with a pie - Comedy.

 

[silver wolf009]

The servants are really funny once you can dechipere them, but the main story is a sad one.

 

[Lexodus]

[sub]I think it's hilarious.[/sub]

 

[Indecizion]

IT is a TRAGEDY lol though i do tend to laugh at it but thats just coz im sadistic >

 

[Baron Von Evil Satan]

I suppose it could be viewed as a comedy from the large amount of irony that is present in the end, but it was written and is most widely viewed as a tragedy

 

[Roxas1359]

It's a Tragedy because the definition of a Tragedy according to my English book is Tragedy: A play that ends up disastrous for the main character(s). However, Shakespeare's play sometimes have numerous puns in them to ease the tension for the audience.