the comic view

Life is a comedy. The interactions, the thoughts, the activities, and ultimately the human existence are all comedic in nature. Larry Norman, a professor at the University of Chicago, provided insight into this disposition in an essay on the 17th century playwright, Moliére. In the essay, Norman details the criticism the dramatist received for his realistic portrayals of life. It was the common view of the period that comedy should “select and correct” nature, rather than present a replicate of it. However, Moliére did not correct his character’s comic foibles, instead he exposed them for all of his audience to see. Enraging his critics further, and strengthening his style, Moliére employed a method that allowed him to not only draw on his own personal experiences, but also those of his audience. Moliére's mimoires were a collection of audience-written stories detailing conversations, experiences, and observations recounted by the audience. While Moliére and his critics dis...