... taking everything, the Italians are playing the fool, the French have run away, the Belgians have been overrun whilst looking the other way..." from early on in the novel it is apparent that there is a tonal element with much interchange between tragedy and comedy. Comedy is usually associated with social role reversal i.e. from master to slave and visa-versa. Questions of gender identity always emerge in comedies. Comedy is usually to do with reconciliation and characters are usually rewarded for their growth and reforms in character. Allot of comedy is about the body, it is very physical, and almost feminine in contrast with tragedy which has more masculine qualities. The definition of a comedy is a dramatic composition, or representation of a bright and amusing character, based upon the foibles of individuals, the manners of society, or the ludicrous events or accidents of life; a play in which mirth ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now