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Sentimental Comedy is a dramatic genre of the 18th century, denoting plays in which middle-class protagonists triumphantly overcome a series of moral trials. Such comedy is aimed at producing tears rather than laughter and reflected contemporary philosophical conceptions of humans as inherently good but capable of being led astray by bad example. By an appeal to his noble sentiments, a man could be reformed and set back on the path of virtue. Although the plays contained characters whose natures seemed overly virtuous, and whose trials were too easily resolved, they were nonetheless accepted by audiences as truthful representations of the human predicament.[1][2]
- ^ "Sentimental Comedy". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
- ^ Campbell, William. "Sentimental Comedy in England and on the Continent". The Cambridge History of English and American Literature. The Cambridge History of English and American Literature. Retrieved 28 February 2015.