Comic Agony: Mixed Impressions in the Modern Theatre

With clarity, liveliness, and wit, Albert Bermel explores the juxtaposition of the tragic and the comic in modern drama, revealing the ways in which these contrasting elements complement and reinforce each other to both depict and evoke conflicting emotions. Examining humor in serious plays, humorous plays on serious themes, and farce, Bermel makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of modern dramatic achievement.