High comedy is defined as a comedy that appeals to and reflects the life and problems of the upper social classes, characterized by a witty, sardonic treatment. In comparison to that is low comedy a comedy that gets its effect mainly from action and situation, as burlesque, farce, slapstick, and horseplay, rather than from a witty dialogue and characterization. The author Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) defines satire as: "A Poem in which wickedness or folly is …
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showed last 75 words of 994 total
…is only possible with the support of high comedy, because low comedy is for entertaining purposes only. The main character Alonso Quixano, who transformed into the knight-errant Don Quixote, devotes himself to high ideals in a world filled with scheming. In fact, Quixote sometimes seems to be the only sane man in an insane society. His sincerity is what finally wins the reader over. Works Cited: Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de. Don Quixote. New York: Penguin, 2003.