High comedy is a type of comedy that uses cleverness and complex ideas. It often includes funny and clever conversations, humor that points out problems in society, wordplay, characters that act like real people, detailed stories, and topics that make people think. Characters in high comedy are usually from wealthy or important social groups. Performers may act in a realistic way, showing emotions and thoughts clearly.

High comedy is usually not obvious. It may use references to things outside the story, which means the audience needs to understand these hints to find the humor. People who enjoy high comedy are often more educated and know the difference between high and low comedy. People who are less educated might not notice the clever parts of high comedy.

Low comedy is the opposite of high comedy. It may include silly or crude humor, clumsy behavior, or physical comedy. There is no clear line between high and low comedy, and the terms can sometimes be used in different ways. A single story might have both high and low comedy elements. High comedy can use low comedy ideas in a clever or funny way, showing how to use simple humor in a smart way. Just because a story has low comedy parts does not mean it cannot be considered high comedy.

A story of high comedy might be called highbrow or part of high culture. However, these terms usually describe serious works. Comedy aims to be funny, even when it is clever. So, even though high comedy is smart, it is less likely to be seen as high culture compared to serious dramas.

Examples

The most famous example of high comedy is the play The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. The novels written by Jane Austen are also often mentioned as examples. Don Quixote might be seen as a work of high comedy. A writer named George Meredith once said, "Heart and mind laugh at Don Quixote, and still you think about him a lot."

The plays written by Menander are believed to be the earliest example of high comedy. Some people say the plays of Aristophanes are high comedy, while others think they only have some elements of it. Certain plays by Molière and George Bernard Shaw are also seen as good examples of high comedy.

The movie Annie Hall is an example of a comedy film that critics praised as a work of high culture.