The End of Comedy. For an Archaeology of Reconciliation in the 19th Century Romanian Theatre

Abstract

The present article analyses the social function of comedy in the age of building the Romanian modern culture, from an ethical perspective. The importance of the social role of comedy is underlined by its unparalleled prominence and productivity as a literary form, even surpassing the novel in this respect. Martha Nussbaum notes that all societies need “the spirit of comedy” in order to manage the disgust in front of what is new, different, unacceptable or simply other. Taking this cue, the analysis follows the topics of social division, the forms of marginalization and disdain, but also the reconciliation strategies featuring in the 19th century Romanian theatre. Specifically, the article details the end of comedy and its evolutions throughout the century. The approach underlines the way in which literary mechanisms and traditions are involved in peace-making and in social resolution, insisting on the consistency between the forms of social relations (friendship, love, solidarity, co-dependency, etc.) and the literary forms at the end of comedy.