a humorous or farcical interlude in a dramatic film, usually provided by a buffoonish character, intended to relieve the dramatic, built-up tension or heighten the emotional impact by means of contrast Example: Walter Huston as a grizzly prospector - dancing a jig on ground laced with gold in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
In a tragedy, a short comic scene that releases some of the built-up tension of the play - giving the audience a momentary "relief" before the tension mounts higher. The "porter scene" in Shakespeare's Macbeth is an often-cited example; following the murder of Duncan, a porter jocularly addresses the audience as to the effect of drinking on sexual behavior. In the best tragedies, comic relief also provides an ironic counterpoint to the tragic action.
A humorous scene or incident that alleviates tension in an otherwise serious work. Often these moments enhance thematic significance of a story in addition to providing humor.
An amusing element introduced into a serious speech or play to temporarily relieve tension.
a humorous scene or speech in a serious drama which is meant to provide relief from emotional intensity and, by contrast, to heighten the seriousness of the story.
is the use of humor to lighten the mood of a serious or tragic story, especially in play s. The technique is very common in Elizabethan works, and can be an integral part of the plot or simply a brief event designed to break the tension of the scene. Example: The nurse serves as a comic relief in Romeo and Juliet.
Comic Relief is a British charity organisation which was founded in the United Kingdom in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis in response to famine in Ethiopia. It now raises money for Africa and for disadvantaged people in the UK. It was launched live on Noel Edmonds's Late, Late Breakfast Show on BBC1, on Christmas Day 1985 from a refugee camp in Sudan.
Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character or scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.