With origins in ancient Greece, comedy is one of the four original literary genres, as defined by the philosopher Aristotle in his work Poetics. The other three genres are consistent with tragedy, epic poetry and lyric poetry. Not to be confused with comedy associated with television and film which focuses entirely on humorous discourse generally intended to entertain; literary comedy is characterized by general humor, happy endings, and communal celebration. This assignment will critically analyze the plays of William Shakespeare and Bernard Shaw and consider what characteristics they share and how they differ. It is also important to thoroughly understand the genre of comedy, exploring its origins, definitions and subdivisions. Literary comedy can be divided into 'Burlesque' (associated with ridicule), 'Comedy of manners', 'Satiric' and 'Farce', among others (Stott, 2005). The plays of Shakespeare and Shaw take the form of dramatic comedies and can all be associated to some extent with the above criteria. The comedy-drama starts off rough and quickly involves its characters in funny situations, ultimately ending happily; but it's worth noting that not all comedies are funny and lighthearted. Dramatic comedy differs from burlesque and farce in that it has a tighter plot, more sensible and intelligent dialogue, and more plausible characterization. The term 'comedy' derives from the Greek-Latin 'comoedia' which is formed by combining 'komos', meaning 'to rejoice' and 'aeidein', meaning 'to sing'. Both are characteristics of Shakespearean comedy and are evident in Dream of a midsummer night especially with reference to Titania, who delights in her singing; and Bottom, who is enchanted by her singing...... middle of paper ......les in contemporary society still seek comedy for evoke laughter and amusement as their medieval counterparts did. Therefore, the aims, purpose and values ​​of comedy have remained unchanged from those initially established in Aristotle's ancient Greece. To conclude, the plays of Bernard Shaw and William Shakespeare are both relevant to their specific time period and linkable to their respective societies. However, the similarities that they both share show the extent to which the genre has remained unchanged. It is understandable that the works may differ in some aspects because, despite the consistency of the genre, Public expectations have changed over the centuries. The main point is that the plays of Shaw and Shakespeare are identifiable for the most part by the same characteristics outlined by Aristotle and developed by Shakespeare himself.