When you read or watch dramatic, highly emotional stories, there are often some comedic scenes peppered in to alleviate some of the tension. This is called comic relief.
It’s an age-old plot device that has been used to let your audience “breathe” from the story. Sometimes you need a break from all the drama or a moment to process the things that just occurred.
What is Comic Relief?
A comic relief is an interruption of a serious scene, named so because the said interruption is often light and humorous. It is used for various effects but mainly to break the tension of a story, much like how we use jokes to ease the heaviness of a difficult or awkward situation.
This interruption can take the shape of a humorous incident, sarcastic remark, or amusing commentary. When a character is frequently used for this purpose, they are called a comic relief character.
This device has two types: internal and external comic relief. The first happens within the story itself. The characters are aware of the comedy. For example, a character might make a joke during a ceremony, in which another character laughs.
The second happens outside of the story—only the audience is aware of the comedy. A writer might include a pun that doesn’t make sense within the story but is understood by the readers.
Examples
1. The Lord of the Rings
Throughout the film, the Fellowship’s quest is emphasized as important and dangerous. They are shown pushing hard through the wilderness, staying alert for any sign of Sauron’s underlings.
And yet, despite the gravity of their mission, Merry and Pippin just can’t help their mischievousness. The scene with Pippin’s “What about second breakfast?” and Merry’s “I don’t think he knows about second breakfast, Pippin.” is a good example of the film’s comic relief.
2. Batman
In whatever media he appears in, Batman’s loyal butler Alfred is always shown with a particularly dry wit. His sarcastic remarks are often a source of comic relief contrasted against Bruce Wayne’s stoic character.
They lighten the mood without detracting from the serious and dark atmosphere that is usually present in any Batman story.
3. Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul
In both series, Saul Goodman regularly deals with Albuquerque’s criminal underworld. Despite the intensity of the situations he finds himself in, his wisecracks and absurd legal solutions are always a source of humor for the series.
4. Game of Thrones
Tyrion Lannister’s wit and sarcasm provide comic relief for an otherwise grim fantasy drama involving war, backstabbing, and an invasion from an almost undefeatable foe.
5. The Shakespearean Fool
The Shakespearean Fool is a character that appears in plenty of Shakespeare’s tragedies, including Othello, Titus Andronicus, and King Lear. Many of them are clever, often using their wits to outdo those above them in social standing.
Writing Effective Comic Relief
Below are a few things to keep in mind to ensure your use of comic relief is effective.
Timing
A writer must know when to introduce humor to their plot. Take care not to annoy your reader with an ineffective or out-of-place joke.
Comic relief shines best when used during emotionally charged scenes. Ask yourself, when is the best time to break the tension?
Think about it, if you add a joke just before the tension, then it serves no purpose. But if you use a well-timed joke just before or after important moments of the scene, you’re able to either subvert expectations or lighten emotions.
A character’s personality and traits
Comic relief characters often have distinct elements that separate them from the rest of the cast. These can take the form of idiosyncrasies, quirks, worldviews, speech patterns, behavior, and more.
These traits make them stand out and can be exaggerated for comedic effect. However, you need to make sure they stay true to your character’s personality and their role in the story.
For example, you can’t have a character you’ve established as an idiot suddenly make a particularly intelligent pun. It goes against the characteristics you’ve built for them. It would be more natural to make them misunderstand something and use that as an opportunity for humor instead.
Balance and moderation
Overusing comic relief lessens its impact on the story and may even anger your audience. Create balance by spacing them out and using different ways to add them in.
On the other hand, underusing it might lead to a lack of balance in your story’s emotional quality. Your attempts will stick out like a sore thumb.
A well-placed joke is also much better than a constant stream of poorly-placed attempts at humor. The former adds emotional depth to the story while the latter only serves to disrupt the reading experience.
Consistency
If you do decide on creating a comic relief character, make sure their personality, behavior, and comedic style stay consistent throughout the story. Your readers should come to expect certain types of humor from your character.
However, this doesn’t mean you stunt their character growth. Their humor should also consistently reflect their evolution so as not to make the changes jarring to the reader. Being the comic relief shouldn’t be their entire personality.
Function of Comic Relief
Comic relief isn’t just a simple interruption. While its main purpose is to relieve the heaviness of a scene, it is done so for different reasons.
It creates a balance between the serious and comedic elements of your story, providing your readers with a well-rounded emotional experience. While negative emotions often provide the most cathartic reactions, you don’t want your story to get too dark and depressing.
It also gives them a chance to relax from all the intensity, maybe even making them laugh. This gives them the opportunity to process their emotions and think more about the recent scenes.
Most of all though, it humanizes your characters. Telling jokes in a stressful situation is a well-documented human trait. This makes them more relatable which ultimately enriches the story.
What is your favorite example of comic relief? Share them in the comments below!
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Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
