American Journal Of Philological Sciences
136
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajps
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue07 2025
PAGE NO.
136-139
10.37547/ajps/Volume05Issue07-35
The Origins and Gradual Evolution of The Comedy
Genre in Eastern and Western Literature
Osiyo Siddiqova Normurod kizi
PhD Candidate, Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature named after Alisher Navoi, Uzbekistan
Received:
31 May 2025;
Accepted:
29 June 2025;
Published:
31 July 2025
Abstract:
This article investigates the diachronic development of the comedy genre within the context of Eastern
and Western literature, encompassing the period from antiquity to the Middle Ages. Two major aspects of the
genre’s evolution are emphasized: its earliest manifestations and the key factors that contributed to its
subsequent development. The study draws on theoretical frameworks, notably Aristotle’s Poetics, to support its
analysis.
Introduction:
Until relatively recently, the cultural
cradle of humanity was widely believed to lie in ancient
Greece and Rome. This assumption influenced
centuries of scholarly, cultural, and scientific
endeavors. However, archaeological discoveries over
the past century have increasingly suggested that the
true origins of early civilization lie in the East, not the
classical West. In contrast to the West, where the
comedy genre evolved primarily through theatrical
forms, in the East it developed along two parallel lines:
as a formal genre and as an integral part of oral folk
traditions. Drawing upon these findings, it becomes
plausible to assert that the earliest manifestations of
dramatic literature can be traced to the East. For
instance, a papyrus dated to approximately 1970 BCE
contains what is believed to be the first known
dramatic scene in world literature. Similarly, early
Egyptian literature exhibits proto-generic features of
travel narratives and fables. In the East, drama evolved
uniquely: in India, it took a complete form during the
first millennium CE; in Japan by the 10th
–
11th
centuries; and in China by the 14th
–
15th centuries.
METHOD
When studying the emergence and development of the
comedy genre in Eastern literature, it is essential to
emphasize that our homeland holds a unique position
among all Turkic countries due to its distinct
nationality, traditions, and rich oral folk heritage.
Therefore, we decided to examine this genre within the
confines of our own region, without venturing beyond
it. The reason for this lies in the fact that Ancient
Turkestan, which has been one of the dominant powers
in the world for thousands of years, was one of the
centers of the very land we inhabit today. Hence, these
phenomena reflect the richness of our history, culture,
customs, and especially the oral folk creativity
embedded in the studied genre. All positive qualities
typical of the East are embodied in it. For this reason,
to compare Eastern comedic elements with the
comedy genre in Western literature, the example of
Uzbek literature was chosen for study.
The dramaturgy of the Uzbek people is steeped in
centuries of history and tradition. It has existed for a
long time in the form of oral plays incorporated into
various public festivities such as jesting, clowning,
puppet theater, and other mass celebrations. The fact
that it has appeared in various forms and is deeply
connected with our cultural history indicates that this
art form has a syncretic nature. Medieval scholars also
had their own reflections on the term “comedy.” In
particular, the renowned scholar Abu Nasr al-Farabi,
who possessed deep knowledge of the world’s science,
traditions, culture, and customs, expressed the
following ideas about comedy:
“As for comedy, it is a specific kind of poetry, which also
has a certain meter; it mentions bad character traits,
ridiculing people and the nature of their morals that are
considered blameworthy and undesirable. Often, it is
accompanied by musical intonations, in which the
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
137
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American Journal Of Philological Sciences (ISSN
–
2771-2273)
ridiculed behaviors are recalled. These referenced
behaviors involve ugly forms-symbols related to
humans, animals, or both.” (Al
-Farabi based his
reasoning on literary traditions. Also, here the great
scholar referred not so much to the genre of comedy
but rather to amusing situations.
—
Editor’s note). Al
-
Farabi provides a clearer and more detailed definition
of tragedy compared to Ibn Rushd. However, the
radically different religious and cultural conditions
prevent understanding tragedy in the way Aristotle
defined it. Indeed, tragedy and comedy are products of
different
cultural
environments,
and
their
comprehension requires a similar context. For Islamic
culture, this genre was entirely foreign.
Another medieval encyclopedic scholar, Abu Ali ibn
Sina (Avicenna), in his book Salomon and Ibsol, devoted
the fourth chapter to “The relationship of the number
of verses to their intent, especially regarding tragedy.”
He stated: “We will postpone the d
iscussion about
Geksamatr
—
six-footed
—
and comedy, since tragedy is
more important than satire and irony.” Ibn Sina also
relied on Aristotle’s Poetics in his reflections. In
antiquity, tragedy was glorified while comedy received
comparatively less attention. Ibn Sina continued this
tradition. Following the Arab conquests and the spread
of Islam, there was some hindrance to the formation of
comedy as known in antiquity, because the majority of
ancient comedic works consisted of crude and
thoughtless jokes, which were unsuitable for our
culture. In our sacred religion, mocking others is also
negatively evaluated. However, over time, it was
understood that comedy could be a means to expose
those harming society, false religious leaders, and
scoundrels, as well as an instrument for educating
people.
The sovereign of the word, Alisher Navoi, although he
did not explicitly express his views on comedy,
incorporated
comedic
and
satirical
elements
characteristic of this genre into his works. Navoi’s
attitude toward humor is valuable and noteworthy. As
an example, one may cite the story in the 131st chapter
of the epic Lisonut-Tayr. In it, a madman sets off to visit
the shrine of Baytullah, but when darkness falls and
rain begins to pour, he entrusts his donkey to God and
enters a hut. After resting, when he goes out, he cannot
find his donkey in the darkness. He addresses God:
“I caused great distress to Majnun,
I angrily spoke to the Creator,
‘Who is the beast I entrusted to you now?
You showed kindness, or so I thought.
If you had not been careless,
Not lost in heedlessness and neglect,
I would have kept my beast safe,
Yet you made it vanish in the dark night!’”
Suddenly, lightning flashes, illuminating everything,
and he sees his donkey grazing nearby. Filled with
anger, he calls out to God again:
“Oh, my soul is devoted to my div...
With wrath, I treated you harshly.
For I entrusted my donkey to you,
Yet you neglected your duty.
Although I have every right to be angry,
I completely forgot about you.
You should also endure this displeasure,
For I will never shame you,
Do not disgrace me either.”
The madman’s behavior and his conversation with
God
—
sometimes praising himself, sometimes acting
petulantly
—
evoke pure laughter. After all, who dares
to address the Almighty with such bold and careless
words except a madman? This situation is thus
humorous and creates a feeling of laughter.
“If every madman speaks secrets to God,
It can be recklessness or freedom.
For the beloved is the Lord of this world,
Whatever the beloved does is to be accepted.”
If every madman confides in God, this may be seen as
innocence and liberty, because such people are
beloved by the Creator. Every action of the beloved one
is pleasing. Navoi emphasizes that to a person beloved
by God, everything is permissible. Even if they commit
rudeness, it is not considered sinful. However, not
everyone is capable of such behavior, except those
whom society regards as wise fools or eccentrics.
As stated earlier, the development of the comedy
genre in Western Europe advanced more rapidly
compared to the East. Western literary figures
considered themselves heirs to ancient literature and
modeled their works on all the compositions created by
their predecessors. Therefore, in Western literature,
for centuries, plots from ancient Greek and Roman
works were repeatedly adapted. After the fall of the
Roman Empire, Latin became the unifying language for
various peoples inhabiting different regions of Europe.
Medieval Western European scholars and philosophers
wrote their works in this language. Although the exact
form of the comedy genre as such was not yet visible in
this period, the fable genre can be regarded as its
precursor. The fable was a short poetic story intended
to entertain people’s minds and was associated with
urban literature and close to anecdotal forms. The style
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
138
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American Journal Of Philological Sciences (ISSN
–
2771-2273)
of fables was imperfect and generally simple.
Characters in this genre were portrayed as clever,
mischievous, wise, or cunning. While originally
designed to amuse, this genre gradually laid the
foundation for the creation of novels. One of the most
famous medieval Western European works, The
Romance of the Fox, is evidence of this. Likewise, in
Molière’s The Imaginary Invalid and La Fontaine’s
Fables, elements of the fable’s plot and style can be
observed. In German literature, influenced by this
genre, satirical and realistic works known as Schwank
emerged.
Unlike the East, in the West, comedy sometimes
included coarse jokes and themes considered
inappropriate. Comedy that relied on crude humor was
classified as low comedy. However, some comedies
were devoted to social problems and their resolution,
which were regarded as high comedy. The division of
comedy into such types was mostly based on thematic
criteria. The use of coarse jokes in comedy originated in
ancient Greek theaters, where this type of comedy was
designed for stage performance and was called satire.
Satyr characters were half-human, half-animal beings,
such as one-eyed creatures. Satyr actors wore special
costumes before performances to emdiv these
creatures’ appearances. These characters were openly
dressed and distinguished by their crude language.
Throughout the centuries, reflections on comedy were
studied according to Aristotle’s teachings. According to
Aristotle, comedy should depict people from the lower
social strata and their ordinary way of life. However,
today this definition has evolved and become more
complex. The medieval researcher Terence Donatus,
having studied ancient comedies, stated the following
about the names given to Greek comedic characters:
“Athenians depicted some people humorously
to
expose the faults in their lives.” German literary scholar
Lessing, in his work Hamburg Dramaturgy, wrote:
“Dramatists who write humor rich in satire increasingly
created satirical comedies directed at state officials,
endeavoring to name the criticize
d characters openly.”
By doing so, playwrights openly exposed corrupt
officials who troubled ordinary people and had no
business with anyone else. Aristotle’s other definition
of comedy reads: “Comedy is the representation of
relatively worse people,” and “Laughter is the diversity
of ugliness that does not cause shame or suffering to
anyone.” Comedy may not cause pain to people but has
the power to expose.
CONCLUSION
Although comedic literature exists in all cultures,
perceptions of it vary according to ea
ch society’s moral
and cultural frameworks. Western literature has
historically accorded high importance to comedy,
leading to its earlier and more diverse development. By
contrast, Eastern literary traditions, constrained by
religious and ethical concerns, developed comedy
more cautiously and in tandem with oral performance
traditions. The discrepancy in the development of the
comedy genre between Eastern and Western literature
spans over four centuries.
This study explores the development of the comedy
genre in Eastern literature, with a particular focus on
Uzbek literary traditions, highlighting the unique
cultural and historical context of the region. Unlike
Western Europe, where comedy evolved rapidly
influenced by ancient Greek and Roman models,
Eastern comedy developed more gradually, often
intertwined with oral folk art and cultural norms.
Medieval Islamic scholars like Al-Farabi and Ibn Sina
provided early reflections on comedy, although the
genre was not fully embraced due to religious and
cultural constraints. Comedy was often seen as
inappropriate when involving ridicule, but over time it
became recognized as a tool for social critique and
education.
Uzbek literature, exemplified by the works of Alisher
Navoi, incorporates comedic elements that balance
humor and moral teaching, often using satire to expose
societal flaws without disrespecting religious values. In
contrast, Western comedy evolved through influences
such as fables and satirical plays, sometimes including
coarse humor (low comedy) and more refined social
critique (high comedy). Aristotle’s definition of comedy
as depicting “worse people” and evoking laughter
without
harm
remains
influential,
though
contemporary understandings are more nuanced.
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