Which literary strategy uses humor to relieve the tension in a tragedy?
a. imagery
b. flashback
c. comic relief
d. allegory
c. comic relief
c. comic relief
Comic relief is a literary strategy that uses humor to provide a momentary break from the overall seriousness or tension in a tragedy. It serves as a way to alleviate the intensity of the dramatic events and allows for a temporary release of tension, giving the audience a chance to catch their breath and have a good laugh before diving back into the tragic narrative. Just like eating a slice of pizza after a sad movie, comic relief leaves you momentarily satisfied and slightly less devastated.
The literary strategy that uses humor to relieve tension in a tragedy is called comic relief.
The correct answer is c. comic relief.
To arrive at this answer, first, let's understand the given options:
a. Imagery: Imagery refers to the use of vivid or descriptive language to create mental images in the reader's mind. While imagery can enhance the overall experience of a literary work, it is not specifically focused on relieving tension in a tragedy.
b. Flashback: A flashback is a narrative technique that interrupts the chronological order of a story to depict events that happened in the past. Flashbacks can provide background information or context, but they do not necessarily introduce humor to relieve tension.
d. Allegory: Allegory is a literary device in which characters, events, or settings represent abstract ideas, moral qualities, or historical events. While allegory can add depth and meaning to a story, it is not typically used to introduce humor in tragedies.
Considering the above explanations, the literary strategy that specifically uses humor to relieve tension in a tragedy is c. comic relief. Comic relief involves the introduction of humorous characters, scenes, or dialogue into a serious or tragic story to provide temporary relief from the tension or seriousness of the plot. This technique allows the audience or readers to momentarily break away from the tragic events, providing a release through laughter and lightheartedness before returning to the serious tone of the tragedy.