Elements Of Romantic Comedies in Literature Essay

Elements of Romantic Comedies

Romantic comedies have grown from everyday comedies to include very specific elements that distinguish them from the normal. One of the main elements of romantic comedies is that the idea of love and its shift from the thought that women should love their husbands more than men love their wives, as well as the belief that sex is something that the man should obtain whenever he asks for it because men are the bread-winners of the home. Instead, romantic comedies are based on heroic love, or love that is not focused on servitude. In this type of love, a man falls in love with a woman and serves her in the hopes that he can obtain sex from her. Although sex is still a factor in this situation, the men have to earn it which in the long run makes the man a better more understanding person. Sex then becomes mutual, and true love is formed between the man and woman. With that understanding of love in romantic comedies, it is easier to point out some of the trends that lead to the overall true love within in storeis and movies that use romantic comedy elements. In romantic comedies, the man and woman that end up falling in love meet one another, usually go through an anxiety that pushes them apart, followed by an outside source saying something about the possible companion that further pushes them apart, followed by the male usually performing a service for the woman to get him noticed as well as try to establish a true relationship, and ending with the man and woman together in marriage. These elements can be easily observed in stories such as Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Bridget Joness Diary directed by Sharon Maguire, as well as endless movies and novels. All of these stories, however, show the relationship between Benedick and Beatrice, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, and Bridget and Mark Darcy as nothing short of the basic romantic comedic relationship.

The break-ups in romantic comedies can be broken into two different types, a double plot, or a psychological block. The double plot is a block, or real misunderstanding in romantic comedies that stems from the character, and a psychological block is an internal conflict that blocks the characters from one another. Along with these two types of blocks, certain outside sources can enhance the separation between the man and woman as well, usually with their strong opinion of the man or woman in question. These people are usually people who are close to the person who is considering expressing their love to the other person that they do not approve of.

In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth as well as Mr. Darcy both has a misunderstanding about one another. Elizabeth believes that Mr. Darcy is too proud to be in a relationship, and Mr. Darcy believes that Elizabeth is not suitable enough for him, She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me; and I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men (Austen, 9). Later in the book, Miss Lucas is discussing with Elizabeth Mr. Darcys pride in which she states, His pride does not offend me so much as pride often does, because there is an excuse for it. One cannot wonder that so very fine a young man, with family, fortune, everything in his favour, should think highly of himself. If I may so express it, he has a right to be proud. Elizabeth replies by stating, That is very true, and I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine (Austen, 14). Elizabeth shows that in the beginning she could have easily forgiven Mr. Darcy, but the fact that he talked down about her to another person left her with no choice but to dislike him. This misunderstanding hinders both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy from showing their true love for one another.

Much Ado About Nothing is not too much different from Pride and Prejudice by the fact that Shakespeare shows Beatrice and Benedick as having strong opinions on relationships. Beatrice believes that even though she is in a society where the father of the woman picks the right husband for their daughter, she should have a choice of who she wants to marry.

With a good leg and a good foot, uncle, and

money enough in his purse, such a man, would win

any woman in the world if he could get her good

will. (Shakespeare, II.i.14-17)

This breaks from the norm of relationships with Beatrice showing how in her eyes, that a mans family status, his status, money, and fathers approval are not the main factors of getting married. Benedick on the other hand believes that all women are basically whores by stating,

But that I will have a recheat

winded in my forehead or hang my bugle in an

invisible baldrick, all women shall pardon me.

Because I not do them the wrong to mistrust

any, I will do myself the right to trust none. (I.i.236-240)

The opinions of these two characters cause a natural clash between them when they come around one another because of their internal, or psychological, conflict about the opposite sex. This also hinders both of them from showing the true love that they have for one another.

Lastly, as seen in Bridget Joness Diary, outside sources pulling men and women apart in romantic comedies is another factor that is important in romantic comedies. Daniel Cleaver and Bridget spark up a spontaneous relationship via email at work. Eventually, Mark Darcy comes into the picture as well, and Bridget ends up in a love triangle. In due time, Bridgets friends are also placed in the middle of the love triangle between them. In the movie, Tom asks Shazzer which side that she was on, in which she replies, Mark's, of course. He never dumped Bridget for some naked American (Maguire, 2004). This opinion from Bridgets friend heavily influences a split between Daniel and Bridget because Bridget has more trust in Shazzer and Tom because she has known them longer. The break-ups in romantic comedies are an indicator that a change in the plot is soon to come, with the two least suspected characters coming together and eventually expressing their love.

As romantic comedies progress, one will notice a shift in the demeanor of the two that secretly love one another, to be more specific, the man will begin to do things to suggest that their blocks on loving one another are just speed bumps. Gestures become more sensitive towards the woman, and the woman begins to notice. In the movie Hitch, the main character Alex Hitch Hitchens goes out on a first date with the lady that he is pursuing, Sara. He takes her on a different type of date consisting of jet-skiing around the statue of liberty, and ultimately ending up at Ellis Island. Hitch takes Sarah to a book that contains the name of all the immigrants who came through Ellis Island to get to New York. When Sara looks at the book, she quickly finds the name of her great-great grandfather who went through Ellis Island. Hitch tells Sara before she looks at the book, You cant know where youre going, unless you know where youve been. Sara then retaliates, Kinda deep for a first date dont ya think? (Tennet, 2005). Although Hitch did not know that Saras family did not really speak of her great-great grandfather because he was a murderer, she still told hitch the next day, Thank you (Tennet, 2005). This indicates that although the gesture that Hitch made towards Sara was not pulled off the way that he planned, she still appreciated it. Hitch took a big step in revealing that he searched Saras family history to reveal that to her on the first date. This left him very vulnerable, because he showed his sensitive side. This is a good example of the man in a Romantic comedy proving himself to gain the love and trust of the lady in order to have her hand in marriage, and obtain true love.

In Much Ado About Nothing, Beatrice asks Benedict to kill Claudio for befouling her cousins name; Come, bid me do anything for thee. Kill Claudio. (IV.i.302-303). Benedick, even with much protest, decides to challenge Claudio in Beatrices honor. This part of the story was the main turn around for Beatrice and Benedick with them finally showing the readers that they in fact loved one another from the beginning. This is the ultimate form of servitude to a woman to gain true love. Actually being willing to risk your own life to gain the woman that you just confessed your love to is very heroic and brave. Once the woman notices that the man is attempting to woo her, she begins to loosen up and let him show the love that he has for her. Eventually they take the giant leap to be with one another forever, and they obtain true love.

Most romantic comedies usually end up with the man and woman being involved with one another whether it is through marriage, or just simply being together. They jumped over all of the boundaries that held them from one another to ultimately confess, and show the love that they felt from the beginning. There are a plethora of examples that can fit within this category. In The Notebook the ending scene shows Allie sitting with her fianc. He tells her that he shouldnt have to convince his fianc that she should be with him, in which she replies, I already know I should be with you (Cassavetes, 2004). The scene then changes to Allie pulling up to the driveway of her former lover Noahs house and getting out with her bags. This movie is different from the others, because it shows the couple together in their older years, from when Allie has Alzheimers disease until they die together in their bed. This example can also be used as the ultimate case of true love in the marriage category because Noah never considered leaving Allie behind for over fifty years.