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Frequent elements of romantic comedy are mistaken identity (as in Shakespeare's [[Comedy of Errors]]), [[cross-dressing]] (as in Shakespeare's [[Twelfth Night]]), romance between a man and a woman who seem to hate each other (as in Shakespeare's [[Much Ado About Nothing]] and [[The Taming of the Shrew]]), and the failure of someone obsessed with [[unrequited love]] to recognize their "true love" (Shakespeare's [[A Midsummer Night's Dream]] and Twelfth Night).

Frequent elements of romantic comedy are mistaken identity (as in Shakespeare's [[Comedy of Errors]]), [[cross-dressing]] (as in Shakespeare's [[Twelfth Night]]), romance between a man and a woman who seem to hate each other (as in Shakespeare's [[Much Ado About Nothing]] and [[The Taming of the Shrew]]), and the failure of someone obsessed with [[unrequited love]] to recognize their "true love" (Shakespeare's [[A Midsummer Night's Dream]] and Twelfth Night).

A modern variation of romantic comedy is the "screwball comedy" popular in Hollywwod films of the 1930s and thereafter. Popular directors of screwball comedies include [[Frank Capra]] and [[Preston Sturges]]. Screwball comedies sometimes used the standard elements of romantic comedy, but tended to use them less explicitly. Much of the humor of the screwball comedy was based on the [[role reversal]] between the leading man and woman. In such comedies the leading man is usually passive and naive, and frequently fails to recognize the leading lady's affection for him. By contrast, the leading lady is often worldly-wise and cynical, and rediscovers herself and her decency through an acceptance of the leading man's sincerity. Typical screwball comedies include Capra's [[Mr. Deeds Goes to Town]] and [[Mr. Smith Goes to Washington]] and Sturges's [[Palm Beach Story]] and [[The Lady Eve]].

A modern variation of romantic comedy is the "screwball comedy" popular in Hollywood films of the 1930s and thereafter. Popular directors of screwball comedies include [[Frank Capra]] and [[Preston Sturges]]. Screwball comedies sometimes used the standard elements of romantic comedy, but tended to use them less explicitly. Much of the humor of the screwball comedy was based on the [[role reversal]] between the leading man and woman. In such comedies the leading man is usually passive and naive, and frequently fails to recognize the leading lady's affection for him. By contrast, the leading lady is often worldly-wise and cynical, and rediscovers herself and her decency through an acceptance of the leading man's sincerity. Typical screwball comedies include Capra's [[Mr. Deeds Goes to Town]] and [[Mr. Smith Goes to Washington]] and Sturges's [[Palm Beach Story]] and [[The Lady Eve]].

Category: Dramatic genres

[[Category: Dramatic genres]]