Comic relief
Humorous scenes or characters interspersed in serious narratives, providing emotional release and contrast, typically lightening tragic tension or emphasising seriousness through juxtaposition.
Real World
In Shakespeare's 'Macbeth', the Porter's drunken, bawdy speech immediately follows Duncan's murder — the humour makes the preceding horror more vivid by contrast, and the Porter's jokes about 'equivocation' darkly echo the play's themes.
Exam Focus
Analyse comic relief by explaining the contrast effect: how does the humour make the surrounding serious scenes feel more intense or significant?
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