In Shakespeare's time, at the end of a tragedy most of characters die and at the end of a comedy there is a marriage. So with this in mind, a traditional comedy would be a romantic comedy. As some other posts mentioned, people like rom-coms because they are predictable and familiar which makes us comfortable and happy. I agree with these comments but I think these characteristics can also apply tragedies.
The romance in tragedies are also based on clichés as the romance in rom coms are. After Romeo and Juliette, stories of forbidden love from two feuding families have run rampant. So has the story of a couple dying for their love for each other.
So if romantic tragedies and comedies both share cliché stories, why does the comedy make us laugh? Well, there are different circumstances and the dialogues of characters would be more witty and funny. But I think also because of the satire included in romantic comedy. Situations are over exaggerated and there are various types of irony. Satire makes us laugh because we see the ways in which it accurately in portrays reality and how sometimes reality can be naturally comical.
Rom coms end with the more optimistic option possible for the situation. Rom coms usually maintain an overall optimistic attitude throughout the entire story. In tragedies, there are moments of optimism but the outcome of the romance is usually a less optimal option .
Although, romantic comedies share some structural similarities to romantic tragedies, the biggest difference is the way the stories make us feel.
I think it's really interesting that you brought up romantic tragedies. Like romantic comedies, these stories often share common plot elements or story lines, although, as you said, they are different in nature. I think categorizing any literature is bound to show trends in plot elements, so it's not surprising that romantic comedies have similarities.
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