Romantic Comedy, The Romantic Comedy, Rom Com

Romantic comedy originally developed as a genre of literature through dramatic theater. Comedy is one of the oldest types of theater, and comedies were originally produced in Ancient Greece. In this context, a comedy referred to a type of play which had a happy ending, as opposed to a tragic ending. This later developed in the middle ages to include stories with a lighter subject matter. Many people are familiar with the comedies of William Shakespeare, written during the golden age of theater. Shakespearian plays such as Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night's Dream are some early examples of comedies in which romance features heavily in the plot.

The romantic comedy of today developed from these early beginnings. Modern romantic comedies often center around a funny, light-hearted plot, although many may also tug at the heart strings of the audience and include sad moments as well. Often, despite a series of wacky events which appear to separate two people who are destined for each other, true love conquers all in the end and the lovers live happily together for the rest of their lives. Some popular rom com novels include William Goldman's The Princess Bride, Jennifer Wiener's Good In Bed, and The Princess Diary series by Meg Cabot. Many romantic comedy novels are also in the 'chick-lit' genre of current literature.

Many rom coms are also adapted into romantic movies. For example, The Princess Bride was also very successful as a feature film. Many people who are fans of comedy movies may also find the romantic comedy genre appealing. These movies may be even more popular than rom com literature. Some well known examples of romantic comedy films include When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You've Got Mail. Sometimes a movie based on an original screenplay will become so popular that a novel is adapted after the production of the film so that fans can enjoy their favorite stories in both the film and novel format.