Comedy and tragedy do not seem to go well together, because they have opposite conclusions of happiness or sadness. Having comic and tragic plots in the same play can therefore be considered too distinct to be coherent. In The Insatiate Countess, however, it is the differences between the tragic plot of Countess Isabella and the comic plot of Abigail and Thais that reinforce the play's message of loyalty in friendship. Written by John Marston, Lewis Machin and William Barksted, The Insatiable Countess's various storylines could be attributed to the presence of multiple authors. The critic Giorgio Melchiori states that the play is based on Marston's draft, while "the hand of Barksted is more apparent in the tragic scenes, that of Machin in the comic strip" (16). For several authors, the emulsification of the comic and the tragic is even more impressive. Interspersing scenes of comedy and tragedy throughout the play not only consolidates them, but also helps the reader draw parallels between them to reach the common theme of loyalty. The weddings in Act 1 involve the tragic character of Isabella as well as the comic characters of Thais and Abigail, each getting married; and they are all present again for the executions in Act 5, although by this time Thais and Abigail are preventing their husbands' deaths, while Isabella is being executed. The distinctions in these plots serve to show Isabella's divergence from the path of Abigail and Thais: although it is a strange happiness, to save foolish husbands, the comic alternative is certainly preferable to the one who is on the chopping block, and in fact the one who is not saved. of this fate. In the seriousness of their divergence, the comic plot reinforces the message lost in the tragic plot: to be loyal in friendship. T...... middle of paper...... the idiocy of the ds and their own intelligence (something Lady Lentulus just doesn't understand). With each other's help, they are able to prevent their husbands from havoc and disaster, while keeping their own lives happy. The Insatiable Countess's flaws are attributed to her insatiability, which comes from overinvesting in men and devaluing friendship. If she followed the paths of Abigail and Thais, she would not only have someone to channel her energy towards, but also someone to dissuade her from seeking revenge, which would then prevent her from both orchestrating a murder and hang herself. If we can learn from both comic and tragic plots, let us first understand that they convey the same message: observe a moderate investment in one's lover, a greater investment in one's friends and, when balanced by the friendship, a maximum investment. in itself.