What does the literary term Comic Relief mean?

Answer 1

There is phenomena in the arts (but particularly in drama) where, if you have unrelenting tragedy, that the audience will soon begin to laugh at it. This is not desired. If such happens then you have lost the audience and the play is a failure. To avoid this the play-write inserts some 'comic relief' at a crucial point, so the audience can legitimately laugh at it before going back to the dreadful stuff.

Shakespeare knew of this and in his play Anthony and Cleopatra he inserts a Clown to bring Cleopatra the Asp that is to kill her. (In Shakespeare's day a Clown was a rube or a simpleton.) The Clown answers the queen's questions about the surety of the Asp's ability to kill, saying how nobody ever came back with complaints and other such clever things. After the audience has had their laugh at him they are ready to return to the horrible conclusion of the play.

Answer 2

Comic relief refers to a humorous scene, character, or dialogue that provides a break in tension or drama in a literary work. It is used to lighten the mood and provide a brief moment of humor for the audience or readers.