Because tragedies and comedies have different styles and purposes, the presence of fate in these two types of works is very different. In tragedies, such as Antigone, fate is a major theme that is presented almost immediatly and present almost constantly. The characters in a tragedy often know their fate, or are at least given signs of their fate, from the beginning. However, in comedies, such as Beaumarchais’s The Barber of Seville, the presence of fate is not as strong, although it is still there.

The characters of The Barber of Seville do not know very muck about their fates. In fact, what they believe to be their fate in the beginning of the comedy is very different from the way it turns out in the end. In fact, the Count wouldn’t even believe that his fate with Rosine is even possible. At first, he believed that she was already married to Bartholo. It wasnt until the fourth scene that Figarone informs him this was a rumor to “”set off suitors, as yet she is only his ward.” The idea of their love is proposed right away and the audience understands that their fate is most likely to be together, but it takes time for the characters to recognize this, if they do at all.

As the play goes on, the story does lead to a single fate, but the path to it is much less direct than it is in a tragedy. In a tragedy, the fate of the characters is proposed, the characters take actions that lead them to their fate, then their fate comes true. In comedies, not everything leads right to the fate. There are often obstacles that make the audience wonder if things will work out as they expected. For example, when Figaro steals the key so that he and the Count can get to Rosine and she can marry the Count, things seem be leading towards their fate. However, Bartholo discovers that they have the key and plans to stop them, creating an obstacle that leads them away from their fate. While the expected fate does eventually come true, unexpected events such as this one occur to make the story more exciting.

A predetermined fate may be an important aspect of many different types of works, but it can be used and approached in different ways. In comedies, the fate tends to be less known and the path to it tends to be less direct.