What is the purpose of comic relief in a play?

Question

A. To provide background information about the plot
B. To lighten the mood and provide a break from the tension
C. To introduce new characters
D. To advance the main conflict of the story

Answer 1

B. To lighten the mood and provide a break from the tension

Comic relief serves to alleviate the emotional intensity of a dramatic situation, allowing the audience a moment of levity before returning to the more serious elements of the story.