▁meaning ▁from ▁modern ▁comedy . ▁A ▁Shakespeare an ▁comedy ▁is ▁one ▁that ▁has ▁a ▁happy ▁ending , ▁usually ▁involving ▁mar ri ages ▁between ▁the ▁un mar ried ▁characters , ▁and ▁a ▁tone ▁and ▁style ▁that ▁is ▁more ▁light - heart ed ▁than ▁Shakespeare ' s ▁other ▁plays . ▁ ▁The ▁P unch ▁and ▁Jud y ▁show ▁has ▁roots ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 6 th - century ▁Italian ▁comm edia ▁dell ' arte . ▁The ▁figure ▁of ▁P unch ▁der ives ▁from ▁the ▁Ne ap ol itan ▁stock ▁character ▁of ▁Pul cin ella . ▁The ▁figure ▁who ▁later ▁became ▁Mr . ▁P unch ▁made ▁his ▁first ▁recorded ▁appearance ▁in ▁England ▁in ▁ 1 6 6 2 . ▁P unch ▁and ▁Jud y ▁are ▁performed ▁in ▁the ▁spirit ▁of ▁out rage ous ▁comedy ▁— ▁often ▁prov oking ▁shock ed ▁laugh ter ▁— ▁and ▁are ▁domin ated ▁by ▁the ▁an arch ic ▁c low ning ▁of ▁Mr . ▁P unch . ▁App ear ing ▁at ▁a ▁significant ▁period ▁in ▁British ▁history , ▁professor ▁G lyn ▁Edwards ▁states : ▁"[ P ul cin ella ] ▁went ▁down ▁particularly ▁well ▁with ▁Rest oration ▁British ▁aud ien ces , ▁fun - star ved ▁after ▁years ▁of ▁Pur itan ism . ▁We ▁soon ▁changed ▁P unch ' s ▁name , ▁transformed ▁him ▁from ▁a ▁mar ion ette ▁to ▁a ▁hand ▁pu ppet , ▁and ▁he ▁became , ▁really , ▁a ▁spirit ▁of ▁Britain ▁— ▁a ▁sub vers ive ▁ma ver ick ▁who ▁def ies ▁authority , ▁a ▁kind ▁of ▁pu