Final answer:
In dramatic comedies, the motivational force that leads to foolish acts typically stems from characters concentrating on practical objectives, often resulting in absurd and humorous situations that both highlight human folly and provide a sense of shared humanity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The motivational force that leads to foolish acts in a dramatic comedy is often the characters' focus on immediate, practical goals rather than ethical considerations. In the realm of comedy, characters find themselves in absurd situations, attempting to navigate through them with limited foresight and a lack of psychological depth. For instance, they might be preoccupied with questions like how to steal money without being caught, rather than contemplating the morality of theft.
In dramatic comedies, this motivation typically springs from the need to overcome immediate challenges, as exemplified by Robert Cohen's analogy of a person running from a bear. The character in the comedy is not thinking about why they are engaged in the folly, but rather how they can achieve their practical goal. This echoes with the broader purpose of comedies: to provoke laughter and provide a release from the constraints of rational thinking, while also highlighting the human condition and its absurd predicaments.
Ultimately, comedies serve to entertain by presenting characters in situations that generate hilarity and often convey a sense of shared humanity in the face of folly, providing the audience with comfort and relief.