A tragedy is a more dramatic play, with fictional characters, usually with a depressing ending, such as Romeo and Juliet or Macbeth, while a historical play is always a form of historical fiction that involves real people who once lived, such as the many plays about Henry IV, V, and VI. The plays that go under each category can vary, as for example, Atony and Cleopatra is usually considered both a tragedy and a history play.
