1) what is your understanding about Aristotle's poetic??
Plato was the first who inquired into the nature of imaginative literature. According to him,
Philosopher - truth
Poet - pleasure
Plato was opposed to poetry. In particular, he did not like the mimetic aspect of poety - namely that poetry imitated life. This aspect of poetry was seen as opposed to true reality. Plato had a robust idea that what one really needed to know was the eternal forms and one could only gain this knowledge through dialectics, that is, philosophy. This is why Plato banished the poets from his ideal Republic. However, to say that Plato does not use poetry in his writings would be
wrong. Any platonic scholar would tell you that Plato uses plenty of poetic forms and devices all throughout his works. I think he does this, because he sees himself as a true philosopher. True philosophers are not really prone to the dangers of poety, because they have been trained in
the school of philosophy. Aristotle does not agree with the Plato about poet as imitator and that's why he give some philosophy and examples.
Poetry and history :
Aristotle compare history with poetry and both are different from each other not by their medium but history records,
What has happened?
And poety is about
what may /ought to have happened ??
What should be??
And that's why Poetry is more philosophical than history. it'scovering universal aspects compared to historyhistory.
Poet's imitates the 'THINGS' as they are or were, things as they are said or thought to be or things as they are ought to be for example - past or present, common belief and ideal belief. The function of the poet is not ' to relate what has happened but what may happen - what is possible according to law of probability or necessity. And that's why poet's job is more philosophical and higher than that of historian. Historian records the particular where as the poets tend to express the universal.
function of poetry :
Aristotle does not make any categorical statement about the function of poetry. However the function of poetry like other fine arts is to please. The act of IMITATION and the harmony and rythm are pleasing both poet and to the reader.
Aristotle does not state like Plato that function of poetry and other art to teach.
The purpose of poetry is to provide sole pleasure and aesthetic enjoyment. For example like sing a song and dance are also an art which give pleasure directly or indirectly. And teaching of morality it just an incidental.
TRAGEDY as art
Aristotle consider tragedy as highest form of Poetry that aroused the emotions of pity and fear with view to their catharsis or purgation. Tragedy originated from epic which imitate the noble action of good man. Aristotle define tragedy as ,
"TRAGEDY IS AN IMITATION OF AN ACTION THAT IS SERIOUS COMPLETE AND OF A CERTAIN MAGNITUDE IN THE LANGUAGE EMBELLISHED WITH EACH KIND OF ARTISTIC ARGUMENT THE SEVERAL KINDS BEING FOUND IN SEPERATE PART OF THE PLAY."
By SERIOUS means a tale of suffering exciting pity and fear.
By COMPLETE means self contained, with a beginning, a middle and an end.
By of CERTAIN MAGNITUDE means a reasonable length that allows a proper unfolding of the plot and easily grasped by the audience.
The plot should have a certain magnitude or a reasonable length, such as the mind may comprehend fully in one view or with the required time. A reasonable length or size is an essential condition of beauty. Plot should be of the right proportion in itself and in all its parts. If it is too short, the mind will miss many things in it to comprehend it fully and if it is too long the mind cannot take in all the events within the time required by the story.
Artistic ornament—‘rhythm, harmony and song’. These are designed to enrich the language of the play to make it as effective in its purpose as possible.
The form of action—in the tragedy the tale is told with the help of living and moving characters. The speeches and action make the tale. Tragedy is meant to be acted as well as read, whereas the epic is intended to be read only.
Constituent Parts :
Aristotle finds 6 constituent parts in tragedy :
1)Plot - mythos
2) Character - Ethos
3) Thought - Dianoia
4)Diction - Lexis
5)Song - Melos
6) Spectacle - opsis
Plot is the arrangement of the incidents. It is the chief part of the tragedy. To the question whether plot makes a tragedy or character, Aristotle replies that ‘without action there cannot be a tragedy, there may be without character.
Character determines men’s qualities. It is by their action that they are happy or otherwise. Tragedy is written to imitate men in action. It is by their deeds, performed before our very eyes, that we know them rather than by what the poet, as the epic, tells of them. Character is next only in importance to plot.
Thought is what the character thinks or feels during his career in the play. It reveals itself in speech.
Diction is used to accomplish plot, character and thought.
Song is used as embellishment.
Spectacle is the least important part of the tragedy. It is the work of the stage mechanic.
1)Structure of the Plot :
The plot is the soul of tragedy. Hence the artistic arrangements of its incidents is of prime importance
It should have ‘unity of action’. The events comprising the plot will concern only one man and not more. If they concern more than one man, there will be no necessary connection between them, as the actions of one man cannot be put down to another.
The episodic plots—those in which the episodes or events follow one another in mere chronological order— are the worst.
Only once Aristotle mentions what is came to be known as ‘the unity of time’:- ‘Tragedy endeavours as far as possible, to confine itself to a single revolution of the sun, or but slightly to exceed this limit’ whereas the epic action has no limitations of time’.
From this statement, critics were led to believe that for a good tragic plot it was necessary to select an event or events that happened within twenty four hours or so in life, sot that when represented on the stage in about one-fourth of that time on the stage they may not appear unnatural, as they would if the plot-time were longer. But Aristotle nowhere insists on this as a condition. He merely states the existing practices. He is also aware of the fact that in this particular matter, ‘at first the same freedom was admitted in tragedy as in epic poetry’.
The unity of place is not mentioned at. all.
So much confusion was created on the issue of unities that it has to be mentioned that Aristotle never considered them as among the essentials of a good plot.
However, it is necessary that a good tragic plot must arouse the emotions of pity and fear in the spectator.
The change of fortune of the hero should be from good to bad and not otherwise. The unhappy ending is the only right ending, for it is the most tragic in its effect.
The plot is divisible into two parts complication and its denouement. The former ties every incident into complicated knot. The latter unties it. The first is generally called rising action and the second is called falling action.
2) Simple and Complex plot
simple Plot
The plot may be simple or complex. In a simple plot there are no puzzling situations. In a complex plot there will be ‘peripeteia’ and ‘anagnorisis’
‘Peripeteia’ is a reversal of the situation, a deed done in blindness defeating its own purpose, a move to kill an enemy recoiling on one’s own head, the effort to save turning into just its opposite, killing an enemy and discovering him to be a kinsman.
‘Anagnoisis’ is a change from ignorance to knowledge.
Both ‘Peripeteia’ and ‘Anagnoisis’ please because there is the element of surprise in them. A plot that makes use of them is complex and a perfect tragedy should be arranged not on the simple but on the complex plan’.
3) The characteristics of a tragedy
According to Aristotle, tragedy is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language decorated with each kind of artistic ornament. Tragedy is in the form of action. The action brings pity and fear in the audience effecting the proper purgation of emotions called catharsis. Serious action means a story of suffering exciting pity and fear. Action includes all human activities, including deeds, thoughts and feelings. Tragedy has a beginning, a middle and an end. According to Aristotle, there are six parts in tragedy: Plot, character, thought, diction, song and spectacle. According to Aristotle, plot is the soul of tragedy and therefore the artistic arrangement of its incidents is of prime importance. It should have three unities such the unity of action, unity of time and the unity of place. Tragedy is an imitation of an action and of life and life consists in action. Plot imitates action and character imitates men. Thought imitates men’s mental and emotional reactions to the circumstances in
which they find themselves. Fourth come diction or dialogue. So words are decorated with artistic ornament. Fifth come song which is also artistic ornament and enhances the aesthetic pleasure. Finally come the spectacle or stage representation. The spectacle constitutes the manner in which tragedy is presented to the public.
4) The three unities
According to Aristotle, plot is the most important part of a tragedy and therefore the artistic arrangement of its incidents is of prime importance. Plot should have three unities: the unity of action, the unity of time and the unity of place. Unity of action means only those actions in the life the tragic hero appear together as one whole. These actions must be intimately connected with one another. If any one of these actions is removed, the whole play will be disturbed or spoiled. Secondly these actions must have some connections with the tragedy that befalls the hero. Finally the events of the plot will concern only one man namely the tragic hero. Next comes the unity of time which means conformity (agreement) between the time taken by the events of the play and that taken in their representation on the stage. Tragedy must confine itself to a single revolution of the sun or twenty four hours. About one fourth of the actual time of events happened to be represented on the stage. Finally the unity of place means conformity between the scene of the tragic event or events and the time taken by them to happen. But Aristotle nowhere insists on unity of time as a condition of good plot
5) Tragic hero
According to Aristotle, a tragic hero is noble but of ordinary character and he must be honest and willing to sacrifice for others. Tragedy should evoke pity. Therefore the tragic hero should be noble and willing to make sacrifices for others. He brings sufferings to himself through some mistaken act caused by an error in his judgement. Due to this hamartia, the tragic hero gets undeserved sufferings which brings to the audience pity and fear and thereby makes catharsis or purgation of feelings in the people. The misfortunes of the tragic hero excites pity because it is out of proportion to his error of
of judgement and his overall goodness excites fear for his future tragedy
6) Comedy in Aristotle’s vision :
Aristotle in his ‘Poetics’ says that comedy is originated from phallic songs and satirical verses. Satirical verses ridicules persons and comedy ridicules general vices. In comedy characters have some defect or ugliness which is not painful or destructive. Their deeds make laughter. But this laughter leads to no harm or pain either to themselves or to others. Finally comedy is also an art and it has the generalising power of poetry. Comedy represents what may happen. Comedy represents universal and it does not represent individual frailties.
7) Epic and Tragedy
Aristotle says that tragedy is superior to epic. The tragedy appeals to cultivated audience like the epic when merely read. The theatrical performance is an external accessory. Performance in the theatre with music gives more pleasure. The limited length of the tragedy and its greater unity gives a much more concentrated pleasure. This pleasure is more pleasurable than the one that is spread over a long time and so diluted. Tragedy attains its end more perfectly than the epic.
Conclusion :
Closing his defence of poetry, Aristotle considers which art is higher: epic poetry or tragedy specifically, he claims that tragedy is the higher form. Thus, Aristotle concludes that since tragedy is superior to epic poetry in these respects and fulfils its specific function better. Tragedy is the higher art and also weighing tragedy against epic poetry and determining that tragedy is on the while superior.
Words count : 2170
References : https://youtu.be/6rVbVRD6vSI
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