Aristotle poetics explained for dummies in simple English
Aristotle was a student of Plato. Plato believed that poetry was against human
well-being. But, Aristotle believed that poetry and especially tragedy was a great
form of drama. I am a student of English literature and bring for you Aristotle’s
poetics explained for dummies in simple English.
Aristotle Poetics background
Aristotle’s Poetics is the earliest work on literary theory to survive. For a long
time, no one knew about Poetics in the west. There was an Arabic version of
Poetics. Then the westerners translated it into Latin during Renaissance.
There were two parts of poetics. The first part is about tragedy and epic
survives. The second part about comedy got lost.
Aristotle and Plato believed that reality has many layers. What we consider the
reality is an imitation of a greater reality.
Plato believed that poetry removes us from reality three times.
There is the highest reality.
Our real-world imitates it.
Then the poet perceives the real world.
And the poet communicates this perception to the reader to create
perceptions in the reader.
But Aristotle believed that art helps to know the highest reality.
Aristotle poetics summary
Aristotle has divided poetry into three forms:
Verse (tragedy, comedy, and satyr)
Epic
Lyric
Aristotle says that philosophy creates ideas. But, poetry imitates the real world
and uses rhyme, rhythm, and harmony.
By using imitation in poetry, we can learn about the real world.
Aristotle says that
The tragedy is the greatest form of poetry that talks of lofty matters.
Aristotle Poetics on comedy
Comedy is the greatest form of poetry that talks of base matters.
Comedy shows the disgrace of inferior people.
Aristotle traces the history of poetry
Dithyramb
Dithyrambs were praises of god Dionysus. A large choir would sing the praises.
A narrator would accompany them.
Aeschylus: He invented tragedy when he brought another person in dialogue
with the narrator.
Sophocles: He introduced a third person in the dialogue.
And, more and more people came into the conversation. This is how the Greeks
created a drama.
Aristotle believed that tragedy evolved from dithyramb.
Seven characteristics of tragedy in poetics:
Mimesis
Explain Aristotle poetics Imitation / Explain Aristotle Poetics mimesis
Poetry is mimesis. In poetry, we imagine an imaginary thing to be real. We see
deaths in tragedy but don’t take any action. We imagine what real character
deaths may be like.
We do not take any action because art allows detachment. Watching death on
stage is not as scary as a real-life death. But, we become more sensitive towards
life when we watch character deaths on stage.
Philosophy is not mimetic because it is all about the real things. But even
philosophy gives ideas. Ideas need not always be real.
Mimesis had more influence on praxis or action than character.
Aristotle says that the poet is the creator. The poem did not exist till the poet
imagined it. But, the Greek tradition said that the poet was only a medium for the
muses to communicate to others.
Aristotle Poetics theory of Imitation
What does the poet mimic?
There is a layer of perception that the five senses can perceive. It is what we can
see, hear, touch, smell, and feel.
But, there is also a perception beyond it. When we draw a shaggy round with a
pencil, others can still perceive it as a circle. It is that perception that the poet
mimics.
The poet does not imitate the actions of others. It imitates human behavior in
general.
Tragedy does not imitate history. It imitates what is possible. So, it is universal
instead of particular.
3. Full and long story
4. Rhythm and harmony
5. Different combinations of rhythms and harmony in different sections
of tragedy.
6. Not narrated by performed
7. Creates pity and fear and catharsis purges it
Explain Aristotle Poetics pity and fear
There is a hero of noble birth and qualities. But, the hero should be plausible and
realistic.
Explain hamartia Aristotle Poetics
Hamartia: The hero should have a tragic flaw. It leads to his tragic end. Hamlet
and Othello are examples. But Hamlet or Othello stem out from Christian moral
traditions. The protagonist suffers because of his faults within.
Greek protagonists would fall even if they made the right choices. Gods or forces
beyond their reach would cause them to fall. The protagonist suffers because of
things without them.
But, the Greek protagonists would choose an admirable way to death. It would be
the consequence of their ethos.
To create maximum pity, family members should hurt each other. If enemies or
strangers hurt each other then there is no tragedy in it.
Moira: In the Greek world where the gods controlled everything, the human was
powerless. Moira meant misfortune that the gods gave to man.
Explain Aristotle Poetics hubris
Hubris: It was a daring action that the protagonist would take to escape
the destruction in the tragedy. Hubris and hamartia worked hand-in-hand in
Greek tragedy.
Explain Aristotle Poetics Katharsis
Katharsis: Katharsis means a doctor gives medicine to a patient. The patient
vomits all toxins out of their body.
Explain Aristotle Poetics Catharsis
Catharsis: Tragedy builds up pity and fear. In our life pity and fear builds up too.
On-stage tragedy helps us get rid of the fear and pity of our real lives.
Miasma: The pollutants were miasma. Catharsis helped to get rid of miasma.
Art creates emotion and so does life. The former softens us while the latter
hardens us. Art acts as a therapy.
For example, in Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. Oedipus killed his father. He had an
incestuous relationship with his mother. Then he destroys his own eyes. But, he
did it all without knowing about his mother and father.
In ancient Greece, they performed drama to praise gods or ancestors. Catharsis
evolved out of aesthetic sentiments.
What are Aristotle’s six poetics/ 6 elements of tragedy in
Aristotle’s Poetics?
All the elements of poetry are as important as another.
Plot
Three parts of the plot are:
Arousal of horror and pity
Continuity of action
Suffering or pathos
Characteristics of a good plot according to Aristotle
Beginning: The plot has a beginning. The beginning need not be the
consequence of any prior action.
Middle: The middle of the plot is a consequence of the beginning.
End: The end of the plot is a consequence of the middle. Nothing needs to
follow after the end.
Surprises: A good plot has surprises that fit into the logic of the sequence of
events.
Peripeteia: It creates surprises by reversal of fortune or error. The plot should
get more and more complex and peripeteia should follow. The end of the plot
should uncomplicate the plot entirely. If there is a reversal of fortune in tragedy,
it should turn from good to bad. It creates catharsis.
Complication: From the beginning of the plot to the peripeteia, the drama
involves complications. After peripeteia, the drama resolves complications.
Aristotle says there should be a balance between complication and resolution.
Anagnorisis: It creates surprises by giving rise to discovery.
Simple plots: It involves anagnorisis which means the character discovers their
identity. It does not involve peripeteia. Tragedy has no such plots.
Complex plots (peplegmenoi): Tragedy has complex plots. It involves
peripeteia and anagnorisis. But comedy or other genres can also have complex
plots.
Logical unity: One part of the plot should follow from another. The logical unity
of drama is analogous to the logical unity of our lives.
Universal themes: A tragedy can express universal truths.
History vs poetry: History can express only particular truths. So, a tragedy that
expresses universal themes is greater than it.
Muthos: Muthos is more than plot. It is the overall structure of art.
Art is analogous to our real-life experiences. It helps us understand our real lives.
Suffering or pathos: There is character death or suffering, destruction or
reversal of fortune from good to bad.
Explain Aristotle Poetics three unities
Three unities in Aristotle Poetics are:
The unity of action
The unity of action was the greatest unity according to Aristotle. All parts of the
plot should relate to each other in an organic manner.
Aristotle does not like episodic plots. In episodic plots, the episodes do not relate
to each other. The plot should be so perfect that if you remove any character or
incident from the plot then it will get ruined.
Aristotle does not like detached episodes or unnecessary digressions.
The unity of time
The unity of time means if in a three hours drama, there are several years then it
is not plausible. It cannot communicate any meaning. Nor can it arouse pity, fear,
or catharsis.
The unity of place
Aristotle did not mention unity of place. But, he mentioned that if the stage can
show several places, the places should not be far away.
Character or ethos
All characters should have moral qualities.
Aristotle believed that good character in men means valor. But, good character in
women meant that she should let others subdue her.
The action of characters shows us whether they are inferior or superior. In good
tragedies, there is a balance between the good and the evil characters.
The protagonist should be relatable but have a noble birth and take moral
decisions without hesitation. So, Hamlet would not be a protagonist in Greek
drama.
Too much morality is not plausible. If the protagonist does not do an inferior
action, there will be no tragedy.
Dianoia: The thought process of the protagonist that makes them take the steps
they take is dianoia. It has philosophical and moral considerations.
Thought
Diction
Explain Aristotle Poetics diction
The process of the composition of poetry is diction. The questions and answers
in the poetry are parts of diction. The nouns, verbs, and inflections are parts of
diction.
There has to be a balance between clarity and dignity.
Clarity means to use common words. Too much of it in a poem can cause
the poem the lose its artistic quality.
Dignity means the use of original words. It makes the poem artistic.
Melody
Spectacle
Epic poetry
It is a narration of events in the form of verse. Epics too should have a consistent
continuity.
Epic imitates the great people.
There is no spectacle in epics but there is a spectacle in tragedy.
Tragedy and epic have different meters.
Epic has a much larger scope than tragedy.
Aristotle concludes that tragedy is superior.
Tragedy creates fear and pity then it purges it. We call the process catharsis.
Aristotle says that tragedy gives more pleasure and is a greater work of art than
tragedy.
Aristotle says that the language of tragedy should be pleasurable.
Epic uses verse whereas tragedy uses music.
Epic relies on narration while tragedy relies on enaction.
Aristotle has a scientific approach to poetry
How do scientists describe a natural phenomenon? They observe it then analyze
it. Objective reality underlies poetry.
Every generation has some of these laws. And, the next generation violates these
laws.
Lexis and melopia
Lexis: In the Greek theatre, there wasn’t much difference between the spoken
and the sung words. The spoken words would be in various degrees on
intonation and pitch. It would be similar to a full-fledged song.
In diction, Aristotle does not pay much attention to lexis. He takes it for granted
that the dramatist knows about lexis.
Melopia: The Greek theatres would associate certain types of music with certain
emotions.
Opsis: The visual aspects of the stage like dance and costume formed the
opsis. Aristotle did not pay much attention to opsis. But, these were important
parts of Greek theatre.
Pleasure proper to tragedy (oikeia hedone)
Tragedy does not produce all kinds of pleasure but only pleasure proper to it. It is
due to three aspects of drama:
Fear and pity followed by catharsis,
The completeness of plot,
Music and spectacle
Aristotle lyric poetry
Aristotle in Poetics says that lyric poetry is an essential part of the tragedy. When
the verse is put into song, lyric poetry comes into being. Aristotle says that
humans have an affinity for a song. Since we use it in tragedy, it is greater than
epic.
How Aristotle treated aesthetics and philosophy in Poetics
Aristotle’s aesthetics
There is a pleasure that comes from the loss of self-control. But, enjoying a work
of art is not that type of pleasure. Humans alone can enjoy the intrinsic beauty of
a work of art.
When we have the knowledge of music, we become better judges of music.
It means we have cultivated an aesthetic taste.
Aristotle Poetry vs history
Airstotle Poetics history: Aristotle says that poetry is more serious than history.
It is because history talks of particular events, while philosophy speaks of
universal truths.
To make the plot plausible, the poet has to understand the intrinsic truth and
outcome of the plot.
What is the theme of Aristotle's Poetics?
Aristotle Poetics epic poetry vs tragedy
Fear, pity, and catharsis
Imitation or mimesis
Component parts and balance
We had a look at all these themes above.
Explain Aristotle Poetics narrative
Narrative means to organize the actions into a plot by imitation.
Tragic hero in Aristotle's Poetics
The protagonist suffers because of his faults within. Greek protagonists would
fall even if they made the right choices. Gods or forces beyond their reach would
cause them to fall. The protagonist suffers because of things without them.
Greek protagonists would fall even if they made the right choices. Gods or forces
beyond their reach would cause them to fall. The protagonist suffers because of
things without them.
But, the Greek protagonists would choose an admirable way to death. It would
be the consequence of their ethos.
The protagonist should be relatable but have a noble birth and take moral
decisions without hesitation. So, Hamlet would not be a protagonist in Greek
drama.
Too much morality is not plausible. If the protagonist does not do an inferior
action, there will be no tragedy.
Aristotle Poetics definition of tragedy
Tragedy reflects serious human actions. The language is artistic and gives
pleasure. There is unity in the plot. It arouses fear and pity and purges it for
catharsis.
Aristotle defines tragedy in book VI as
“an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in
language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds
being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not of narrative;
through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of these emotions”
Conclusion
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