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Tragedy in relation to Aristotle's "Poetics,"
160 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1928
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July 27, 2024
This tome reviews Aristotle's theory of tragedy in eight chapters.
What are the primary requirements of Tragedy? According to Aristotle’s delineation, they are the following:
(1) Tragedy is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude.
(2) Tragedy is written in language which is embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play.
(3) Tragedy is written in the form of action, not of narrative. Narrative is employed in the epic; but tragedy has to be represented on the stage, and must therefore be dramatic in form.
(4) By arousing the feelings of pity and fear, tragedy effects the Catharsis of these emotions.
Aristotle says the Tragedy is the imitation of an action. Now, action implies agents or doers, and so tragedy requires characters. As the medium of tragedy is language, and as the language in tragedy must be embellished with ornaments, Aristotle finds it necessary to speak about diction and song.
As tragedy is to be acted on the stage, it involves spectacle. And thus, Aristotle specifies the following as the six parts of a tragedy: plot, character, diction, thought, spectacle, and song.
Two of these parts (namely diction and song) constitute the medium of imitation; one of the parts (namely spectacle) constitutes the manner or mode of imitation; and three of the parts (namely plot or events arranged in the proper order, character, and thought) constitute the objects of imitation.
After two extremely evocative chapters, ''Aristotle and the Definition of Tragedy", and "The Emotional Effect of Tragedy", the author ensues to an examination of five characteristic features of Aristotle's idea of Greek tragedy: the chorus, plot, character, diction and spectacle, and the three unities.
In this book, Aristotle becomes a breathing mind, a present-day phenomenon. The effect of reading this book is almost like going back to Aristotle for a renewed and more intellectual reading of "The Poetics". And of course, the brilliant contrasts that the author frequently introduces from Shakespeare and other modern dramatists, makes this tome all the more interesting to read.
The language is lucid and the construction of the book very dense. A must-read for all who are concerned with the aesthetic philosophy of tragedy.
What are the primary requirements of Tragedy? According to Aristotle’s delineation, they are the following:
(1) Tragedy is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude.
(2) Tragedy is written in language which is embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play.
(3) Tragedy is written in the form of action, not of narrative. Narrative is employed in the epic; but tragedy has to be represented on the stage, and must therefore be dramatic in form.
(4) By arousing the feelings of pity and fear, tragedy effects the Catharsis of these emotions.
Aristotle says the Tragedy is the imitation of an action. Now, action implies agents or doers, and so tragedy requires characters. As the medium of tragedy is language, and as the language in tragedy must be embellished with ornaments, Aristotle finds it necessary to speak about diction and song.
As tragedy is to be acted on the stage, it involves spectacle. And thus, Aristotle specifies the following as the six parts of a tragedy: plot, character, diction, thought, spectacle, and song.
Two of these parts (namely diction and song) constitute the medium of imitation; one of the parts (namely spectacle) constitutes the manner or mode of imitation; and three of the parts (namely plot or events arranged in the proper order, character, and thought) constitute the objects of imitation.
After two extremely evocative chapters, ''Aristotle and the Definition of Tragedy", and "The Emotional Effect of Tragedy", the author ensues to an examination of five characteristic features of Aristotle's idea of Greek tragedy: the chorus, plot, character, diction and spectacle, and the three unities.
In this book, Aristotle becomes a breathing mind, a present-day phenomenon. The effect of reading this book is almost like going back to Aristotle for a renewed and more intellectual reading of "The Poetics". And of course, the brilliant contrasts that the author frequently introduces from Shakespeare and other modern dramatists, makes this tome all the more interesting to read.
The language is lucid and the construction of the book very dense. A must-read for all who are concerned with the aesthetic philosophy of tragedy.
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