Sunday, 17 May 2015

Aristotle's Poetics

Aristotle - Greek Philosopher
Born - 384 BCE in Macedonia
Poetic's - How to write a successful tragedy.
- Earliest surviving and most influential piece of literary criticism.
Poetic's - 335 BCE
- When Aristotle was 17 he moved to Athens to study at Plato's Academy for twenty years.


Components of Tragedy (in order of importance)

1) Plot
- Must have beginning, middle and end.
- No cliffhangers or unsolved endings.
- The problem should be relatable but have significant consequences.

2) Character
- Higher status than the audience.
- Good person.
- Consistent.

3) Thought
- A.K.A idea or theme.
- Asking an important question.
- Referred to also as the 'spine'.

4) Diction
- How language is used ?
- Language should be enjoyable.
- The actions should take place through the actors not narration.

5) Melody
- The collective sound of the play.

6) Spectacle
- Costume, set, lighting, props and movement.
- Aristotle believed focusing more on plot than spectacle.


Catharsis: Purification of pity or fear.

Hamartia: A character's mistake.


The Unities:
1) Time
2) Place
3) Action


Complication and denouement are two elements of plot.

All the elements of epic are found in tragedy, but not all elements of epic are found in epic.

Tragedy presents men better than they are.

Anagnorisis: When a character makes a critical discovery/ recognition.

Peripeteia: A reversal of circumstances/ turning point.

Parode: The entry chant of the chorus.

Exode: The exit song of the chorus.

Pathos: Evoking terror, from the plot not the actors.

Mimesis: Imitation or representation.

Mythos: Plot

Ethos: Character

Dianoia: Thought/Theme.

Lexis: Diction/Speech

Melos: Melody

Opsis: Spectacle.

Epic & Tragedy: Both plots around a single action, universal, show what could happen.

Epic:
- No limit to length.
- Not limited by the stage.
- More room for the illogical.
- Action occurs via narration.


Tragedy:
- Has magnitude (day-long).
- Use dialogue and song separately.
- Action occurs through action.
- Cathartic.
- Has no unnecessary parts.

The Aspects of a good plot:
- Beginning, middle and end.
- Unity.
- Complex plot.

Three Aspects of a complex plot:
- Peripeteia
- Recognition
- Pathos

Five types of recognition:
- Sign
- Told
- Recollection
- Illogical
- Events

Four ways a tragedy can follow:
- Action not done.
- Action done full knowing.
- Knowing too late.
- Knowing and stopping.

No comments:

Post a Comment