ARISTOTLE 'S POETICS

ARISTOTLE 'S POETICS 

 1 ) To what extent do you agree with Plato's objection to the freedom of expression and artistic liberty enjoyed by creative writers? Identify texts (novels, plays, poems, movies, TV soaps, etc.) that can be justifiably objected to and banned based on Plato's objections.

Ans : 

       Information

      Plato's objection to freedom of expression and artistic liberty enjoyed by creative writer because according to Plato the art deal with illusion or they are imitation of an imitation twice removed from reality. 

          His objection 

      Plato's three main objection is poetry are that 

1.    Education 
2.    Philosphical 
3.    Moral view point 

Plato objection to poetry from the point of Education: 

     In book 2 of " The Republic " , he condemns poetry for promoting bad hasiye and vice in children. 

     Plato objected poetry on the basic of Education, by saling that it cultivates evil habits and not practical . But it is not so about all the poems or all the arts. As at that time Homer's epics were the part of studied and in them heroes were lusty, cunning and cruel dealing only with war  and other things .

Objection from philosphical point of view: 

      In 'The Republic " book X : poetry does not leader to , but driver us away from the realization of the ultimate reality - the truth .

      Philosphy is better than poetry because Philosphy deal with idea and poetry iz twice removed from original idea . Poetry tends toward the imaginative word, in which poet use alienation to make his content more attractive. 

Objection from the moral point of view :

      As a moralist Plato disapproves of poetry because it is immoral , as a philospher he disapproves of it because it is based in falsehood. He says that philosophy is better than poetry because philosopher  deals with idea / truth , whereas poet deals with what appears to him .

2 ) Referring to the literary texts you studied during your B.A. program, write a brief note on the texts that followed the Aristotelian literary tradition (i.e., his concepts of tragedy, catharsis, tragic hero with hamartia, etc.)

    Ans : 

           Information

     Aristotle divides the art of poetry into verse drama ( comedy , tragedy and the satyr play ) , lyric poetry, and epic . 

• Concept of  tragedy 

      According to Aristotle Tragedy is an act of imitation; and he defines Tragedy as “the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself; in appropriate and pleasurable language;… in a dramatic rather than narrative form; with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish a catharsis of these emotions.” (1449b Arist. Poet) Thus according to Aristotle there are seven characteristic features for a tragedy as follow:- 

 1) it is mimetic,

 2) it is serious, 

 3) it tells a full story of an appropriate length,   4) it contains rhythm and harmony, 

 5) rhythm and harmony occur in different.        combinations in different parts of the tragedy, 6) it is performed rather than narrated, and 

7) it arouses feelings of pity and fear and then purges these feelings through catharsis.

•  Catharsis  

  Catharsis is the process of releasing strong or pent-up emotions through art. Aristotle coined the term catharsis—which comes from the Greek kathairein meaning "to cleanse or purge"—to describe the release of emotional tension that he believed spectators experienced while watching dramatic tragedy. Today, the word "catharsis" can be used in reference to any experience of emotional release or cleansing brought about by a work of art

•  Tragic hero with hamartia 

           Hamartiya meaning : The term hamartia is used in Aristotle's Poetics, a document where Aristotle laid out his ideas for what constituted good writing and a good structure for a tragedy. Aristotle argued that a tragedy ought to show audiences a story of great misfortune and horror that would allow them to experience catharsis, or a purgation of negative emotions. He argued that a tragedy ought to be composed of four major elements

           Hamartia Examples

There are many hamartia examples to be found throughout literature. The earlier meaning of hamartia, fatal mistake, is associated with pre-Christian writing and especially with ancient Greek tragedy. The later definition, fatal flaw, is more strongly associated with later tragedies. It is worth noting that while tragic heroes usually die, it is not necessary for a literary tragedy to end in death. Suffering and tragic events are sufficient for some tragedies.

            Oedipus Rex

Oedipus Rex is a great example of a tragedy where the hamartia is often misinterpreted. Contemporary readers often suggest that Oedipus' fatal flaw is that he is too prideful, and that his pride causes his downfall. In fact, there is limited textual support for this reading, and the idea that he makes a fatal mistake fits much better. Without having any way of knowing otherwise, Oedipus kills his father and marries his mother. This is an honest mistake that has nothing to do with any personal failings. When he learns what he has done, he is horrified. He gouges his own eyes out to punish himself for his actions, although there is no way that he could have known what was happening or avoided his 

3 )Referring to the literary texts you studied during your B.A. program, write a brief note on the texts that did not follow the Aristotelian literary tradition (i.e., his concepts of tragedy, catharsis, tragic hero with hamartia, etc

 Ans : 

     During our B.A programme we had studied three tragedies 

            

•   All my Sons
•   Tughlaq
•   Othello

                  But three tragedies follows all objection of Aristotalian theory like his concept of tragedy, catharsis, tragic hero with Hamartia except the objection of Unity of time, place and action. Shakespeare had not followed the unity of time, place and action. In the play Othello, Shakespeare not followed the the unity of time, place and action. 

4 ) Have you studied any tragedies during your.      B.A. program? Who was/were the tragic.             protagonist(s) in those tragedies? What was.       their 'hamartia'?

Ans : 

        Information  

      In this case , OTHELLO'S hamaryia or intarnal tragic flaw is extreme jealousy .it is this jealousy that enable him to be tricked and allow him to create his own destruction Shakespeare is full of great examples of hamartia .

        EXAMPLE : 

        Oedipus Rex

        Oedipus Rex is a great example of a tragedy where the hamartia is often misinterpreted. Contemporary readers often suggest that Oedipus' fatal flaw is that he is too prideful, and that his pride causes his downfall. In fact, there is limited textual support for this reading, and the idea that he makes a fatal mistake fits much better. Without having any way of knowing otherwise, Oedipus kills his father and marries his mother. This is an honest mistake that has nothing to do with any personal failings. When he learns what he has done, he is horrified. He gouges his own eyes out to punish himself for his actions, although there is no way that he could have known what was happening or avoided his fate. 

   

5 )Did the plots of those tragedies follow the necessary rules and regulations proposed by Aristotle? (e.g., chain of cause and effect, principle of probability and necessity, harmonious arrangement of incidents, complete, certain magnitude, unity of action, etc.) 

Ans : 

       Aristotle has enumerated six constituent parts of tragedy - plot , character, thought, Diction, song and spectable . The most important of these , is thx plot. The structure of the incidents, the arrangement of things done - that exactly , is what he means by plot . 

       While defining tragedy , Aristotle says tragedy is an imitation of some action that is serious complete and of a certain magnitude . By serious action Aristotle means a tale of suffering exciting pity and fear . Next , as Aristotle points out , the tragic plot must be complete or self - contained with a beginning , middle and an end .the tragic incidents ensure consistence , harmony and coherence in the plot of a tragedy . 

        Regarding his opinion about the three unities , Aristotle has been misinterpreted by same crictics . No doubt, he over rules out the plurality of action, but he does not lay any emphasis on the observation of the unites of time and place .  The question of time touched by , Aristotle only ones . He is simply starting a normal practice dramatic prevalent Aristotle nowhere insists on this Two unities as condition of a good plot.  

Thank you.