Epic Poetry & Tragedy

Aristotle begins his "POETICS" by pointing out that imitation is

common basis of all fine arts, which Homer, differ from each other in their objects
of imitation and their manner of Imitation. Then he discusses in Poetics last
chapter epic and tragedy.

"A long narrative poem, on a grand scale, about

the deeds of warriors or heroes, incorporating
myth, legend, folk tale and history."
and
"A tragedy is all about sad sorrowful events,
in most cases, teach some important lessons
of life by arousing a sense of pity and fear."

Epic poetry is like that of Tragedy because both the genres are imitations
in verse of characters of higher type. Both are composed in the interest of being
taken seriously. All the elements of an epic poem are found in Tragedy, but all
the elements of an Tragedy are not found in the Epic poem. Both Tragedy and
Epic differ in many aspects: Epic poetry is limited to one kind of meter and is
narrative in form. Epic has no time limits while tragedy take place in one whole
day.
Turning to the subject of the epic, Aristotle states that epic is
narrative in form and employs a single meter. It plot should be constructed on the
principles of tragedy. For its subject , epic should have a single action, whole and
complete, with a beginning, a middle and an end. It will thus resemble a living
organism in which all parts have their special and indispensable function, and like
a unified creature it should produce appropriate pleasure. An epic is based on
historical events, but it is differ from history.

Tragedy admits a variety of meters. But epic allows only heroic

meter. The hexameter has the advantage of being the gravest and most dignified.
The iambic meter used for tragedy is nearer ordinary speech, and hence it has no
place for rare words. Aristotle says that:

"Nature has established the heroic

verse for epic purposes."

Epic relates an action concerning the fortunes or destiny of people or

nation and thereby it presents the life of an entire period. The plot of an epic is a
story of suffering and it may be simple and complex but it must have unity. It can
admit many episodes only because they can bridge the pauses in action or bring
a diversion to the reader. The thought and diction must be artistic.

Aristotle once again admires Homer who first of all put these to use
and that too in their full capacity. Homer's Iliad and the Odyssey complement
each other in this way; the Iliad being simple in plot and a poem of passion
because recognition scenes run through it, and the Odyssey being a complex

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 Epic Poetry & Tragedy
poem of character. At the same time, both poems surpass all others in their
mastery of language and thought.

According to Aristotle,

"It is a wrong notion because the complaint

only concerns the art of acting."

In tragedy we cannot imitate several lines of actions carried on at one and the
same time; we must confine ourselves to the action on the stage and the part
taken by the players. But in epic poetry, owing to narrative form, relevant to the
subject and dignity to the poem. The Epic has here an advantage, and one that
conduces to grandeur of effect, to diverting the mind of the hearer and revealing
the story with varying episodes.

To sum up, we can say that neither epic is superior to tragedy nor
tragedy is inferior to epic. It all depends on taste of the readers. Aristotle says
that it is sufficient to discuss about tragedy and epic poetry in general; their
several kinds and parts, their differences and the causes that make a poem good
or bad; as well as objections of the critics and the answers to these objections.

Written & Composed by SAEED QURESHI M.A English (part 1) Page 2