MAKERERE UNIVERSITY

NAME: MULYOWA ALLOYSIOUS

REG NO: 18/U/42264

STUD NO: 1800742264

COURSE NAME: LITERARY CRITICAL THEORY

COURSE CODE: 2101

LECTURERS NAME: DR EVELYN NABULYA (ENM)

QUESTION:

A) Briefly identify and outline Aristotle’s major ideas on tragedy in the poetics
B) Aristotle’s ideas can be considered a response to Platos thought on the relationship
between poetry and society in both the iron and the republic. Agree or disagree to this
statement
a)

Tragedy is a form of drama based on human suffering that invokes an accompanying catharsis or
pleasure in audiences. Aristotle was an ancient Greek philosopher and scientist born in the city of
chalkidiki in the north of classical greek.he was considered the father of western philosophy,
which inherited almost its entire lexicon from his teachings, including forms of knowledge and
many scholars praised him for being a good writer. For example G.M Sifakis in his book
Aristotle on the function of tragic page 73 poetry tells us how Aristotle did not harm when
placing his ideas in writing.

Aristotle defines tragedy in the poetics as an imitation not of men but of an action that is serious,
complete and a certain magnitude, in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament.
He further goes on to tell us that tragedy falls into two parts which include complication and
unraveling or denouncement. He further continues to say that incidents extraneous to the action
are frequently combined with a portion of the action properly to form the complication part and
the rest is unraveling. Therefore the unraveling is that part that extends from the beginning of
change to end of tragedy.

Tragedy comprises six elements of which without them there isn’t tragedy. They include plot,
character, thought, spectacle, diction and music.

Plot is the first element of tragedy. Aristotle goes on to affirm that plot is the most important of
all the elements of tragedy. He says that plot should consist of three units that are time, action
and place. He further states that a tragic plot should be a complete whole with a definite
beginning, middle and end and also the events should follow a chronological order.

Furthermore character is the second most important element (poetics 1450b1).it is important
however to note that character does interplay with the other elements and it introduces morality
as Aristotle says “…character is what makes us ascribe certain moral qualities to the agents”
(poetics 1450a4)

The third element is the thought which is also vital when it comes to tragedy. Thought is the
power of saying whatever can be said. This is not what the character says that may reveal
elements of the character, but what a character says regarding important intellectual themes. As
Aristotle puts it “all they say when proving or disproving some particular point, or enunciating
some universal propositions”. Therefore a characters’ arguments on certain ideas brings out his
thought in drama

Another element of tragedy is spectacle or scenic effect which is mostly involved with actions on
stage. For example coincidence and disguise and it have an emotional attraction of its own. It
also involves the decorations on stage scenes on stage like torture, loud lamentations, dances,
garments etc .these also bring out catharsis in the audience. Therefore it’s important to note that
spectacle is very important when it comes to tragedy

Aristotle also states that music as an element of tragedy is among the basic ideas that form
tragedy. Since music creates an atmosphere on the stage and it in most cases arouses emotions
like fear, love, pity etc in the audience. Therefore this explains to us that a tragedy without music
is incomplete and it may not create the intended impact in the audience.

Lastly it is diction. Diction refers to the choice of words. But Aristotle defines it as the actual
composition of the lines that are recited. In Aristotle’s nichomachean ethics, he calls for
finding the mean or middle between the extremes of a character. In similar fashion in his poetics,
he suggests that extremes in diction should be avoided. He calls for a mixture of poetic language
and common speech. Therefore he asserts that proper diction should be used in order to create an
effect in the audience.

In conclusion, all the elements of tragedy are very vital which means omission of one of the
elements might not bring out the intention of tragedy which is catharsis

(b)

Aristotle was a great disciple of Plato, and it was he who took up the challenge of Plato to show
that poetry was not only pleasant but also useful for humanity. Though Aristotle does not directly
refer to Plato, yet his poetics is a covert reply to his great master

I do agree that Aristotle’s ideas can be considered a response to Plato’s thought on the
relationship between poetry and society in both the ion and the republic.
Aristotle believes that poetry has a terminal value that is to say viewed as an end itself.” whether
tragedy has yet perfected its proper types or not; and whether it is to be judged in itself or in
relation also to the audience-this raises another question. Nevertheless, tragedy as also comedy
was at first mere improvisation. The one originated with the authors of the dithyramb, the others
with those of the phallic songs” luc Brisson (Plato the myth maker) highlighted on the
importance of poetry by saying “the consequence of writing was to record orality on a scale that
is never. Previously, the creation of written records then drew the attention of some literate
Greek.”Therefore this disagrees with Platos negative views about poetry

Furthermore Aristotle continues to say that poets compose under inspirations not by use of
reason. He continues to say that poets don’t write to inspire there readers but their main aim is to
bring evil in the society. Therefore according to Plato’s arguments he concludes that poetry is
dangerous. However his student Aristotle responds by saying that poetry has national principles
and guidelines. He further continues to say that poetry is all about talent not inspirations.ken
knabb in his book the relevance of Rexroth, bureau of republic secret 1997 pp88,says that
“poetry is an art and to a greater extent talent is paramount in this sphere of literature”

Aristotle challenges Plato’s theory of artistic imitation by poets who he believes are removed
from truth since the poet copies a particular object which in turn is a copy of universal idea
Henry (1949).a case to live at, Plato developed in his book the republic(x), where he says
what a carpenter designs is a mere resemblance of existence but what is real can’t be made .and
what a painter makes is merely an appearance, thrice removed from reality and truth. Aristotle
argues that imitation is the way through which human learning is facilitated by juxtaposing what
contextualizes them emotionally, physically etc. in this case imitation is the way through which
knowledge of reality and ideal forms is required and enhances creativity of new figures and
notions of understanding about reality

Furthermore on imitation Plato likened poetry to painting. Aristotle likened it to music.

According to Plato, poetry imitates only surface appearances as does a painter, but according to
Aristotle poetry imitates not only the externals but also internal emotions of experience.
According
Plato also feared that students may lose the mental ability of reasoning and start being more
emotional if they were taught poetry. But Aristotle through the theory of catharsis proved that
people tend to clear excess emotional feelings in them after reading poetry rather than becoming
more emotional. According to dotter Kenneth in the transformation of platos republics pp
170 he asides with Aristotle saying that “…poetry not only arouses emotions but also regulates
harmful emotions in the audience” When people read a work they sometimes tend to become
more emotional and start crying, when they undergo this process they cleanse themselves off the
excess emotions in them.

Aristotle had strong belief that poetry is key to success because it make community through
learning different styles of life. This helped to change peoples’ lives from sadness to joy.
Martha Husain in her book of “ontology and art of tragedy: an approach to Aristotle’s
poetics pp 109, he praises Aristotle for having done a recommendable job that brought him
happiness and others. He analyzed his work critically and had this in his mind. This is a response
to Plato who believed that poetry caused only havoc to the society so it had to be banned.

In conclusion this is how Aristotle defends poetry against the attacks of Plato and establishes that
poetry is not only pleasant but also useful
 REFERENCES

BUTCHER S.H, Aristotle’s poetics pp

Demaio de 2002 Plato, the republic pp 457

DOETER, Kenneth.the transformation of Plato’s republic. Rowan and Littlefield publishers 2006

Husain Martha, ontology and art of tragedy: an approach to Aristotle’s poetics 2012

Ken knabb.the relevance of Rexroth bureau of public secrets1997 pp88

Luc brisson.plato the mtyh maker,edited,and with an introduction by gerrard

naddaaf.chicago:university of Chicago press,1999

M.A.R Habib.literary criticism from plato to the present 2011

Rijksbaron plato ion or:on the iliad volume 14 LEIDEN.BOSTON 2007

Sifakis Michael Gregory,Aristotle on function of tragic poetry,crete university press herakleion

2001

Zanka graham.aristotles poetics and painter:the johns Hopkins university

press.vol.121,no.2(summer 2000) pp 225-235
REFERENCES

1. Graham zanka.aristotle’s poetic and painter: the johns Hopkins university

press.volume.121, no 2(summer 2000),pp 225-234

2. Martha Husain, ontology and art of tragedy: an approach to Aristotle’s poetics 2012

3. Aristotle’s poetics translated by s:h Butcher

4. Plato, the republic, 18 DeMaio de 2002 pp.457

5. Albert rijksbaron Plato ion: on the Iliad volume 14 LEIDEN.BOSTON 2007

6. Habib M.A.R literary criticism from Plato to the present 2011

7. https://www.jstor.org/stable/156/981

8. https://www.bopsecrets.org

9. https://www.idph.net