Aristotle (384 B.C- 322 B.C)
His Critical works and their Nature
uThe most distinguished disciple of Plato
uHe is also known as the tutor of Alexander the Great
uOnly two of his treaties are extant – Poetics and Rhetoric
uPoetics- dealing with the art of poetry
uRhetoric- deals with the art of speaking.
uPoetics has a greater attention because it deals with many more problems of literature.
uAristotle talks about the nature and purpose of Poetics.
uThe conclusions are rooted in Greek Literature. Taking the whole body of extant Greek Literature, he deduces conclusions from it. They do not necessarily cover literature produced later and in other countries.
uDryden said : had Aristotle seen English tragedies, he might have changed his mind.
u
uThe Plan of Poetics:
u 50 pages, 26 small chapters
uBelieved to have had a second part which is lost
uIt is like a summary of his lectures- written either by his pupils or by himself.
uThe first 4 chapters and the twenty fifth chapter are dedicated to poetry.
uThe fifth one in general to comedy, epic and tragedy. The following 14, exclusively to tragedy. The next three to poetic diction and the next two to epic poetry.
uAristotle's main concern- tragedy
uHis observations on Poetry:
uJust like Plato, he says that a poet is an imitator, like a painter or any other artist who imitates one of the three objects- things as they were or are (past or present), things as they are said or thought to be ( what is commonly believed) or things as they ought to be (what is ideal).
uHe says that imitation is something that differentiates man from lower animals. Imitation brings pleasure and it is an inborn instinct in man.
uWhen a child is born, he/she learns things by imitating. So it is this pleasure of imitation that helps a child to learn.
uBut, he says, poet’s imitation is not unreal- twice removed from reality- just as Plato said.
uThey reveal truths of permanent or universal kind.
uHe compares poetry and history to prove his point. He says, it is not the duty of a poet to relate what has happened, but what may happen. He says the main difference is not their style of writing but that one relates what has happened and the other relates what may happen. So, poetry is more philosophical. Poetry expresses the universal, history, the particular.
uBy this, Aristotle answers Plato’s severest charge on poetry.