Aristotle's Poetics

 Hello readers,

I would like to share my view point on Aristotle's Poetics. This task given by our prof. Barad sir. Let discuss some questions based on Aristotle's Poetics:

# what is your understanding about Aristotle's Poetics?

I am watching six videos base on Aristotle's concept of poetry, catharsis, plot, tragic hero..so and so. Let discuss about it.

Aristotle's was very able disciple of the Plato but his thoughts of different from his guru and not agreeing with certain point. Plato belived that poets are immoral because they further immoral depictions, immoral representations. Poets are possessed, they are working in a stance, in frenzy that is also not proper. According to Plato, poets are liars because of the two reasons.

"God's should remain as god's, better than human beings"

It means the gods are represented in a very false manner. God's should remain as god's better than human being. But they are represented as like, human being, sometimes lesser than human beings.so that is one aspect.

Secondly, he belived that the ultimate real world is an unchanging world. Human can not control by the reality and  poet do that. Poets bring about a change in the unchanging, universal truth through the depiction that why Plato say the poet's as liars.

Aristotle belived that:

"Poetry is not coping but 'Making'"

Poetry is not really coping but it is making so that is where the word poet comes from the Greek Poiein.

Poet- come from the        Greek root.

Poien- to make.

Primarily poetry for Aristotle represents a reality in a very useful way. So if Plato accuses the poet's that they represent wrongly and negative influence of the people. Aristotle put in other argument:

" Poetry represents reality in a useful way from which we can learn e.g. action of the good man which are worth emulating".

Let's discuss some meaning of the Term:-

Minesis:-

It is a critical and philosophical term that carries a wide range of the meaning. Which include 'imitation', 'the act of expression's etc..

Hamartia:-

It means an error which is derived from ignorance of some fact or circumstance. It is often translated as 'tragic flaw'.

Aristotle tragedy divided in six separate parts like:

Mythos- Plot 

Ethos- Character 

Dianoia- Thought 

Lexis- Diction 

Melos- Melody/Songs 

Opsis- Spectacle.

Plot is most important of the Aristotle tragedy.  It is called to the plot is the soul of Tragedy. Plot is the ordering of the action. Then represents that imitates man in action and capturing of man in action is the soul of drama or soul of Tragedy.

Let's discuss about other questions in my understanding way;

# With reference to the literary texts you have studied during B.A. programme, write brief note on the texts which followed Aristotlelian literary tradition (i.e. his concept of the tragedy, catharsis, tragic hero with hamartia etc.)

"All My Son" is best example to followed by the Aristotlelian literary tradition. This play written by Arther Miller. It is an American play, set in typical, suburban twon in the backyard of the family home. In this tragedy represent of the terrible crime that Joe Keller Committed, killing 21 innocent pilots and aslo murder of his son only for making more money. This then leads to the final tragedy of the play, keller's abrupt suicide.

Here, Joe Keller is presented in tragic hero in the play. Joe Keller can be described as being tragic because his whole life dedicated to his family.he destroyed not only his own life but also the life of his son. He makes the mistake of lying about the cylinder head incident and this incident he lost his son and 21 innocent Pilot. Joe was hungry for the money and profiteering this is hamartia by the Joe Keller. He constantly justifies his actions by everything he does it for his family. He intention opposite to the society.

#With reference to the literary texts you have studies during B.A. programme, write brief note on the texts which did not follow Aristotlelian literary tradition. ( I.e. his concept of tragic hero with hamartia, tragedy, catharsis etc.).

The Hariy Ape by Eugene O' Neil is considered as modern tragedy because it is not conventional in Aristotlelian tradition. 

Aristotle say that the hero of a tragedy must be exceptional individual a man of high rank, a king or a prince but here the Yank, the hero of 'Hairy Ape' is not a king a man of the high rank. He is not king, Prince or the extra ordinary human being. He is common stoker, he is the power which makes the ship go.

There is no tragic flow. Yank is the tragic hero in the play but in different way. He doesn't suffer from any fault of his own, but he conflict with his environment with certain social force that are much stronger than he. here society is the real villian. Yank after being insulted experience a great conflict with in himself as well as with outside force. so this is the tragedy of common man which is not following the rules of the tragedy of Aristotle.

# Have you studied any tragedies during B.A. PRogramme was/were the tragic protagonists in those tragedies? What was their 'hamartia'?

Othello is tragic hero whose hamartia is jealousy. He is a powerful leader and deeply loved his faithful wife Desdamona. Othello is make trust on Iago at some extention, who is responsible for the downfall of Othello, he not think in own mind but blindly followed his friend Iago and killed his innocent wife based on his Jealousy.

Here end of my views on Aristotle's Poetics and other questions of the how many tragedy followed the Aristotle concept of the Tragedy.

Thank you.