Poetics : Summary

Summary

[The summary is written in a point-based so that you can understand it easily.]

Poetry type, structure, and content: In the beginning, Aristotle discusses the different types, structures, and elements of poetry. Here he talks about different types of poetry like Epic, Tragedy, Comedy, Dithyrambic poetry, and Music. He defined poetry as a medium of mimesis or imitation through language, rhythm, and melody. He spoke of imitation for writing poetry i.e. writing poetry through imitation.

Aristotle’s views on Tragedy: According to Aristotle, tragedy originates from the attempt to make a man nobler than his real state, while comedy originates from making a man lower than his real state. Epic or epic tragedy makes people look great. Aristotle gave very important views on tragedy. Tragedy has certain structures. Aristotle said that the dramatic form is used more than the narrative form in tragedy. Aristotle while describing tragedy says that tragedy evokes emotions of pity and fear in the audience. Even after the tragic hero commits a great crime, the audience feels sympathy and pity for him. Then Aristotle mentions the six elements of tragedy. such as

• Mythos, or plot (background),
• Character,
• Thought
• Diction,
• Melody or Song,
• Spectacle.

Importance of Plot in Tragedy: Plot refers to the sequence of events or the proper arrangement of events. The plot is the essence of tragedy. The rest of the elements of tragedy depend on the plot. The plot starts from the middle state or from the end. According to Aristotle, plots are basically of two types. For example Simple Plot and Complex Plot.

Simple Plot: Simple plot means here the story of the drama will move forward without any kind of twist. For example, we can say, J. M. Synge’s famous play “Riders to the Sea”.

Complex Plot: In a complex plot, the story of the play moves forward with a special twist. About the complex plot, Aristotle said in the tenth chapter, “A complex plot is one in which a change is accompanied by a discovery or a reversal or both.” The gritty tragedy “Oedipus Rex” is a famous example of the complex plot.

Aristotle spoke of four elements of the plot. For example,

• Astonishment,

• Reversal,

• Recognition,
• Suffering

The most important and essential thing to write a good tragedy is to maintain the “unity of plot”. The plot should have surprise, change, recognition, and suffering.

Characteristics of an ideal tragic hero: According to Aristotle, an ideal tragic hero must possess certain qualities. In particular, it should have these features. For example,

• Hamartia
• Hubris
• Peripeteia
• Anagnorisis
• Nemesis and catharsis
• High birth or blood
• Neither so good nor bad

Hamartia: Hamartia is a Greek word. Which means the tragic flaw that leads to the downfall of the tragic hero. Hamartia does not refer to the tragic moral fall or absence of morality in the tragic character but refers to the three truths of ignorance of the situation, error of judgment, and voluntary commitment to error. So to be a tragic character he must have Hamartia in his character.

Hubris: Hubris is a Greek word. Hubris refers to excessive pride and disregard for the laws of nature. Aristotle says that the ideal tragic character will never be completely good and never completely bad, he will be a normal person.

Peripeteia: The Greek word Peripeteia means a reversal of fate. Peripeteia is one of the main characteristics of an ideal tragic character. Aristotle defines the reversal of fate as the journey of a tragic character from happiness to sadness or from sadness to happiness.

Anagnorisis: Anagnorisis refers to the sudden discovery of a new event at a crucial moment in the play. And this discovery completely changes the direction of the plot. Aristotle says that the sudden revelation of new events is essential to an ideal tragedy. But as currently shown anagnorisis can be an ideal tragedy. For example, we can say “Riders to the Sea” written by J. M. Synge.

Nemesis and catharsis: Nemesis refers to the punishment and suffering of the tragic character and catharsis on the other hand refers to pity and fear in the audience for that tragic character. An ideal tragic character has to undergo extreme suffering. And this suffering creates compassion in the audience.

High birth or blood: According to Aristotle a tragic character must be of high birth i.e. he must have royal blood. But as we now see it is not mandatory to be the ideal tragic character. As an example, we can see Maria, an ideal tragic character in Raiders of the Sea.

Difference between Tragedy and Epic: Aristotle drew several differences between tragedy and epic. Aristotle says that epic has no song or scene but tragedy has a scene and song i.e. tragedy has a choral arrangement. No story in Epic is limited to one location but Tragedy is limited to the same location. Aristotle originally preferred tragedy to epic.