What does Aristotle Say About Three Dramatic Unities?

Answer

Did Aristotle insist on three unities of drama? Or, What does Aristotle say about three dramatic unities? Or, Did Aristotle insist on three unities of drama?

The concept of the “three unities” in drama, articulated by Aristotle (384-322 BC) in his famous work “Poetics” (335 BC), has been a cornerstone in the study of classical literature and dramatic theory. These unities—unity of action, unity of time, and unity of place—are principles that aim to create a cohesive and focused narrative in theatrical works.

Three Dramatic Unity: The unity of action demands that the action of a tragedy must be a complete whole. There may be several incidents and events in an action, but together, they must constitute one action. 

The unity of time means that the action of the play should take place in a short internal chronology, ideally no more than 24 hours. The unity of place means that the action should take place in a minimal number of locations. These three unities have been considered necessary to create credibility in a play.

The Unity of Action: The unity of action is an organic unity, which gives the form and meaning of a tragedy. Aristotle lays more emphasis on the unity of action. He says,

Tragedy, then, is a representation of an action that is worthy of serious attention, complete in itself and of some amplitude.

It indicates that the action must be complicated,

Now a whole is that which has a beginning, middle, and an end.

The beginning must not necessarily follow some previous situation. There must be an earlier part of the story. The beginning must be clear and intelligible. It is neither too long nor too short in size. Then, the middle is consequent upon a situation that is connected with the beginning. And finally, the ending, which is followed by nothing.

The Unity of Time: The unity of time is the second of three unities. Unity of time refers to the action of a play should occur within a single circuit of the sun. The action does not continue for more than 24 hours. Aristotle says,

In an epic, there is no fixed limitation of time, whereas tragedy endeavors to keep as far as possible within a single circuit of the sun or something near that.

According to Aristotle, spectators will not believe in the reality of action if a drama lasts more than a single day. If the spectators remain disbelieving in the action of a tragedy, it will fail to arouse fear, and it will be futile.

Unity of Place: Unity of place means that a play’s action is confined to a single physical location. Aristotle argued that this would enhance the plausibility of the story and maintain the audience’s immersion in the narrative. By restricting the setting, the playwright can focus on the characters’ interactions and the development of the central conflict without the distraction of changing scenes and locations.

From the above discussion, it is clear that these three unities are essential to a successful tragedy. Aristotle mentions their formative unities by considering his own at the time. But he emphasizes the unity of action and says it is the controlling law of a drama.