Aristotle's Poetics II Aristotle's Concept of Tragedy

 ARISTOTLE: THE POETICS

Aristotle’s Concept of Tragedy

INTRODUCTION:

Extolling the genius of Aristotle, Saintsbury remarks:

“He is the very Alexander of criticism, and his conquest in this field, unlike those of his pupils, remains practically undestroyed, though not unexpended to the present day.”

Aristotle had a versatile genius. He had an unquenchable thirst to conquer the unexplored territories of knowledge, such as drama, politics, ethics, history, medicine, philosophy, logic, astronomy, mathematics, rhetoric, biology etc. These were just a few dished among others with which he tried to feed his appetite for learning. That is why Plato once said that his academy consisted of two parts – body of his students and the brain of Aristotle.

‘The Poetics’ by Aristotle is the most amazing, inspiring and the most influential classical critical document on poetry. ‘The Poetics’, in the words of Atkins is a “miracle because it contains so much that is of permanent and universal interest.”

This magnanimous work has been hailed as “the world book” in which Aristotle explores the field of tragedy which was hitherto unexplored. Abercrombie rightly avers:

“The theory of tragedy is worked out with such insight and comprehension that it becomes the type of the theory of inspiration.”

Let’s recall his famous definition of tragedy:

“Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action, that is serious, complete and of a certain magnitude; embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not narration; affecting proper purgation of these/such emotions.”

ARISTOTLE’S CONCEPT OF IMITATION:

In the beginning of his definition, Aristotle writes, “Tragedy is an imitation of an action.” Here, he follows his own Guru Plato, but rejects Plato’s negative idea of “copying”. Aristotle says that imitation means “imaginative reconstruction of ideas”. Tragedy deals with the serious actions taken from life. The dramatist rebuilds and reconstructs these actions and makes them beautiful with the help of his imagination. (Remember Sidney? “The world is brassen, the poets only deliver golden.”)

Aristotle says that the dramatist must imitate only serious actions from life because tragedy has to be noble, serious and elevated. Here man is depicted better than he is.

ACTIONS MUST BE COMPLETE:

Aristotle believes that the actions presented in tragedy must be complete in themselves. An action having a good beginning, a good middle and a good end is said to be complete. If the play begins abruptly, the reader or the audience may not understand what it is about. When the play ends, let not the audience ask, “What happens next?” In short, there must be proper organic unity in the work of art.

ACTIONS WITH CERTAIN MAGNITUDE:

The “completeness of action” is directly linked with “magnitude”. By “completeness”, Aristotle means “organic unity”. The organic unity is immediately linked with the size of the work of art. If the tragedy does not have appropriate limit or size, it loses its symmetry. The tragedy should “neither be too long like an island, nor be too short like an eye of a fly.” Tragedy must be finished within a single revolution of the sun.

In ‘The Poetics’, Aristotle writes that the tragedy…

“…should center upon a single action, whole and complete, and having a beginning, a middle and an end.”

USE OF ORNAMENTS:

Aristotle states that tragedy should be “embellished with each kind of artistic ornaments”. The Greeks believed in the cult of “philodalos” (love for beauty). But in the modern age, tragedies have become realistic and therefore the language became drab and dull. Aristotle says that the tragedy writer should use different ornaments to beautify his language and all these ornaments must be used in different parts of the play. 

ACTION NOT NARRATION:

Moreover, tragedy should be acted, not narrated. In fact, here Aristotle distinguishes between tragedy and epic. Epic with a wide area and space to play has to be narrative in form. But tragedy has to complete itself within “a full revolution of the sun” and so it tends to be dramatic. But this does not mean that all bloody and ghasty actions should be performed on the stage. That is why Lucas suggests that:

“Not everything permits itself to be acted. Let not Media slay her sons before the audience.”

FUNCTION OF TRAGEDY:

Towards the last part of the definition come the most complicated, the most researched and the most controversial term “Catharsis”. The theory of Catharsis attracts the readers strangely. Aristotle says that “Catharsis” means “purgation” (removal of excessive emotions like pity and fear). The function of tragedy is to arouse the suppressed emotions like pity and fear in the hearts of the audience. When excess of emotions are aroused and tears come in the eyes of the audience. This gives them a feeling of relaxation. This relaxation leads to pleasure. 

CONCLUSION: 

Thus, to conclude, Aristotle’s definition of tragedy found in ‘The Poetics’ proves to be quite fascinating to the critics for it bears the weight of great significance. Aristotle’s magnanimous, powerful, scientific and logical arguments on poetry, tragedy and its function are indeed a marvelous contribution to literary criticism by him. In fact, Aristotle is the true milestone of English literary criticism. McGraw Hall rightly says:

“As a philosopher, a scientist, logician and literary critic, Aristotle probably did much to shape western culture.”

Atkins considers him as “the law giver and absolute monarch to the poets and critics.”

Click here to watch a video lecture.