Task B: Read Aristotle: Poetics (Chapter I, II, III, VI)

Questions: What is Aristotle’s concept of imitation? How does he define tragedy

and its elements? How would his views differ with Plato’s?

Aristotle’s concept of imitation is another take of Plato’s notion that

poetry and literary art itself are just a product of mimicry and it is twice
removed from reality. In Aristotle's opinion, the idea of imitation ties poetry
with other great arts and serves as the foundation for all of them. As a result, it
distinguishes fine arts from other types of art. He describes an object of poetic
imitation as “men in action” and the poet represents men as either the worst
and best version of themselves. It is the ideal reality and not a mere copy of
natural things which Plato proposed in his concept of mimesis. There is no
falsehood in the work of a poet but just a creative process of representation
thus he pointed out that imitation is a creation which a poet crafts his art
inspired by the reality of the world and makes something new out of this
inspiration.

Tragedy in Aristotle’s perspective is a mimesis of imitation of action and

life and it aims to bring catharsis to the viewers through presenting instances
and scenes that provokes pity and fear. Tragedies seeks to imitate the
seriousness of human nature of life and often these drams present the rise and
fall of the protagonist due to his hubris and choices in life which left audience
to ponder their own moral deeds leaving them feeling uplifted at the end.
Aristotle presents six main elements of tragedy. First is the Plot where it is the
arrangement of the incidents which he further stressed that tragedy should
have a beginning, middle, and end. Plot will brought the tragic effect of the play
especially the peripeteia or the sudden reversal of fortune in the protagonist’s
life. Character is the second important element for characters are the doer of
the action which is the main object of representation. Characters portrays the
moral qualities that the drama is trying to present. Thought on the other hand,
is the rational decisions the character does just like asking thought provoking
ideas in a dialogue. Diction is the medium of language while song is the
composition that contribute to the mood and purpose of the drama. Lastly, the
spectacle which is the theatrical effect of the stage, props, dances and visual
aids that let the spectators understand the act without fully relying on the
actors themselves. These elements are essential in a Tragic plays to present the
reality of life as artistic it could be.

Plato and Aristotle’s notion of mimesis are two opposite ideas of artistic
representation. While Plato used this word to ban poetry, Aristotle on the other
hand used it to promote poetry as creative reimagining of life. In an Aristotelian
society, poets are using the nature of human life as an inspiration and reshape
it in a different medium thus the poet is both an imitator and creator,
debunking Plato’s idea that poets are just mere imitator. Another difference is
the fact that Aristotle associates poetry with music, whereas Plato relates it
with painting. It becomes a picture of men's passions and feelings, which are
also mimicked by music, rather than a servile reproduction of their
appearance. Plato claimed that poetry are mere illusions and will cause
detrimental effects on human morale which Aristotle argued since he believed
that the emotions such as catharsis that a spectator or reader of poetry feels
will invoke rational realizations thus it will lead them to better understand
morality. From the abovementioned differences, we can conclude that
Aristotle's idea expanded the reach of imitation's concept. The poet imitates the
reality that lies underneath the surface of things and recreate it as a work of
art that presents moral development.

Analyze Oedipus Rex following Aristotelian concepts of tragedy

Oedipus Rex is a perfect example of Aristotelian tragedy. It has the plot

of which Aristotle described good tragedy consisting peripeteia, anagnorisis and
catastrophe. Oedipus can also be considered a perfect tragic character since
his story revolves on the rise and fall of his character brought by his flaws or so
called hamartia. Often protagonists in a tragedy are filled with hubris or pride
which also became the reason of their demise. This masterpiece of Sophocles
has been existing for years and years and it still evoke a cathartic emotions to
readers and spectators.

In Aristotle’s requirement of a good plot, peripeteia is one of its

ingredients. It is a scene of a play or drama where the character experienced a
so-called reversal of fortune, a startling turnabout in events that brought the
protagonist to the exact opposite of he hoped for. In Sophocles’ play this
reversal happened when Oedipus realized that he is the son of King Laius and
Jocasta and the prophecy that he long evaded came true without his knowing.
Anagnorisis is another important part of tragic plot, this is the part where the
main character recognizes his true identity- a transition from having no
awareness to having one. This revelation was brought by the perpeteia and it
contributes to the inevitable fall of his character. In the play we can see this
anagnorisis when Oedipus found out his true relationship to the King and
Queen of Thebes. This realization greatly affected his being which leave the
viewers to feel the same pain and guilt he is experiencing. The emotions
brought by peripeteia and anagnorisis are what fuels the catharsis of the story.
Catharsis is not targeted to the characters in the tragedy but rather it is aimed
to the audiences. It aroused fear and pity to the audience thus it move them to
reevaluate their life decisions in order to not fall on the same fate as of
Oedipus, the prideful king.