Assignment of Literary Theory and Criticism western :1 : Aristotlelian Tragedy

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Paper -3: Literary Theory and Criticism western :1

Prepared by : Gohil Jyotiba M.

Roll No : 18

Assignment  Topic -  Aristotlelian Tragedy 

M.A (English) : Sem -1

Enrollment No: 2069108420180016

Batch : 2017-19

Email  ID : jyotibagohil96@gmail.com

Submitted to : Smt .S. B Gardi , Department of English, MK Bhavnagar University. 

● Aristotlelian Tragedy : 

 ● About Aristotle :

    Aristotle is a towering figure in ancient Greek philosophy, making contributions to logic, metaphysics, mathematics, physics, biology, botany, ethics, politics, agriculture, medicine, dance and theatre. He was a student of Plato who in turn studied under Socrates. He was more empirically-minded than Plato or Socrates and is famous for rejecting Plato's theory of forms.

      As a prolific writer and polymath, Aristotle radically transformed most, if not all, areas of knowledge he touched. It is no wonder that Aquinas referred to him simply as "The Philosopher." In his lifetime, Aristotle wrote as many as 200 treatises, of which only 31 survive. Unfortunately for us, these works are in the form of lecture notes and draft manuscripts never intended for general readership, so they do not demonstrate his reputed polished prose style which attracted many great followers, including the Roman Cicero. Aristotle was the first to classify areas of human knowledge into distinct disciplines such as mathematics, biology, and ethics.

      Aristotle famously rejected Plato’s theory of forms, which states that properties such as beauty are abstract universal entities that exist independent of the objects themselves. Instead, he argued that forms are intrinsic to the objects and cannot exist apart from them, and so must be studied in relation to them.

      ● Definition of Tragedy : 

                   " Tragedy is an imitation of an action  that is serious , complete and of a certain magnitude , in a  language embellished with each kind of artistic ornaments , the serval kinds bring found in separate parts of the play , in the form of action not of narrative, though pity and fear effecting the proper purgation catharsis of these and similar emotions. "

 ● Nature and function of Tragedy :

  This is a definition of tragedy. Every word of it is a pregnant meaning. Each word from it can be elaborated into a separate essay.

* Representative of life : 

      All art is representation or imitation of life , but it can't represent life in its whole. So in this artist has to be selecting in representation. He must choose best part of life. Every literature are represting life one or another way but it should be not whole part of life it should be selective and best part represting in literature.

* Action :

     In this action includes of all human activities including deeds , thoughts , feelings so in it includes every emotions and feeling. Soliloquy and chorus are also a part of action in tragedy. They make play understandable to audience. In tragedy action is the most important part .

* serious side of life : 

     Tragedy it self represting serious side of life.The writers of tragedy seeks to imitate the serious side of life. Just as a writer of comedy seeks to imitate only the superficial and shallow side. So writer of tragedy imitate serious side of life .

*  complete action : 

   In tragedy the tragic  section presented on the stage in drama or play should be completed or contained with a beginning , middle and an end . In a beginning is that before which the audience or reader doesn't need to be told anything to understand the story. If something more is required to understand the story than the beginning gives,  it is unsatisfactory.  It should be followed the middle. In their turn the events from the middle lead to the end . Thus , the  story becomes a compact.

   In the tragedy nothing that is unnecessary.  Every episode, Every character and dialogue in the play must carry step by step.  It should connected with logical. It must give the impression of wholeness at the end.

* certain magnitude :

   The play must have magnitude in a proper size or a reasonable length such as the mind may comprehended fully . It should not longer than about three hours or shorter than that longer duration may tire our patience and shorter doesn't make effective representations.

* language : 

  In the play language is important part . Language employed duly embellished and beautified with various artistic ornaments as for example rhythm , rhyme , harmony and songs and figurative speech.  In the tragedy the language of our daily use is not useful in tragedy because tragedy has to presented heightened picture of life 's serious side. So it is impossible if elevated language of poetry is used. According to need writer makes use of song , poetry , poetic language  and dialogues.

* Form of action not narration :

   In the tragedy action is most important than narration . It's manner of imitation should be action not narration as in the Epic , for it is means to be a dramatic represtation not a more story telling.  So in the tragedy action is most important part of tragedy.

*  Theory of catharsis : 

  The aim of tragedy is to shake up in the soul the impulses of pity and fear . In the tragedy most important function is catharsis.

  Meaning of catharsis :

   •  F.L. Lucas : there has been ago long controversy about Aristotle 's meaning.  He considered it as  ' Purification '  . It has been suggested that our pity and fear are purified  in the theatre by coming disinterested . It is bad to be selfishly sentimental , but it is good to pity  Othello and to fear for Hamlet .

    There is strong evidence that Catharsis means not' Purification ' but ' Purgation '. Aristotle 's  father of physician.  In Catharsis means ' purgation ' not in the modern but in the older and wider English sense which includes the partial removal of excess  ' humours '. The theory of humours is outdated in the medical science.

  The passion to be moderate are these of pity and fear.  The pity and fear to be moderated and it is important.  There can never be an excess in the pity . But there can be too much pity as an intense and helpless feeling. At the same time fear are to be moderated.  Aristotle specifically mentions 'sympathetic fear for the characters.'

      Truth of psychology as elucidated by Aristotle in his theory of Catharsis. It makes us critically aware of psychological process that contribute to the art experience of tragedy so while enjoying this experience we are not aware of these process. Pity alone would be sentimantaly and fear alone would make us cowards. But pity and fear and sympathy and terror together constitue the tragic feeling which is the most delightful though it is tearfully delightful.

● Aristotle 's six parts of tragedy :

1) Plot : 

 

                 

   Plot is the first principle of tragedy. The most important feature of tragedy so we can say that  " Plot is the soul of tragedy ". Aristotle defined plot as " The harmonious arrangement of incidents ". In this it is not the story itself but the way the incidents are presented to the audience and the structure of play . It depends on the  " cause and effect chain of action " . 

Plot 's following quality  : 

● The  plot must be whole with beginning,  middle and end . The beginning must start the cause and effect chain but it is not dependent on any outside. The middle must be caused by earlier incidents.  At the end should therefore silver the problem crated during the earliest moments.

● The plot must be complet having a unity of action.

● The plot must be of certain magnitude in both quantitatively  in length and complexity and qualitively in seriousness. Plot should be not brief .

● The plot may be either simple or complex. Complex is better than simple because simple plots have only a change of fortune. Complex plots have both ' reversal of intention ' and  ' recognition '.

● Principle of probability and necessity : The plot must deal with an action incidents and situations that is possible according to the low of probability and necessity. So there are following possibilities : Probable and possible , Probable but impossible,  improbable and possible, improbable and impossible.

 2) Character :

     

Character is the second important element of tragedy. Each of character has essential quality or nature  that is revealed in the plot .the characters  should have four important quality :

 A) Good or fine : November matter who they are but character should be good in some way.

B) Fitness of character :  The characters should be act appreciate for their gender and station in life.

C)  True to life : True to nature .

D) Consistency :  True to themselves.

E) Necessity or Probable : Character must be logically constructed according to the low of probability and necessity.

F) True to life yet more beautiful :  idealized

•  Tragic Hero : 

  1) Good man - coming to bad end . It is shocking and disturbs faith.

  2) Bad man   -  coming to good end .

  3) Bad man   - coming to bad end .

  4) Rather good man  - coming to bad end .

3) Thought : 

Thought is the important part of tragedy. Thought is the power of saying  what ever can be said and should be said at each moment of plot. Thought is the way to express the feeling towards audience.

4) Diction : 

Diction is the important for tragedy.  The use of good language make play successful.  Language is the important for any play.  It should highly oriented with each kind of artistic ornaments.

5) Melody : 

 Melody  and spectacles are accessories . Aristotle said that music has to blend with in the play appropriately. Melody and spectacles make difference between Epic and Tragedy .  Melody and spectacles should be appropriate to the theme of the play .

 6)  spectacles : 

Spectacles are also accessories of play. Spectacles played important part to make tragedy successful.  Spectacles make play interested . It should be according to theme of the play .

Conclusion : 

   So Aristotle gives a new way and definition to the tragedy.  He was  a Philosopher and looks for  ideal forms and trys to define a nature of tragedy and also define six important part of tragedy. He gives important of catharsis and Hamartia in the tragedy . Also the spectacles and melody make tragedy different from other parts of literature.  Tragedy it self a highest serious form of life .it was his view to see tragedy so latter on it also be called as " Aristotlelian Tragedy ".

Work sited : 

http://www.iep.utm.edu/aristotl/

D: \Sem 1 June 2010 \ Lit crit \ Litaray Theory & Criticism \ Unit 1 Aristotle \ Slide JVD CPR Aristotle. docx