Poetics

Christine Lee
 Core Concepts
• Imitation: reproduction
of human situations and
events
• Catharsis: purgatory
power of tragedy
• Unity: six components
into an organic whole

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldonliner/179379698/
 Influence on Literature & Arts

• Impressions of fate
• Characters are
secondary to the whole
system of order

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yelnoc/515719778/
 Views on Plot
• Plot is the first principle, the
“soul of a tragedy”
• Characters are not as important
as the plot
• Defined as the arrangement of
incidents, or the structure of the
play… not the story itself
• Must be “whole”
– Beginning: incentive moment
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36011007@N04/3949271372/
– Middle: climax
– End: resolution
 Views on Plot
• Must be “complete,” having
“unity of action”
– No deux ex machina
– No coincidences
• Must be “of a certain
magnitude”
– In length, complexity
– In universal significance

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36011007@N04/3949271372/
 Views on Comedy
• The chapters about
comedy have been lost
• Represents men as
worse than in actual life
• Dramatizes the
ludicrous
• Emerged from festivals
for the god Dionysus http://www.flickr.com/photos/bridgy2008/3038154799/
 Works Cited
• Aristotle. Poetics. N. pag. The Internet Classics Archive. Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
1994. Web. 2 Feb. 2010. <http://classics.mit.edu/‌Aristotle/‌poetics.1.1.html>.
• Bradley, A. C. “Shakespearean Tragedy.” Don King’s Literature Page. Montreat College, 11 Feb.
2008. Web. 3 Feb. 2010. <http://www.montreat.edu/‌dking/‌Shakespeare/‌TRAGEDY.htm>.
• Halliwell, Stephen. “Poetics of Aristotle.” Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Upper Merion
Area High School Lib, King of Prussia, PA, 2010. Web. 3 Feb. 2010.
<http://gme.grolier.com/‌article?assetid=0231120-0>.
• McManus, Barbara F. “Outline of Aristotle’s Theory of Tragedy in Poetics.” CLS 236: Greek
Tragedy. The College of New Rochelle, Nov. 1999. Web. 2 Feb. 2010.
<http://www2.cnr.edu/‌home/‌bmcmanus/‌poetics.html>.
• Soll, Ivan, Ph.D. “Aristotle.” World Book Student. Upper Merion Area High School Lib, King of
Prussia, PA, 2010. Web. 2 Feb. 2010. <http://www.worldbookonline.com/‌student/‌article?
id=ar029880>.
• Workman, John Rowe. “Poetics.” Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Upper Merion Area High
School Lib, King of Prussia, PA, 2010. Web. 3 Feb. 2010. <http://ea.grolier.com/‌article?
id=0316630-00>.
 Works Cited: Pictures
• Dionysus Golden Grapes, Get Up “High”... 17 Nov. 2008. Flickr. N.p., 17 Nov.
2008. Web. 3 Feb. 2010.
<http://www.flickr.com/‌photos/‌bridgy2008/‌3038154799/>.
• First Example of Seurat Painting Photo. 1 July 2006. Flickr. N.p., 1 July 2006.
Web. 3 Feb. 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/‌photos/‌oldonliner/‌179379698/>.
• Lunar Circle, Complete Eclipse. 28 Aug. 2007. Flickr. N.p., 5 Sept. 2007. Web. 3
Feb. 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/‌photos/‌36011007@N04/‌3949271372/>.
• The whole is greater than the sum of its parts (1 + 1 = 3). 23 Sept. 2009. Flickr.
N.p., 23 Sept. 2009. Web. 3 Feb. 2010.
<http://www.flickr.com/‌photos/‌36011007@N04/‌3949271372/>.
• William Shakespeare - Text Portrait. 27 May 2007. Flickr. N.p., 27 May 2007.
Web. 3 Feb. 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/‌photos/‌yelnoc/‌515719778/>.