Poetics Key Terms
Exposition/Protasis : A description and explanation of a presented idea or theory.
Inciting Incident : The key incident that that encourages or stirred up the chaos in which a tragedy revolves around.
Rising Action/ Epistasis : A series of related events which together build increasing suspense and tension leading up to the twist or climax.
Climax : The most suspenseful point of the tragedy, culmination of the main problem in the plot.
Reversal/Peripeteia : The sudden reversal of a characters fortune.
Hamartia : A fatal flaw of mistake which leads to the downfall of a tragic hero
Falling Action/ Catastasis : Occurring right after the climax, basically ensuring all avenues are wrapped up during the lead up to the denouement therefore making the tragedy whole.
Catastrophe : A disastrous event which causes immense damage and suffering to the characters affected
Denouement : The final act or scene of tragedy , in which all matters are resolved or explained, wrapping up the tragedy.
Recognition/Anagnorisis : The moment in the tragedy when a character recognises a critical discovery.
Catharsis : A process of releasing and providing relief from repressed emotions.
Extract One: The Outline.
- The Greek term for ‘imitation of action’ is mimesis
- What does Aristotle mean by ‘imitation of action’? Explain.
Mimesis is defined as the imitation of something, According to Aristotle is the things we encounter are imitations of our ideal forms
eg : an actor imitates a character on stage.
2. Aristotle list six traits that determine the quality of tragedy. What are they?
- Plot, Character, Diction, Thought, Spectacle and Song
3. Is there anything else you think might be important to creating a quality
into tragedy?
Why or why not??
It is important when writing a tragedy to maintain suspense through out which gradually builds towards a catastrophe leading up to the deaths and or/ suffering of many characters. The tension will build up strong emotions for the audience, therefore making their cathartic experience successful and satisfying.
Extract Two: The First and most Important Element.
- To Aristotle, which trait is the most important: Plot or Character? Support your answer with a quotation from the extract.
According to Aristotle, he believes that the plot is the most important trait of a tragedy, even if the plot is filled with the most interesting characters. The events that occur must drive the story and characters forward. “The most beautiful colours, laid on confusedly, will not give as much pleasure as the chalk outline of a portrait.” Personally I agree with Aristotles belief
According to Aristotle, he believes that the plot is the post important trait of a Tragedy…
“The plot, then, is the first principle, and, as it were, the soul of a tragedy…”
- Why does he argue that this train is more important than the other?
He mentions that character holds second place when it comes to what’s most important because you cannot have a tragedy without a plot but you can have one without a character. “The most beautiful colours, laid on confusingly, will not give as much pleasure as the chalk outline of a portrait.”
3. Do you agree or disagree with this theory? Why or Why not?
I agree with Aristotle’s theory as you can create a whole storyline with
the absence of a
Character but without the storyline there is no story at all. I feel as
if the character flourish
due to the plot. You could put any character into a tragedy and the events
should be what
drives the storyline.
Extract Three: Plot Structure
- What does Aristotle suggest here about causation and plot structure?
- What does Aristotle say about unity of action?
- Where to subplots fit into Aristotle’s definition of “unity”… or do they?
Extract Four: Peripeteia and Anagnorisis
- How does Aristotle define peripeteia and anagnorisis?
“a change from ignorance to knowledge, producing love or hate between the
persons destined by the poet for good or bad fortune”
- What is the connection between peripeteia, anagnorisis, the ‘scene of suffering’ and catharsis?
They all lead to the viewer feeling pity or fear for the protagonist.
They all form a sort of chain and one cannot happen without the other.
- According to Aristotle, what kind of reversal is best for evoking pity or fear in the audience?
It should follow a complex plan rather than simple.
The protagonist must be neutral, neither good or bad and they should make some sort of mistake that leads to their downfall amongst many other occurrences such as recognition.
Extract Five: Types of Anagnorisis
- Explain the key types of anagnorisis that Aristotle discusses in this extract.
‘First there’s the complex tragedy, made up of peripeteia and anagnorisis, second, the tragedy of suffering , third the tragedy of character and fourth the tragedy of spectacle” – sparknotes
- Which type of anagnorisis does Aristotle believe is the most effective and why?
- Natural, Plot focussed
Extract Six: Catharsis
- Paraphrase Aristotle explanation of catharsis
- What circumstances does Aristotle believe provoke feelings of fear or pity
- BONUS EXTERNAL READING: Why would an author want to construct a work of literature to aims to achieve a cathartic experience for the reader?
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