Resumo de Poetics - Aristotle

Aristotle?s Poetics has been a virtual tyrant over the literary canon for more than two millennia, dictating the norms, even though it is generally accepted now as a descriptive rather than prescriptive work. It explores both the many kinds of poetry and its various components. Defining them as various modes of imitation, he separates poetry into Epic, Tragedy, Comedy, and Dithyrambic Poetry. These could either be narrated or represented directly, as in drama. Focusing on Tragedy, whose aim according to him was a purgation of emotion, he outlined its various parts. Its quantative parts were Prologue, Episode, Parode and Stasimon (Choric Songs), and Exode. Its qualitative parts in order of importance were: 1. Plot ? an arrangement of incidents with a beginning, a middle and an end. 2. Character ? which should be consistent, probable, and have good moral purpose. 3. Thought ? the faculty of saying what is pertinent and relevant. 4. Diction ? explaining meaning through language. 5. Song and 6. Spectacle, which is the least artistic and poetic. Every plot must have a complication and a denouement. It can be simple or complex, ethical or pathetic. A complex plot will include a Reversal, a Recognition, and a Scene of Suffering. The recognition is best effected through an incident, that is, through natural means, but can be done through sight of a reminder, a process of reasoning, through signs, or at the poet?s will. A good plot is single in issue, with characters whose downfall is the result of error not vice, and one which ends unhappily. It should also effect purgation through pity and fear. Pity and fear should be produced through plot and not through spectacle, that is, through tragic incidents involving enemies, strangers, or most effectively, friends and family. This tragic incident is most effective when about to be done in ignorance, but prevented by knowledge, and worst when about to be done in knowledge but then not done. When it is done consciously it is still good, but when done unconsciously and the discovery made later, even better. Epic poetry has the same parts, except for song and spectacle and here too the thoughts and diction must be artistic. However, the Epic has larger dimensions and several actions can be carried out simultaneously, unlike in drama. The irrational too has wider scope in the Epic as it does not have to be presented on stage. In Tragedy the irrational should, as far as possible, be excluded. In conclusion he finds tragedy to be a more refined mode of representation than Epic though in performance it may seem inferior. It uses all the Epic elements, but within narrower limits for concentrated effect. The Epic also has less unity of action, time and place. Tragedy is the higher art as it attains its ends more perfectly ? producing the pleasure proper to it.

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