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Aristotle (384-322.B.C)
-Aristotle invented the scientific method of analysis codified the divisions of knowledge into disciplines and sub disciplines that carry on to the present day.

-Unlike Plato, who uses the dialogue to dramatize ways of thinking in a conversational literary form; Aristotle uses the systematic way of categorization in introducing his ideas, in his work.

-The Poetics is Aristotle’s major work in the field of poetry (literature). He asserts in it, like Plato, that poetry is a representation, and agrees that all arts are imitation, too.

-Aristotle strongly disagrees with Plato, that poetry is a pleasure which corrupt society.

-Comedy, according to Aristotle, is: “a representation of inferior people, with no respect to any kind of vice; but we laugh at what is ugly, only. For, the laughable is a sort of error and ugliness, which is not painful & destructive, like, a mask, which is laughable and has some ugliness, but without any horror, or destructiveness.

-As for tragedy, which Aristotle’s definition for it, is the most important issue that he wrote in his book (the Poetics), which is: “It is a representation(of life) of a serious(dangerous), complete(beginning, middle, and end) action(events, incidents) which has magnitude(length), in embellished speech(rhythm, song), with each of its elements used separately(fulfilled by spoken verses and song) in the various parts of the play(the six parts of tragedy); represented by people acting and not by narration; accomplishing by means of pity and fear, to achieve the CATHARSIS(cleansing, purifying the soul) of such emotions”.

-Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, is a play to which Aristotle frequently refers as a model for his definition of tragedy.

-Tragedy consists of six parts: plot+ characters+ diction+ reasoning+ spectacle (audience) + song.

-The most important of these six parts is the structure of the incidents (the plot).For; tragedy is a representation, not of human beings, but of action and life. So, actors do not act for the sake to represent the characters, but they include the characters for the sake of their actions. So, in tragedy, plot comes first, and characters are secondary.

-again, without action a tragedy cannot exist, but without characters, it may.

-the plot has some parts, which are important to tragedy: reversals (change of fortune), and recognition(when a character knows his error).

-Reasoning comes third, which is, being able to say what is possible and appropriate.

-Diction is fourth, which is, communication by means of language. As for the remaining parts of tragedy, there is song and spectacle.

-when we said in the definition of tragedy, that it must be complete; we meant by “complete” is, that it has a beginning, a middle, and an end( 24 hours, one day).

- A plot is not unified if it concerns one single person; but it is unified if it is about a single action. (When Aristotle said “an action”, he meant a single action).

-There is no need for “episodic” tragedies; that is plays that talks about daily life, or like “The Arabian Nights” as an example; because it has no need or effect.

-Plots are two kinds:
(1)Simple: it is an action, when the transformation comes, without reversal or recognition (the play ends, without the hero acknowledging his errors “tragic flaw”).
(2)Complex: the opposite.

-A reversal is a change of the action to their opposite.

-A recognition is a change from ignorance to knowledge.

-Regarding characters, there are four things a poet should aim to:
(1)characters should be good; that is, they should be appreciated by the audience .
(2) they should be appropriate. A man has a mans role, and a mans way of thinking; the same goes to women; they can not have the same things as men have (in thinking).
(3)They should be life like.
(4)They should be consistent.

-A tragic hero, according to Aristotle, must be:
(1)an important person.
(2)Not very good, and not bad.
(3)Must have some weakness in his character; he must have a tragic flaw, that leads to his downfall.

-There are kinds of recognition:
(1)recognition by signs; which is the least artful.
(2)recognition by using one of the characters, who reveals the truth to the audience; and this is not artful.
(3)By means of a memory, when someone reacts to something he sees.
(4)Recognition resulting from an inference; that is, by guessing.
(5)The best recognition of all is, that which results from the incidents themselves, when our astonishment comes about by means of probable incidents.

-Tragedy has two parts:
(1)Complication: the tragedy from the beginning up to, where there is transformation towards good fortune or misfortune.
(2)Solution: the tragedy from the beginning of the transformation up to the end.

-the universal, not the particular, should be stressed, for unlike history, which deals with what happens; poetry or tragedy deals with what could happen and is therefore closer to perfection, or truth.

Beginning--complication------(transformation)---Climax----solution-------------- End.

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