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Aristotle: Imitation and Catharsis: This 4-page essay discusses Aristotle's ideas of imitation and catharsis as put forth in

Aristotle: Imitation and Catharsis: This 4-page essay discusses Aristotle's ideas of imitation and catharsis as put forth in his book Poetics.

A note to the student from the writer: Your edition of the book Poetics is probably different from this one. You might want to adjust the Works Cited page and page numbers to match your edition. I've included Chapter numbers.

"We delight in looking at the most detailed images of things which in themselves we see with pain"

In Aristotle's small work, Poetics, he provides a concise discussion of the tragedy form of writing. His timeless suggestions could serve as excellent instruction for modern day creative writing. His approach is methodical and meticulous, that of scientist of the theatre. He probably saw hundreds of plays and read even more, and as such, he could be considered an expert in what works and what does not work in the tragic form of theatre. It is the purpose of this essay to discuss his concepts of imitation and catharsis in terms of the quotation above.

Aristotle did not write of imitation in a crude manner. His term mimesis is closer to the meaning of the English word representation. Aristotle is more concerned with the essence of the portrayal, especially in terms of tragedy. He understood tragedy as a particular form of drama that represented a human situation, often one that invoked the emotions of fear and pity in the audience. He was aware that by viewing such dramas, the audience was somehow purged of these very emotions that the play stimulated. One of the poetic mechanisms to bring this about is skillful imitation.

It was important to Aristotle that the action of the tragedy be an imitation of something important in real life. Real life can be painful, and people identify with this type of action on the stage. Aristotle notes that there are "three differences which distinguish artistic imitationĂ¹the medium, the objects, and the manner" (Aris...

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Aristotle: Imitation and Catharsis: This 4-page essay discusses Aristotle's ideas of imitation and catharsis as put forth in. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 16:06, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1706036.html