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

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 purg

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o place for the arts in human existence. In Poetics Aristotle lists the various types of imitation in terms that are difficult in modern terms, as we do not completely relate to the associations of Dorian, Magarian, Athenian, or the work of Epicharmus (Aristotle, III, 54). However these references would have had meaning for earlier readers, perhaps in reference to the similar modes that were used in the music of the time, specifically evoking certain predictable moods. In this discussion of imitation, Aristotle draws a parallel between acting and doing. What the writer and the actor have to do to replicate the painful emotion for the audience is to present the essence of the situation, complete with a present moment person doing the painful situation before the eyes of the viewer. Such theatrical imitation of life provides the audience with catharsis, another of Aristotle's important points in Poetics. In the form of tragedy, the noble, histrionic characters get themselves into quite fearful and pitiable situations, predicaments that the audience may have experienced themselves but in a less extreme form. The painful, troubled feelings give the viewer a sense of anticipated evil, and a great deal of emotional tension is a
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Approximate Word count = 1402
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)