The Poetics Aristotle Useful Illuminations Flashcards
1
Q
Tragedy/Comedy differentiation from present
A
‘Better or worse’ than men of the ‘present day’ - awareness of separation; differentiates epic from novel (Bakhtin)
2
Q
Poetry is the ‘instinct…’
A
‘Instinct of imitation’
3
Q
What is peripetia?
A
Reversal
4
Q
How does Aristotle differentiate between epic and history
A
Describes a ‘unified action’, not a ‘single period’
5
Q
What does Aristotle identify as Homer’s main innovation?
A
Realisation that he should do as little as possibile in ‘his own person’
6
Q
Why does Aristotle say tragedy is more superior?
A
Higher ‘artistic effectiveness’ (better at achieving catharsis? Higher social function? Dispute - epic can transmit social traditions)
