Literary theory and Criticism- 3

Assignment

Name : Bharti Dharaiya

Roll no. : 4

Year 2019 - 2021

Enrollment no. : 20691020200008

Topic Name : Six part of tragedy from Aristotle's poetics.

Paper Name : Literary Theory and Criticism.

Submitted to : Dr. Dilip Barad sir Department of English

Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University.

Six Parts of Tragedy from Aristotle's poetics :

 Introduction :

               Aristotle  was born in 384 -322 BC in Northern Greece. Died in 347 B. C. His father mane is Nicomachus. Nicomachus was physician.  Aristotle was a Greek philosopher during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. The founder of the Lyceum and the Peripatetic school of philosophy and the Aristotelian tradition. His teacher Plato, he has been called him the "Father of Western Philosophy". His writings on  many subjects such as physics, biology, zoology, metaphysics, logic, ethics, aesthetics, poetry, theatre ( Tragedy), music, rhetoric, psychology, linguistics, economics, politics and government.

            He was the Greek philosopher and scientists. Aristotle was create a scientific method in his period. Aristotle was written Six parts of Tragedy. His thoughts on drama has been at the heart of writing since that time. In Poetics, he wrote that drama has to include six elements of  tragedy 1) plot, 2) character, 3) thought, 4) diction, 5) music, and      6) spectacle. Six parts of tragedy is the main subject matter of Aristotle's poetics.

Definition of Tragedy :

               "A play or drama dealing with tragic event and end of the play or drama must be happy ending and downfall of the main characters in the play is known as Tragedy."

According to Aristotle's poetics definition of Tragedy :

               "is an imitation  of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude.Through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation  of these emotions.” 

Six parts of Tragedy :

              According to Aristotle tragedy, he wrote  Six Formative Elements of Tragedy. After much discussing the definition of tragedy, Aristotle defines  various important parts of tragedy. He reveals that any tragedy can be divided into six important parts. They are: Plot, Character, Thought, Diction, Song and Spectacle. According to neoclassical age two other elements are taken for Tragedy is time and place. Time and place is also very important in the Tragedy. Time and place also evaluated the good or effective Tragedy.

Analysis of six parts of tragedy:

1. Plot :

                According to Aristotle that into these six elements of tragedy "The Plot" is the most important element. The question is that plot makes a tragedy or character. According to Aristotle plot , character , diction, thought, song and spectacle are most important part or elements in the Tragedy Aristotle argues that without any action there can not be a tragedy. A character have to do action. The characters create action of the story. So plot and character are correlated to the Tragedy or story. Beginning of the play or drama, actions are required and end of the drama our happiness and joy perform in the action.

        Tragedy is written to imitate man in action.

         Plot is the " first principle" the most important feature of tragedy. The soul of tragedy.

         Plot having also many qualities. following qualities are,

• The plot must be " a whole " with beginning , middle and end of the plot. The beginning should be very interesting and attractive.The middle as well as climax must be dependent on incident.End of the plot must be happy ending.
• The plot must be "complete"  having unity of action.

• The plot must be a "certain magnitude" qualitative and quantitative.
• The plot may be simple or complex.
• Aristotle say that without action there can not be a tragedy. Tragedy is impossible without any characters but tragedy is not possible without any action.
• Greek play man doomed before  his birth character is not destiny.
• Play without good plot is play without action nothing happen would be no drama at all.

2) Character :

           Characters is most important in the play. Without any character play should be incomplete. According to Aristotle Character should be suitable for the play. Character who totally involved in his given character.In the perfect Tragedy character helps to plot for making good plot. Plot and character make effective Tragedy.

           The characters must represent true human nature and be loyal to the mythical or historical personalities they are modeled on. The writer should avoid unrealistic changes in the characters or their personalities and must stay true to their sketch.

# Character also having many qualities. Following qualities are:

• Character "good" or "fine":

According to Aristotle says that characters moral  quality is that character relative to class. If women in the play may be good so doesn't matter whatever her class but having a good character is most important.

• " Fitness of character " :

Fitness of character is very important in the tragedy. For example- feat is appropriate for militant. Not for any women or any men who weak from mind.

• " True Life " : human nature is very important for true life. True life is part of character . Characters role is true and perform by heart is appropriate for any Character.
• "Necessary or probable" : Character should be logically with appropriate role. Likely is Character is very important in the Tragedy.
• "More beautiful" : Character must be beautiful so that Character became attractive for the audience in the plays. Became ideal for audience.

          3) Thought :

          The thought is the third element of Tragedy. The thought is very important in the tragedy. Though is something prove that to be or not to be. Though is something different than other features. Though shows Tragedies theme and how to influence audience through the thought. Tragedy is main based on its thought which is make tragedy interesting.The thought is the capacity to  prove something as important and rational a situation or fact. It represents the intellectual element of a tragic drama. 

          This also includes the various themes is important in the tragedy which are expressed through the speech. 

Characters should be expressed their thoughts through the speech and  dialogues.

4) Diction :

          Diction is fourth very important element for tragedy. According to Aristotle " Diction is the Diction is expressed the  meaning into the simple word. Selection of appropriate words or vocabulary which is used by the dramatist or playwright in the tragedy. Since the chosen words are humanism applicable to raise feelings in the audiences it also affects the process of making meaning in the play or tragedy.    

       Diction is the description of emotions through the medium of words. The meanings which motivate to the desired responses in the spectators.

#  Diction  also having many qualities for  Tragedy. Following qualities are :

• "A sense or Part of Diction": it is a sense or part of Diction itself because the Diction is something that evoked the words or vocabulary through the emotions and speeches.
• "Diction is technique": Diction is a technique to represent the drama in the drama or play. It means that the Diction is the medium is a dramatic action in the tragedy.
• "Medium of representatives":

diction is a medium of representation Critical situation into the effective mode and emotional feeling through the diction on the stage in the Tragedy.

5) Musicality  or song :

               Musicality is the fifth important element in the Tragedy. Music is the spicy  used in a tragedy for example the chorus songs. In the chorus song music is very important to perform song. They add attractive narrative style and educate audiences about the events that do not happen before their eyes on the stage. Choras song is performed on the stage with musical style. For example  In the Hamlet chorus is performed on the stage with more effective Musicality.

Chorus : chorus means a song  sung on the stage by a group of performers is known as the chorus.

            Historical moments or past events are explained through such a criticism. It provides an understanding of existing realities of the Tragedy and future possibilities of the performance. Through the musical, emotions and cathartic value of a tragedy are activated.

6 ) Stagecraft or Spectacles:

           Stagecraft is the last and six elements of the Tragedy. It means It means the scenes used in drama for the emotional attraction of the audience. The emotional importance of an event in the drama. But this is the very hard work of a stage manager to set the scene as described by the dramatist or Playwright. It is the organization for the stage where tragedy are performed by dramatists. It is important for a conversion of writing or plot of play into a real experience. It increases the dramatic and emotional understanding of the written word or script for the play or drama.

Conclusion :

• Six parts of tragedy by Aristotle's poetics is very important in the Tragedy. All these has been discussed by Aristotle. Aristotle's Six parts of Tragedy is Plot has own important pace in the Tragedy , Character has also important parts in the Tragedy. Character is a bond of the plot in the Tragedy, Diction it has own place of catharsis to express the emotions through the words, thought is way of presentation, song or musicality, Stagecraft or Spectacles means scenes are used in the drama to impress the audience while performing Tragedy on the stage.