Home > Poetics Summary & Study Guide > Poetics Group > Question and Answer

Question:

Answers:

1. 
   lit24 Teacher
   Doctorate

   eNotes Editor

   Ch.6 of Aristotle's "Poetics" can be divided into 3 sections:

   1. The definition of tragedy.

   2. The derivation of the 6 parts of tragedy from the definition.

   3. The ranking of the 6 parts in order of importance.

   For Aristotle, PLOT is an abstract concept which refers to "the arrangement of the incidents" (Ch.6).  The incidents are  the raw material and make up the STORY. The way these incidents are structured into a coherent whole is known as the plot. So if the original order and arrangement of the same incidents are altered a new and different plot will result.

   A little later in the same chapter, Aristotle asserts that "the first principle, then, and to speak figuratively, the soul of tragedy is the plot; and second in importance is character."

   This is because, for Aristotle CHARACTERISATION merely meant adding type characteristics to the dramatic agent: "by character that element in accordance with which we say that agents are of a certain type" (Ch.6).

   He reaffirms his critical position by remarking that "poets do not, therefore, create action in order to imitate character; but character is included on account of the action" (Ch.6).

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/poetics-salem/poetics

   http://www.enotes.com/poetics-salem/poetics-0089900350

   http://www.enotes.com/poetics-salem/poetics-9560000596

   Rate answer:

   • Flag as inappropriate

   Posted by lit24 on Saturday September 12, 2009 at 6:32 AM