Aristotle's+'Poetics'

Aristotle's __Poetics__, written around 335 BC, attempted to delineate the conventions of tragic drama. He identified certain features of tragic drama, some of which are listed here:
 * ** [|Mimesis] ** or 'imitation', 'representation'
 * ** [|Catharsis] ** or, variously, 'purgation', 'purification', 'clarification'
 * ** [|Peripeteia] ** or 'reversal'
 * **[|Anagnorisis]** or 'recognition'
 * **[|Hamartia]** or 'tragic flaw' (Commonly, the actual flaw is '**Hubris**' or pride, although Aristotle's definition of 'hubris' was rather different.)

Thus, we would expect Oedipus, as the protagonist, to have a flaw in his character which leads to the tragedy, to suffer an total reversal of luck, position or fortune, to recognise his own flaw and to attempt to remove it from himself or to make amends for the damage he has caused. How much of this is true?

Incidentally, Aristotle was also concerned about the effect of these plays (which are often extremely violent) on their youthful audience. He concludes that, through a process he called catharsis ('purging'), these public, theatrical displays of violence, so long as they are properly played out and resolved (in a Todorovian manner), served as a valuable release and actually helped to lessen the likelihood of violence in the audience.

So, the next time your parents express horror at Grand Theft Auto, tell them Aristotle said it was okay.

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He also that plays be written according to the 'Three Unities' of time, place and action. That is, for a play to be successful and powerful, it should take place in real time, it should all take place in one location, and there should only be one plotline.

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