Name : Alpa Ponda
Course: MA
Semester: 1
Batch: 2016-2018
Roll No : 4
Enrollment no : 2069108420170025
Submitted to: SMT.S.B.GARDI DEPT OF
ENGLISH
MKBU
Email ID: alpaponda.7@gmail.com
Paper No :3
COMPARE
DEFINITION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF
TRAGEDY( ARISTOTLE) AND PLAY (DRYDEN)
Definition
of Tragedy
Aristotle
Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an
action that is a serious, complete and of a certain magnitude; in the language
embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found
in separate parts of the play: in the form of action, not of narrative; though
pity and fear effecting the proper purgation- catharsis of these and similar
emotions.”
ELABORATING
THE DEFINITION
We can distribute the definition of play
by Aristotle in parts. Each separating line of definition has its meaning in
separation. The definition firstly focuses on the representation (imitation) of
life, but life has no perfection, so the playwright has to be selective in
representation. In play, the playwright is representing one’s life’s fragment
piece.
THE WRITER OF TRAGEDY SEEKS TO
IMITATE SERIOUS SIDE OF LIFE.
The play, all is dependent on action. It
has speeches, dialogue, soliloquies. In Aristotle’s tragedy, pity and fear is
more important. At last comes, catharsis. The emotions become free from the
body.
Aristotle describes the components parts
or characteristics which are required to make a tragedy.
1) The spectacle (opsis)
2) Melody/ songs (melos)
3) Diction (lexis)
4) Character (othes)
5) Thought (dianoia)
DRYDEN ’S
DEFINITION OF PLAY
“ A play ought to be a just and lively
image of human nature, representing passion and humors, and the changes of
fortune to which it is subject, for the delight and instruction of mankind.”
ELABORATING
THE DEFINITION
In definition, we find a word ‘just’. It
means as itself, the exact and the word comes ‘lively’ means it involves the
‘lively’ nature of person or in which we feel it’s real not a melodramatic
type.
DAVID
DAICHES ’S VIEW ON DEFINITION
The human nature implies that drama or
imaginative literature in general, shows people acting in such a way as to
reveal what they are like.
David Daiches describes ‘lively’ as
interesting anti thesis to dull R. A Scot- James describes ‘lively’ as
‘beautiful and delightful’.
COMPARING
DEFINITION OF ARISTOTLE’S TRAGEDY AND PLAY (DRYDEN)
ARISTOTLE
Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an
action that is a serious, complete and of a certain magnitude; in the language
embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found
in separate parts of the play: in the form of action, not of narrative; though
pity and fear effecting the proper purgation- catharsis of these and similar
emotions.”
DRYDEN ’S
DEFINITION OF PLAY
“ A play ought to be a just and lively
image of human nature, representing passion and humors, and the changes of
fortune to which it is subject, for the delight and instruction of mankind.”
COMPARING
DEFINITION
Although Dryden is taking an influence
from Aristotle’s definition of tragedy and makes of his own. How he carried
over the tradition. Dryden used the words ‘Just and Lively’ image, it means the
real life. When the real life is presented in play one must to be involved in
the play then. The catharsis comes which is the last part of Aristotle’s
definition of tragedy.
In Aristotle ’s definition the line,
‘Tragedy, then is an imitation of an action’. Which says that tragedy is an
imitation not an actual so it is copied. Where there in Dryden’ s definition.
The line says ‘just and lively image’ here ‘just’ means exact. As it is real so
the image is in mind but way matters how you use to give it a form of visual to
others. So it becomes natural way.
The last line of Aristotle’s definition,
Though pity and fear effecting the
proper purgation- catharsis of these and similar emotions.”
The last line of Dryden ’s definition,
For the delight and instruction of
mankind.
Both are connected when at the end the
purgation or catharsis happens in mankind there will be delighted in one’s
heart.
COMPARING CHARACTERISTICS
The most important characteristics
Unities of time place and action. Aristotle supports these three unities in his
tragedy but Dryden breaks these unities. He says the life is reality and when
in play we are depicting the reality of life so there are no unity. the life is
free itself. So while describing the liveliness of life we are supposed to
depict the life and its incidents as it is.
RHYME &
BLANK VERSE
Dryden uses rhyme verses in his play. His
most powerful characteristics is that some ancient says, to depict drama in
rhyme it is that the writer tries to be unnatural while he is taking support of
something, huge characteristic ‘rhyming verse’. While we can say, it is not an
unnatural process, but while we say that the tragedy or play should have
comprised seriousness so the writer is
using rhyme or heroic couplet make aware the readers or audience of actions.
And when the both definition agrees with
delight, Dryden uses rhyme verse in his play to delight the audience. Because
listening aspect is also important in play.
Use of rhyming verse is natural process,
there is also an argument but Dryden defenses in this play, Aristotelian
tragedy’s most important characteristics is play should be serious while making
a serious play Dryden believes to make his speech effective and he does it with
using rhymes in his play. Aristotle also says that play should have the ornaments
in its language like figure of speech, witness so Dryden does it with the help
of rhyming verse.
TRAGEDY
VERSUS MIXTURE OF TRAGEDY AND COMEDY
Aristotle emphasizes that tragedy should
be only tragedy. It should not have any other emotions expect tragic emotion. It
describes the misery of life at the end the tragedy should happen. Aristotle is
possessive about the characteristics. He follows traditions. He does not mingle
both expressions or emotions of tragedy and comedy. Dryden breaks these rules
of play, depicts both expression of happiness and tr4agedy in his play. In some
incident the tragedy by Dryden has the element of happiness as the incidents
require it and at the serious point it has tragic effect in its speech, action.
Dryden wants to say that there is no one emotion in our life while we make play
real we have to be true to life as life has different emotions. It does not
walk on only way it has many paths. So characters of Dryden ’s play sometimes
are flourished with happiness and at the serious position they do just with
situation.
Aristotle follows traditions so its
characters are of uppers class or kings or queens but this rule is not followed
by Dryden . Aristotle says while the protagonist is from upper level and
enjoying dignity and the tragedy happens it shows that the protagonist is
thrown away from the up to the bottom and how the destruction of protagonist
happens and the tragedy happens.
But Dryden does not accept this rule of
tragedy he depict normal man or any
protagonist in his play. While we are depicting reality of life through play so
protagonist must be from middle class or lower class. The destruction of these
characters happen
CONCLUSION
The aim of both definition is to delight
the readers. Aristotle firmly follow the tradition of tragedy where as Dryden
has his own rules of play.
Ma'am this is Very helpful for academic work👍🏻
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