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How has literature changed
Literature and its impact on society
Literature and its impact on society
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Aristotle’s Rules For Tragedy Laid Down In Poetics As They Apply To Blood Relations By Sharon Pollock
Aristotle could be considered the first popular literary critic. Unlike Plato, who all but condemned written verse, Aristotle breaks it down and analyses it so as to separate the good from the bad. He studies in great detail what components make a decent epic or tragedy. The main sections he comes up with are form, means and manner. For most drama and verse, Aristotle’s rules are a fairly good measure of the quality of a piece of written work. In modern day however (modern meaning within the last century), certain changes in the nature of dramatic writing have started opening a gap between Aristotelian criticism and what is actually being produced on the stage. Changes in values and techniques brought about by Stanislavsky and some leaders of the popular feminist movement have shifted the direction of theatre. In light of these changes some of Aristotle’s rules are not applicable anymore. That is not to say that they are not sound. They simply do not apply.
Sharon Pollock, one of Canada’s great female playwrights and a strong leader of the popular feminist movement, is one example of a writer that breaks Aristotle’s mold. Her play “Blood Relations” sits on the edge of what Aristotle would call tragedy.
Aristotle states that the form of tragedy is an “imitation of a noble and complete action, having the proper magnitude”(Aristotle 6). Here we have Lizzie Borden murdering her own parents in a fit of rage. The murders happen after years of abuse and negative attitudes from almost everyone she knows. The act of murdering one’s parents is far from noble. It could however, be seen as noble seeing as the reason Lizzie kills them is to stand up for her freedom of thought and direction in life.
According to the rules laid down in Poetics, pity and fear arise through misfortune and the recognition of the possibility of falling upon similar misfortune (13). In Blood Relations, pity arises out of the way that Lizzie is treated by her parents and by the way her life turns out after the murders. The reader recognizes that he or she could encounter the same circumstance. Lizzie was fairly stable and snapped into a murderous rage with no prior warning. The fact that she gains no rew...
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... The events covered in the course of the play span a period of a couple of days. The play is centered around two major events, surrounding by incidents leading up to those events. Conversations and interactions in the first act lead to the killing of Lizzie’s birds, which is the first major event leading up to the murder of Mr. Borden and Mrs. Borden.
The problems in most modern plays seem to be more complex than those of before. By modern I mean those written in the past century. Since the society they deal with has increased in complexity, the poems and dramas written today, dealing with current trends and conflicts, come across as more complex. Values have changed drastically since Shakespeare’s time, never mind Aristotle’s. In light of these changing values, not all of Aristotle’s views are applicable to modern theatre. That is not to say that they are not sound, just that they do not apply.
Works Cited
Aristotle. Poetics. The Critical Tradition: Classic Texts and Contemporary Trends. Ed.David H. Richter. 2nd. Ed. Boston: Bedford, 1998. 42-64.
Pollock, Sharon. Blood Relations and Other Plays. Edmonton: NeWest Press, 1981.
Of the many figures in American History, Alexander Hamilton has proven himself one of the most versatile and influential. His policies and ideals have helped the United States blossom into a prosperous world power. Through his power as secretary of Treasury and his convincing intellectual efforts, he was able to dominate the nations early political environment. Hamilton’s patriotic endeavors have proven themselves to be durable and in the best interests of the United States.
Thomas Jefferson was an educated, articulate and accomplished man from a well-respected family. He had a great understanding of farming and of the relationship between man and his environment, working diligently to balance the two for the best interest of each. He “considered himself first and always a man of the land” (Jewett, 2005). His vision of the New World was of true, idealistic freedom with limited government involvement; an educated farmer, a moral man who would sustain himself off of the very land his freedom was based.
He considered the 'common man' to be ignorant and incapable of self-governing. He believed that the elite should rule, those who own the country, and the qualifications for voting should be high, unlike the Jeffersonians. Hamilton and the Federalists stressed trade in their views of the economy. They wanted tariffs and business protections. The Federalists favored a strong central government with the power to control trade, tax, declare war, and write treaties. Again differing from the Jeffersonians, the Federalists were supporters of the Alien and Sedition Act. The Federalists saw the support of the Alien and Sedition Acts as necessary to stunt the growth of the Jeffersonians and limit the criticism of the Federalist officials from the public. Hamilton’s economic plans, which consisted of the proposal to establish the national bank, became the point of greatest contention between Jefferson and Hamilton, a plan that Jefferson strongly opposed, believing it would weaken the states and not help the north finish paying their debts. One of Alexander Hamilton’s main goals was to raise to a higher position in society. He was not an advocator for Slavery or mistreatment of slaves or natives, but followed his own ambitions if the issues ever crossed paths with his ambitions. All of Hamilton’s views strengthened the federal
Tragedies in the Greek and Renaissance theater were very effective in portraying the social and religious constraints that tainted society. Both playwrights, through the use of their ingenuity and vast literary knowledge were able to perfect and display such flawless spectacles. The differences and similarities between Greek tragedy and Renaissance tragedy, although vast, can be narrowed down to the audience. Greek and Renaissance theater targeted very different audiences that demanded a certain type of play in order to be entertained.
Alexander Hamilton was a political scientist ,government official, economist, and lawyer, from 1755-1804. Alexander Hamilton once said, “May God give you wisdom to see what is your true interest, and inspire you with becoming zeal for the cause of virtue and mankind.”(Alexander Hamilton) Alexander Hamilton was a strong-willed individual, because he overcame so many instances of adversity. Alexander Hamilton was born into a poor family that did not have many chances, but he did become a well-educated man, that played a large role in what the United States of America is today and he was able to overcome his poor childhood. Hamilton participated in the Revolutionary War, the writing of the U.S. Constitution, electing the first president, solving an America debt crisis, and a numerous amount of other things that shaped the future of a young nation. Alexander Hamilton 's story is inspiring to American 's today, and because of Hamilton’s experiences with being a military aid, it was a benefit to him later in his life, and America, he played a significant role in amending the Articles of Confederation, and he also was the most influential Secretary of Treasury. Hamilton was the most influential Secretary of Treasury because, he helped in the founding of the
The discourse of America, a nation built upon the foundations written by men, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton contributed a great ordeal of their lives into the creation of it. From similar childhoods to conflicting perceptions of government, Jefferson and Hamilton paved the way for the future of the nation. Through the comparison of Jefferson and Hamilton, by using factors of character, politics, and legacy, it is beyond question that Hamilton’s ambitious personality, politically involved nature, and estate truly resonates with history on a higher account compared to Jefferson.
Tragic events can happen as a result of accidents, misunderstandings, or specific situations, hence, they relate little to others. However, tragedy is rooted in the order of our universe because it reveals hypothetical situations that can occur at any time or place. This feeling of uncertainty arouses feelings of pity and fear because we can imagine ourselves having to face tragedy. In Aristotle's Poetics, Aristotle defines tragedy as, “a representation of an action of serious stature and complete, having magnitude, in language made pleasing in distinct forms in its separate parts, imitating people acting and not using narration, accomplishing by means of pity and fear the cleansing of these states of feeling” (Aristotle, 26). A dramatic composition that captures the true essence of suffering and awakens our senses is one that Aristotle would call a tragedy worthy of our praise. He notes, “It is clear first that decent men ought not to be shown changing from good to bad fortune (since this is neither frightening nor pitiable but repellent) and people of bad character ought not to be shown changing from bad to good fortune (since this is the most untragic thing of all, for it has none of the things a tragedy needs, since it neither arouses love for humanity nor is it pitiable or frightening)” (Aristotle, 36).
Smithson, Isaiah. "The Moral View of Aristotle's Poetics." Journal of the History of Ideas 44.1 (1983): 3-17. JSTOR. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. .
Butcher, S.H. The Poetics of Aristotle trans. Pennsylvania State University: The Electronic Classic Series, Copyright 2000-2013. Web. 24 February 2014.
Emerson let us know that self reliance is hard and the hardship of trusting our own mind lies in the conspiracy of society against the individual because our society valors conformity. Self reliance requires an individual to return the neutrality and to be nonconformist. According to Emerson self reliance must apply to all aspects of our lives. In “ Self Reliance” Emerson argued that society never advance and civilization has not led to any improvement of our society. In all Emerson’s writings, he holds onto his belief firmly as the right path for all
Aristotle. "Poetics." In The Critical Tradition: Classic Texts and Contemporary Trends. Ed. David H. Richter. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1990.
Diction is the wording style of the play and generally focuses on the metaphors. For example, in Hamlet the famous line, “To be, or not to be: that is the question.” Thought is the idea of the character’s motive revealed in their speech. According to Aristotle, “Thought,--that is, faculty of saying what is possible and pertinent in given circumstance.” This is presented in both Hamlet and Oedipus, through the dialogue and monologue; the characters reveal their intentions and motives to the audience. Spectacle is the inner working of the play and how it is presented on the stage. Both plays use visual affects and stage appearance for the audience to help understand the play. Aristotle says, “Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of a poet.” Aristotle believes that the poet has nothing to do with the visual effects of the stage, but it’s the stage workers who should be credited. Finally, the Song element of the play is the chorus presented throughout the play to narrate the story as it
Aristotle. Poetics. Trans. Gerald F. Else. Ann Arbor: U of Michigan P, 1967. Dorsch, T. R., trans. and ed. Aristotle Horace Longinus: Classical Literary Criticism. New York: Penguin, 1965. Ley, Graham. The Ancient Greek Theater. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1991. Reinhold, Meyer. Classical Drama, Greek and Roman. New York: Barrons, 1959.
Dramatists are able to relay their message behind their work more effectively when they use real life experience as their themes. They use a combination of imagery, language and symbolism to explore their concerns with certain ideas or issues within their society. People are better to relate to something that they have experience or witness, which helps draws the audience into the turmoil of the plot and characters. The work of dramatists expresses universal themes, as what we have experience in the works of Othello and Oedipus. The characters are at the center of all works of drama and the theme is presented around these characters. They present their themes in an assortment of ways often through the use of different techniques and the themes hint upon problems that are related to human experiences. The themes makes up the message that the dramatist wants to put across to the audience, and the goal of this message is to make the audience see things from a specific point of
Shakespeare followed Aristotle’s guidelines to a perfect tragedy to the letter. Each and every one of the points is represented in Hamlet as well as his other tragedies. Through his rich use of language and plot, Aristotle’s guidelines were revived and will live immortally through Shakepeare’s works.