Sacred Texts Classics Aristotle

THE POETICS OF ARISTOTLE

translated by S. H. BUTCHER

[1902]

Title Page
Analysis of Contents
I. 'Imitation' the common principle of the Arts of Poetry
II. The Objects of Imitation
III. The Manner of Imitation
IV. The Origin and Development of Poetry
V. Definition of the Ludicrous, and a brief sketch of the rise of Comedy
VI. Definition of Tragedy
VII. The Plot must be a Whole
VIII. The Plot must be a Unity
IX. (Plot continued.) Dramatic Unity
X. (Plot continued.) Definitions of Simple and Complex Plots
XI. (Plot continued.) Reversal of the Situation, Recognition, and Tragic or disastrous Incident defined and explained
XII. The 'quantitative parts' of Tragedy defined.
XIII. (Plot continued.) What constitutes Tragic Action
XIV. (Plot continued.) The tragic emotions of pity and fear should spring out of the Plot itself
XV. The element of Character in Tragedy
XVI. (Plot continued.) Recognition: its various kinds, with examples
XVII. Practical rules for the Tragic Poet
XVIII. Further rules for the Tragic Poet
XIX. Thought, or the Intellectual element, and Diction in Tragedy
XX. Diction, or Language in general
XXI. Poetic Diction.
XXII. (Poetic Diction continued.) How Poetry combines elevation of language with perspicuity
XXIII. Epic Poetry
XXIV. (Epic Poetry continued.) Further points of agreement with Tragedy.
XXV. Critical Objections brought against Poetry, and the principles on which they are to be answered
XXVI. A general estimate of the comparative worth of Epic Poetry and Tragedy.