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第11章

poetics-第11章

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  Or again; by ambiguity of meaning; as parocheken de pleo nux;



where the word pleo is ambiguous。



  Or by the usage of language。 Thus any mixed drink is called oinos;



'wine'。 Hence Ganymede is said 'to pour the wine to Zeus;' though



the gods do not drink wine。 So too workers in iron are called



chalkeas; or 'workers in bronze。' This; however; may also be taken



as a metaphor。



  Again; when a word seems to involve some inconsistency of meaning;



we should consider how many senses it may bear in the particular



passage。 For example: 'there was stayed the spear of bronze'… we



should ask in how many ways we may take 'being checked there。' The



true mode of interpretation is the precise opposite of what Glaucon



mentions。 Critics; he says; jump at certain groundless conclusions;



they pass adverse judgement and then proceed to reason on it; and;



assuming that the poet has said whatever they happen to think; find



fault if a thing is inconsistent with their own fancy。



  The question about Icarius has been treated in this fashion。 The



critics imagine he was a Lacedaemonian。 They think it strange;



therefore; that Telemachus should not have met him when he went to



Lacedaemon。 But the Cephallenian story may perhaps be the true one。



They allege that Odysseus took a wife from among themselves; and



that her father was Icadius; not Icarius。 It is merely a mistake;



then; that gives plausibility to the objection。



  In general; the impossible must be justified by reference to



artistic requirements; or to the higher reality; or to received



opinion。 With respect to the requirements of art; a probable



impossibility is to be preferred to a thing improbable and yet



possible。 Again; it may be impossible that there should be men such as



Zeuxis painted。 'Yes;' we say; 'but the impossible is the higher



thing; for the ideal type must surpass the realty。' To justify the



irrational; we appeal to what is commonly said to be。 In addition to



which; we urge that the irrational sometimes does not violate



reason; just as 'it is probable that a thing may happen contrary to



probability。'



  Things that sound contradictory should be examined by the same rules



as in dialectical refutation… whether the same thing is meant; in



the same relation; and in the same sense。 We should therefore solve



the question by reference to what the poet says himself; or to what is



tacitly assumed by a person of intelligence。



  The element of the irrational; and; similarly; depravity of



character; are justly censured when there is no inner necessity for



introducing them。 Such is the irrational element in the introduction



of Aegeus by Euripides and the badness of Menelaus in the Orestes。



  Thus; there are five sources from which critical objections are



drawn。 Things are censured either as impossible; or irrational; or



morally hurtful; or contradictory; or contrary to artistic



correctness。 The answers should be sought under the twelve heads above



mentioned。



POETICS|26



  XXVI







  The question may be raised whether the Epic or Tragic mode of



imitation is the higher。 If the more refined art is the higher; and



the more refined in every case is that which appeals to the better



sort of audience; the art which imitates anything and everything is



manifestly most unrefined。 The audience is supposed to be too dull



to comprehend unless something of their own is thrown by the



performers; who therefore indulge in restless movements。 Bad



flute…players twist and twirl; if they have to represent 'the



quoit…throw;' or hustle the coryphaeus when they perform the Scylla。



Tragedy; it is said; has this same defect。 We may compare the



opinion that the older actors entertained of their successors。



Mynniscus used to call Callippides 'ape' on account of the



extravagance of his action; and the same view was held of Pindarus。



Tragic art; then; as a whole; stands to Epic in the same relation as



the younger to the elder actors。 So we are told that Epic poetry is



addressed to a cultivated audience; who do not need gesture;



Tragedy; to an inferior public。 Being then unrefined; it is



evidently the lower of the two。



  Now; in the first place; this censure attaches not to the poetic but



to the histrionic art; for gesticulation may be equally overdone in



epic recitation; as by Sosistratus; or in lyrical competition; as by



Mnasitheus the Opuntian。 Next; all action is not to be condemned…



any more than all dancing… but only that of bad performers。 Such was



the fault found in Callippides; as also in others of our own day;



who are censured for representing degraded women。 Again; Tragedy



like Epic poetry produces its effect even without action; it reveals



its power by mere reading。 If; then; in all other respects it is



superior; this fault; we say; is not inherent in it。



  And superior it is; because it has an the epic elements… it may even



use the epic meter… with the music and spectacular effects as



important accessories; and these produce the most vivid of



pleasures。 Further; it has vividness of impression in reading as



well as in representation。 Moreover; the art attains its end within



narrower limits for the concentrated effect is more pleasurable than



one which is spread over a long time and so diluted。 What; for



example; would be the effect of the Oedipus of Sophocles; if it were



cast into a form as long as the Iliad? Once more; the Epic imitation



has less unity; as is shown by this; that any Epic poem will furnish



subjects for several tragedies。 Thus if the story adopted by the



poet has a strict unity; it must either be concisely told and appear



truncated; or; if it conforms to the Epic canon of length; it must



seem weak and watery。 'Such length implies some loss of unity;' if;



I mean; the poem is constructed out of several actions; like the Iliad



and the Odyssey; which have many such parts; each with a certain



magnitude of its own。 Yet these poems are as perfect as possible in



structure; each is; in the highest degree attainable; an imitation



of a single action。



  If; then; tragedy is superior to epic poetry in all these



respects; and; moreover; fulfills its specific function better as an



art… for each art ought to produce; not any chance pleasure; but the



pleasure proper to it; as already stated… it plainly follows that



tragedy is the higher art; as attaining its end more perfectly。



  Thus much may suffice concerning Tragic and Epic poetry in



general; their several kinds and parts; with the number of each and



their differences; the causes that make a poem good or bad; the



objections of the critics and the answers to these objections。。。。











                          …THE END…




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