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poetics-第4章

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on occasion speak or act; according to the law of probability or



necessity; and it is this universality at which poetry aims in the



names she attaches to the personages。 The particular is… for



example… what Alcibiades did or suffered。 In Comedy this is already



apparent: for here the poet first constructs the plot on the lines



of probability; and then inserts characteristic names… unlike the



lampooners who write about particular individuals。 But tragedians



still keep to real names; the reason being that what is possible is



credible: what has not happened we do not at once feel sure to be



possible; but what has happened is manifestly possible: otherwise it



would not have happened。 Still there are even some tragedies in



which there are only one or two well…known names; the rest being



fictitious。 In others; none are well known… as in Agathon's Antheus;



where incidents and names alike are fictitious; and yet they give none



the less pleasure。 We must not; therefore; at all costs keep to the



received legends; which are the usual subjects of Tragedy。 Indeed;



it would be absurd to attempt it; for even subjects that are known are



known only to a few; and yet give pleasure to all。 It clearly



follows that the poet or 'maker' should be the maker of plots rather



than of verses; since he is a poet because he imitates; and what he



imitates are actions。 And even if he chances to take a historical



subject; he is none the less a poet; for there is no reason why some



events that have actually happened should not conform to the law of



the probable and possible; and in virtue of that quality in them he is



their poet or maker。



  Of all plots and actions the episodic are the worst。 I call a plot



'episodic' in which the episodes or acts succeed one another without



probable or necessary sequence。 Bad poets compose such pieces by their



own fault; good poets; to please the players; for; as they write



show pieces for competition; they stretch the plot beyond its



capacity; and are often forced to break the natural continuity。



  But again; Tragedy is an imitation not only of a complete action;



but of events inspiring fear or pity。 Such an effect is best



produced when the events come on us by surprise; and the effect is



heightened when; at the same time; they follows as cause and effect。



The tragic wonder will then be greater than if they happened of



themselves or by accident; for even coincidences are most striking



when they have an air of design。 We may instance the statue of Mitys



at Argos; which fell upon his murderer while he was a spectator at a



festival; and killed him。 Such events seem not to be due to mere



chance。 Plots; therefore; constructed on these principles are



necessarily the best。



POETICS|10



  X







  Plots are either Simple or Complex; for the actions in real life; of



which the plots are an imitation; obviously show a similar



distinction。 An action which is one and continuous in the sense



above defined; I call Simple; when the change of fortune takes place



without Reversal of the Situation and without Recognition



  A Complex action is one in which the change is accompanied by such



Reversal; or by Recognition; or by both。 These last should arise



from the internal structure of the plot; so that what follows should



be the necessary or probable result of the preceding action。 It



makes all the difference whether any given event is a case of



propter hoc or post hoc。



POETICS|11



  XI







  Reversal of the Situation is a change by which the action veers



round to its opposite; subject always to our rule of probability or



necessity。 Thus in the Oedipus; the messenger comes to cheer Oedipus



and free him from his alarms about his mother; but by revealing who he



is; he produces the opposite effect。 Again in the Lynceus; Lynceus



is being led away to his death; and Danaus goes with him; meaning to



slay him; but the outcome of the preceding incidents is that Danaus is



killed and Lynceus saved。



  Recognition; as the name indicates; is a change from ignorance to



knowledge; producing love or hate between the persons destined by



the poet for good or bad fortune。 The best form of recognition is



coincident with a Reversal of the Situation; as in the Oedipus。



There are indeed other forms。 Even inanimate things of the most



trivial kind may in a sense be objects of recognition。 Again; we may



recognize or discover whether a person has done  a thing or not。 But



the recognition which is most intimately connected with the plot and



action is; as we have said; the recognition of persons。 This



recognition; combined with Reversal; will produce either pity or fear;



and actions producing these effects are those which; by our



definition; Tragedy represents。 Moreover; it is upon such situations



that the issues of good or bad fortune will depend。 Recognition; then;



being between persons; it may happen that one person only is



recognized by the other… when the latter is already known… or it may



be necessary that the recognition should be on both sides。 Thus



Iphigenia is revealed to Orestes by the sending of the letter; but



another act of recognition is required to make Orestes known to



Iphigenia。



  Two parts; then; of the Plot… Reversal of the Situation and



Recognition… turn upon surprises。 A third part is the Scene of



Suffering。 The Scene of Suffering is a destructive or painful



action; such as death on the stage; bodily agony; wounds; and the



like。



POETICS|12



  XII







  The parts of Tragedy which must be treated as elements of the



whole have been already mentioned。 We now come to the quantitative



parts… the separate parts into which Tragedy is divided… namely;



Prologue; Episode; Exode; Choric song; this last being divided into



Parode and Stasimon。 These are common to all plays: peculiar to some



are the songs of actors from the stage and the Commoi。



  The Prologue is that entire part of a tragedy which precedes the



Parode of the Chorus。 The Episode is that entire part of a tragedy



which is between complete choric songs。 The Exode is that entire



part of a tragedy which has no choric song after it。 Of the Choric



part the Parode is the first undivided utterance of the Chorus: the



Stasimon is a Choric ode without anapaests or trochaic tetrameters:



the Commos is a joint lamentation of Chorus and actors。 The parts of



Tragedy which must be treated as elements of the whole have been



already mentioned。 The quantitative parts… the separate parts into



which it is divided… are here enumerated。



POETICS|13



  XIII







  As the sequel to what has already been said; we must proceed to



consider what the poet should aim at; and what he should avoid; in



constructing his plots; and by what means the specific effect of



Tragedy will be produced。



  A perfect tragedy should; as we have seen; be arranged not on the



simple but on the complex plan。 It should; moreover; imitate actions



which excite pity and fear; this being the distinctive mark of



tragic imitation。 It follows plainly; in the first place; that the



change of fortune presented must not be the spectacle of a virtuous



man brought from prosperity to adversity: for this moves neither



pity nor fear; it merely shocks us。 Nor; again; that of a bad man



passing from adversity to prosperity: for nothing can be more alien to



the spirit of Tragedy; it possesses no single tragic quality; it



neither satisfies the moral sense nor calls forth pity or fear。 Nor;



again; should the downfall of the utter villain be exhibited。 A plot



of this kind would; doubtless; satisfy the moral sense; but it would



inspire neither pity nor fear; for pity is aroused by unmerited



misfortune; fear by the misfortune of a man like ourselves。 Such an



event; 

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