poetics-第2章

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into　iambic　lines　more　frequently　than　into　any　other　kind　of　verse；



rarely　into　hexameters；　and　only　when　we　drop　the　colloquial



intonation。　The　additions　to　the　number　of　'episodes'　or　acts；　and　the



other　accessories　of　which　tradition　tells；　must　be　taken　as　already



described；　for　to　discuss　them　in　detail　would；　doubtless；　be　a



large　undertaking。



POETICS｜5



　　V







　　Comedy　is；　as　we　have　said；　an　imitation　of　characters　of　a　lower



type…　not；　however；　in　the　full　sense　of　the　word　bad；　the　ludicrous



being　merely　a　subdivision　of　the　ugly。　It　consists　in　some　defect



or　ugliness　which　is　not　painful　or　destructive。　To　take　an　obvious



example；　the　comic　mask　is　ugly　and　distorted；　but　does　not　imply



pain。



　　The　successive　changes　through　which　Tragedy　passed；　and　the　authors



of　these　changes；　are　well　known；　whereas　Comedy　has　had　no　history；



because　it　was　not　at　first　treated　seriously。　It　was　late　before



the　Archon　granted　a　comic　chorus　to　a　poet；　the　performers　were



till　then　voluntary。　Comedy　had　already　taken　definite　shape　when



comic　poets；　distinctively　so　called；　are　heard　of。　Who　furnished　it



with　masks；　or　prologues；　or　increased　the　number　of　actors…　these　and



other　similar　details　remain　unknown。　As　for　the　plot；　it　came



originally　from　Sicily；　but　of　Athenian　writers　Crates　was　the　first



who　abandoning　the　'iambic'　or　lampooning　form；　generalized　his　themes



and　plots。



　　Epic　poetry　agrees　with　Tragedy　in　so　far　as　it　is　an　imitation　in



verse　of　characters　of　a　higher　type。　They　differ　in　that　Epic



poetry　admits　but　one　kind　of　meter　and　is　narrative　in　form。　They



differ；　again；　in　their　length：　for　Tragedy　endeavors；　as　far　as



possible；　to　confine　itself　to　a　single　revolution　of　the　sun；　or



but　slightly　to　exceed　this　limit；　whereas　the　Epic　action　has　no



limits　of　time。　This；　then；　is　a　second　point　of　difference；　though　at



first　the　same　freedom　was　admitted　in　Tragedy　as　in　Epic　poetry。



　　Of　their　constituent　parts　some　are　common　to　both；　some　peculiar　to



Tragedy：　whoever；　therefore　knows　what　is　good　or　bad　Tragedy；　knows



also　about　Epic　poetry。　All　the　elements　of　an　Epic　poem　are　found



in　Tragedy；　but　the　elements　of　a　Tragedy　are　not　all　found　in　the



Epic　poem。



POETICS｜6



　　VI







　　Of　the　poetry　which　imitates　in　hexameter　verse；　and　of　Comedy；　we



will　speak　hereafter。　Let　us　now　discuss　Tragedy；　resuming　its



formal　definition；　as　resulting　from　what　has　been　already　said。



　　Tragedy；　then；　is　an　imitation　of　an　action　that　is　serious；



complete；　and　of　a　certain　magnitude；　in　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；



through　pity　and　fear　effecting　the　proper　purgation　of　these



emotions。　By　'language　embellished；'　I　mean　language　into　which



rhythm；　'harmony'　and　song　enter。　By　'the　several　kinds　in　separate



parts；'　I　mean；　that　some　parts　are　rendered　through　the　medium　of



verse　alone；　others　again　with　the　aid　of　song。



　　Now　as　tragic　imitation　implies　persons　acting；　it　necessarily



follows　in　the　first　place；　that　Spectacular　equipment　will　be　a



part　of　Tragedy。　Next；　Song　and　Diction；　for　these　are　the　media　of



imitation。　By　'Diction'　I　mean　the　mere　metrical　arrangement　of　the



words：　as　for　'Song；'　it　is　a　term　whose　sense　every　one　understands。



　　Again；　Tragedy　is　the　imitation　of　an　action；　and　an　action



implies　personal　agents；　who　necessarily　possess　certain　distinctive



qualities　both　of　character　and　thought；　for　it　is　by　these　that　we



qualify　actions　themselves；　and　these…　thought　and　character…　are



the　two　natural　causes　from　which　actions　spring；　and　on　actions　again



all　success　or　failure　depends。　Hence；　the　Plot　is　the　imitation　of



the　action…　for　by　plot　I　here　mean　the　arrangement　of　the



incidents。　By　Character　I　mean　that　in　virtue　of　which　we　ascribe



certain　qualities　to　the　agents。　Thought　is　required　wherever　a



statement　is　proved；　or；　it　may　be；　a　general　truth　enunciated。



Every　Tragedy；　therefore；　must　have　six　parts；　which　parts　determine



its　quality…　namely；　Plot；　Character；　Diction；　Thought；　Spectacle；



Song。　Two　of　the　parts　constitute　the　medium　of　imitation；　one　the



manner；　and　three　the　objects　of　imitation。　And　these　complete　the



fist。　These　elements　have　been　employed；　we　may　say；　by　the　poets　to　a



man；　in　fact；　every　play　contains　Spectacular　elements　as　well　as



Character；　Plot；　Diction；　Song；　and　Thought。



　　But　most　important　of　all　is　the　structure　of　the　incidents。　For



Tragedy　is　an　imitation；　not　of　men；　but　of　an　action　and　of　life；　and



life　consists　in　action；　and　its　end　is　a　mode　of　action；　not　a



quality。　Now　character　determines　men's　qualities；　but　it　is　by



their　actions　that　they　are　happy　or　the　reverse。　Dramatic　action；



therefore；　is　not　with　a　view　to　the　representation　of　character：



character　comes　in　as　subsidiary　to　the　actions。　Hence　the　incidents



and　the　plot　are　the　end　of　a　tragedy；　and　the　end　is　the　chief



thing　of　all。　Again；　without　action　there　cannot　be　a　tragedy；　there



may　be　without　character。　The　tragedies　of　most　of　our　modern　poets



fail　in　the　rendering　of　character；　and　of　poets　in　general　this　is



often　true。　It　is　the　same　in　painting；　and　here　lies　the　difference



between　Zeuxis　and　Polygnotus。　Polygnotus　delineates　character　well；



the　style　of　Zeuxis　is　devoid　of　ethical　quality。　Again；　if　you　string



together　a　set　of　speeches　expressive　of　character；　and　well



finished　in　point　of　diction　and　thought；　you　will　not　produce　the



essential　tragic　effect　nearly　so　well　as　with　a　play　which；　however



deficient　in　these　respects；　yet　has　a　plot　and　artistically



constructed　incidents。　Besides　which；　the　most　powerful　elements　of



emotional　interest　in　Tragedy…　Peripeteia　or　Reversal　of　the



Situation；　and　Recognition　scenes…　are　parts　of　the　plot。　A　further



proof　is；　that　novices　in　the　art　attain　to　finish　of　diction　and



precision　of　portraiture　before　they　can　construct　the　plot。　It　is　the



same　with　almost　all　the　early　poets。



　　The　plot；　then；　is　the　first　principle；　and；　as　it　were；　the　soul　of



a　tragedy；　Character　holds　the　second　place。　A　similar　fact　is　seen　in



painting。　The　most　beautiful　colors；　laid　on　confusedly；　will　not　give



as　much　pleasure　as　the　chalk　outline　of　a　portrait。　Thus　Tragedy　is



the　imitation　of　an　action；　and　of　the　agents　mainly　with　a　view　to



the　action。



　　Third　in　order　is　Thought…　that　is；　the　faculty　of　saying　what　is



possible　and　pertinent　in　given　circumstances。　In　the　case　of　oratory；



this　is　the　function　of　the　political　art　and　of　the　art　of



rhetoric：　and　so　indeed　the　older　poets　make　their　characters　speak



the　language　of　civic　life；　the　poets　of　our　time；　the　language　of　the



rhetoricians。　Character　is　that　which　reveals　moral　purpose；　showing



what　kind　of　things　a　man　chooses　or　avoids。　Speeches；　therefore；



which　do　not　make　this　manifest；　or　in　which　the　speaker　does　not



choose　or　avoid　anything　whatever；　are　not　expressive　of　character。



Thought；　on　the　other　hand；　is　found　where　something　is　proved　to　be



or　not　to　be；　or　a　general　maxim　is　enunciated。



　　Fourth　among　the　elements　enumerated　comes　Diction；　by　which　I　mean；



as　has　been　already　said；　the　expression　of　the　meaning　in　words；



and　its　essence　is　the　same　both　in　verse　and　prose。



　　Of　the　remaining　elements　Song　holds　the　chief　place　among　the



embellishments



　　The　Spectacle　has；　indeed；　an　emotional　attraction　of　its　own；



but；　of　all　the　parts；　it　is　the　least　artistic；　and　connected　least



with　the　art　of　poetry。　For　the　power　of　Tragedy；　we　may　be　sure；　is



felt　even　apart　from　representation　and　actors。　Besides；　the



production　of　spectacular　effects　depends　more　on　the　art　of　the　stage



machinist　than　on　that　of　the　poet。



POETICS｜7



　　VII







　　These　principles　being　established；　let　us　now　discuss　the　proper



structure　of　the　Plot；　since　this　is　the　first　and　most　important



thing　in　Tragedy。



　　Now；　according　to　our　definition　Tragedy　is　an　imitation　of　an



action　that　is　complete；　and　whole；　and　of　a　certain　magnitude；　for



there　may　be　a　whole　that　is　wanting　in　magnitude。　A　whole　is　that



which　has　a　beginning；　a　middle；　and　an　end。　A　beginning　is　that　which



does　not　itself　follow　anything　by　causal　necessity；　but　after　which



something　naturally　is　or　comes　to　be。　An　end；　on　the　contrary；　is



that　which　itself　naturally　follows　some　other　thing；　either　by



necessity；　or　as　a　rule；　but　has　nothing　following　it。　A　middle　is



that　which　follows　something　as　some　other　thing　follows　it。　A　well



constructed　plot；　therefore；　must　neither　begin　nor　end　at



haphazard；　but　conform　to　these　principles。



　　Again；　a　beautiful　object；　whether　it　be　a　living　organism　or　any



whole　composed　of　parts；　must　not　only　have　an　orderly　arrangement



of　parts；　but　must　also　be　of　a　certain　magnitude；　for　beauty



depends　on　magnitude　and　order。　Hence　a　very　small　animal　organism



cannot　be　beautiful；　for　the　view　of　it　is　confused；　the　object



being　seen　in　an　almost　imperceptible　moment　of　time。　Nor；　again；



can　one　of　vast　size　be　beautiful；　for　as　the　eye　cannot　take　it　all



in　at　once；　the　unity　and　sense　of　the　whole　is　lost　for　the



spectator；　as　for　instance　if　there　were　one　a　thousand　miles　long。



As；　therefore；　in　the　case　of　animate　bodies　and　organisms　a　certain



magnitude　is　necessary；　and　a　magnitude　which　may　be　easily　embraced



in　one　view；　so　in　the　plot；　a　certain　length　is　necessary；　and　a



length　which　can　be　easily　embraced　by　the　memory。　The　limit　of　length



in　relation　to　dramatic　competition　and　sensuous　presentment　is　no



part　of　artistic　theory。　For　had　it　been　the　rule　for　a　hundred



tragedies　to　compete　together；　the　performance　would　have　been



regulated　by　the　water…clock…　as　indeed　we　are　told　was　formerly　done。



But　the　limit　as　fixed　by　the　nature　of　the　drama　itself　is　this：



the　greater　the　length；　the　more　beautiful　will　the　piece　be　by　reason



of　its　size；　provided　that　the　whole　be　perspicuous。　And　to　define　the



matter　roughly；　we　may　say　that　the　proper　magnitude　is　comprised



within　such　limits；　that　the　sequence　of　events；　according　to　the



law　of　probability　or　necessity；　will　admit　of　a　change　from　bad



fortune　to　good；　or　from　good　fortune　to　bad。



POETICS｜8



　　VIII







　　Unity　of　plot　does　not；　as　some　persons　think；　consist　in　the



unity　of　the　hero。　For　infinitely　various　are　the　incidents　in　one



man's　life　which　cannot　be　reduced　to　unity；　and　so；　too；　there　are



many　actions　of　one　man　out　of　which　we　cannot　make　o