Aristotle's Theory of Tragedy: Reversal, Recognition, and Suffering

This article discusses Aristotle's theory of tragedy and its components such as reversal, recognition, and suffering. It explains how these elements contribute to the plot of a tragedy and provides examples from Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. The article also explores the importance of poetry and catharsis according to Aristotle.

Running head: ENGLISH LITERATURE 1
English Literature
Name
Institution

ENGLISH LITERATURE 2
Question one
In defense of art, Aristotle gives two reasons. First, he argues that poetry is an imitation
of creativity offers an extra feeling which is not available in the actual world (Sharma, 2015). He
explains that even though poetry imitates the globe, it selects the nature of events to imitate and
does so in a coherent methodology. Secondly, Aristotle says that the importance of poetry is to
amuse readers but not to preach or give moral ideas to the readers as Plato asks.
Question 2
According to Aristotle’s usage of the term catharsis, the term means a release of emotions
such as fear, pity and sadness through witnessing art. Catharsis leads to renewal and interior
restorations through variations of extreme emotions (Ananth, 2014).
Question 3
Induction is the important basis of Aristotle's theory of tragedy. According to him,
several parts make up a tragedy (Chukwuemeka, 2018). The plot is the first part. This is the
most important component of tragedy. It serves to unite drama. Secondly, we have the character
which is the tragic hero of the show. The thought is the next part. Telling the truth at the right
time is what makes this part. Besides we have diction as another part of the drama. It involves an
expression of meaning in words. A song is another part of the tragedy. It serves to narrate
significant events not shown on stage. Lastly but not the least, spectacles add to the components
of tragedy.

ENGLISH LITERATURE 3
Question 4
Reversal and recognition of an event bring about surprise while suffering brings about
destructive actions.
Question 5
Aristotle discusses reversal in the poetry as the change of distressful protagonist’s future
from good to the evil which is fundamental to the plot of a tragedy. Ironically, reversal is
repeatedly a sarcastic fudge. A setback is the most radical when it comes to drama. It is the
change of the kind portrayed from a particular state within the art to its other side. It is the
necessary or probable sequence of events. It can bring forward advantages or bring about terror,
smile or even mercy. It can also result in tears in for example in comedy. It is the best way to
spark and maintain attention throughout the art. In Oedipus, a reversal occurs towards the end of
the play when a courier brings fourth Oedipus news of his parentage. The irony of the
information is that the report was supposed to assure Oedipus that Polybus was his parent, but on
the contrary, the messenger tells Oedipus that Polybus was nothing to him. The plot comes
together on the realization of the person he was (Chaudhary, 2013).
Question 6
In poetry or art, recognition as Aristotle defines it is the startling invention that gives a
variation from ignorance to knowledge. It is the time in a play when a character discovers critical
information (Zwier, 2018). Aristotle discusses it in poetry as an essential part of a plot in
tragedy. Additionally, it occurs in epic, comedy and novels as well. Recognition usually involves
revelation of the true identity that was previously not known for example, when a father

ENGLISH LITERATURE 4
recognises that someone who had been a stranger to him or her is his biological son and vice
versa. One of the recognition occurs in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex at the moment when a
messenger makes it clear to Oedipus about his actual birth and Oedipus recognizes that Jocasta
his wife is his mother and as well the man he killed at crossroads is his father. Additionally, he
realizes that he was the unnatural sinner who has brought misfortunes on the Thebes. This was
the most dramatic reversal.
Question 7
Aristotle defines suffering as a painful or destructive action which often results from
reversal or recognition. It is an action that involves pain or destruction (Harris, 2017). Aristotle
further argues that it is an experience of unpleasantness. He views it as the fundamental element
that makes up negative valence of emotional activity. Aristotle categorises suffering as either
mental or physical. He argues that it can come in varying degrees ranging from mild to extreme
ranges. The duration and frequency factors usually compound the actions’ intensity factor. In
Oedipus, Rex Oedipus suffered a lot. He had children with his mother, murdered his father and
failed to consider the prophecy. Suffering brings about self knowledge.
Additionally, no one had ever told Oedipus about the oracle. He would still have done it no
matter what. Oedipus and Jokasta fulfilled the oracle's prophecy that Oedipus was to marry his
mother. They got married and bore children, but upon realising the crime they had committed,
Jokasta hugged herself. Oedipus gouged out his eyes.

ENGLISH LITERATURE 5
References
Ananth, M. (2014). A Cognitive Interpretation of Aristotle’s Concepts of Catharsis and Tragic
Pleasure. International Journal of Art and Art History, 01-33.
Chaudhary, K. (2013). The Development of Plot in the Famous Greek Tragedy "Oedipus Rex" or
"Oedipus The King" by Sophocles. Research Journal of English Language and
Literature (RJELAL, 242-244.
Chukwuemeka, D. (2018). Indices of the Hegelian Tragedy in Patience . The International
Journal Of Humanities & Social Studies Swift’s the Last Good Man, 17-23.
Harris, D. I. (2017). Nietzsche and Aristotle on Friendship and Self-Knowledge. Journal of
Nietzsche Studies, 245-260.
Sharma, R. (2015). Plato Versus Aristotle: Theory of Imitation. An International Refereed e-
Journal of Literary Explorations, 360-363. Retrieved from An International Refereed e-
Journal of Literary Explorations.
Zwier, K. R. (2018). Methodology in Aristotle’s Theory of Spontaneous Generation. Journal of
the History of Biology, 355-386.