LITERARY THEORY

NOTES
17 MAY 2019
Morning:
PLATO: moral philosopher. The world of ideas.
The Republic.
Art, knowledge, imitation, truth, beauty.
Mimesis: literature: twice removed for reality.
Mistrust of art.

ARISTOTLE: more practical and commonsensical.

Mimesis.
Studied biology. Distanced his theory from Plato.
Interested in classification of things.
Not interested in the product but in the process
He believed that people were “made better” by literature.
Theory of tragedy.
Elements of a work of art: plot, etc.
A good tragedy needs to provoke emotions in the audience: fear and pity. These emotions
were the means to reach catharsis and this in turn would make them learn how to anticipate
the embattlements of life.
Imitation of reality. Imitation of ACTION.
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Hamartia: The term hamartia derives from the Greek ἁμαρτία, from ἁμαρτάνειν
hamartánein, which means "to miss the mark" or "to err".[1][2] It is most often associated
with Greek tragedy, although it is also used in Christian theology.[3]
Hamartia as it pertains to dramatic literature was first used by Aristotle in his Poetics. In
tragedy, hamartia is commonly understood to refer to the protagonist's error or tragic flaw
that leads to a chain of plot actions culminating in a reversal from felicity to disaster.
What qualifies as the error or flaw can include an error resulting from ignorance, an error of
judgement, a flaw in character, or a wrongdoing. The spectrum of meanings has invited
debate among critics and scholars and different interpretations among dramatists.
OEDIPUS THE KING.
Oedipus Rex, also known by its Greek title, Oedipus Tyrannus (Ancient Greek: Οἰδίπους
Τύραννος IPA: [oidípuːs týranːos]), or Oedipus the King, is
an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed around 429 BC.[1] Originally, to
the ancient Greeks, the title was simply Oedipus (Οἰδίπους), as it is referred to by Aristotle
in the Poetics. It is thought to have been renamed Oedipus Tyrannus to distinguish it from
another of Sophocles' plays, Oedipus at Colonus. In antiquity, the term “tyrant” referred to
a ruler with no legitimate claim to rule, but it did not necessarily have a negative
connotation.[2][3][4]
Of Sophocles' three Theban plays that have survived, and that deal with the story
of Oedipus, Oedipus Rex was the second to be written. However, in terms of the
chronology of events that the plays describe, it comes first, followed by Oedipus at
Colonus and then Antigone.
Prior to the start of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus has become the king of Thebes while unwittingly
fulfilling a prophecy that he would kill his father, Laius (the previous king), and marry his
mother, Jocasta (whom Oedipus took as his queen after solving the riddle of the Sphinx).
The action of Sophocles' play concerns Oedipus' search for the murderer of Laius in order
to end a plague ravaging Thebes, unaware that the killer he is looking for is none other than
himself. At the end of the play, after the truth finally comes to light, Jocasta hangs
herself while Oedipus, horrified at his patricide and incest, proceeds to gouge out his own
eyes in despair.
Oedipus Rex is regarded by many scholars as the masterpiece of ancient Greek tragedy. In
his Poetics, Aristotle refers several times to the play in order to exemplify aspects of the
genre.[5][6]
Madeia???? Euripides.
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LITERARY THEORY: Application of certain principles to the evaluation of a literary
piece.
LITERARY CRITICISM: Evaluation of a literary piece.
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Bressler L c Intrpduction to Theory and practice