CONCEPT OF PLOT &HIS PREFERENCE OF COMPLEX PLOTS OVER SIMPLE PLOTS

Aristotle devotes great attention to the nature, structure and basic elements of the ideal plot. Tragedy is
the depiction of action consisting of incidents and events. Plot is the arrangement of these incident and
events. It contains the kernel of the action. Aristotle says that plot is the first principle, the soul of tragedy.

Aristotle says that the tragic plot must be a complete whole. It must have a continuous sequence of
beginning, middle and end. he beginning initiates a main action in a way which makes it look forward to
something more, the middle presumes what has gone before and requires something to follow; and the
end flows from what has gone before but requires nothing more; we are satisfied that the plot is complete.

The plot must have a certain magnitude or ‘length’. ‘Magnitude’ here means ‘size’. It should be neither
too small nor too large. It should be long enough to allow the process of change from happiness to misery
but not too long to be forgotten before the end. If it is too small, its different parts will not be clearly
distinguishable from each other. Magnitude also implies order and proportion and they depend upon the
magnitude. The different parts must be properly related to each other and to the whole. Thus magnitude
implies that the plot must have order, logic symmetry and perspicuity.

Aristotle considers the tragic plot to be an organic whole, and also having organic unity in its action. An
action is a change from happiness to misery or vice versa and tragedy must depict one such action. The
incidents impart variety and unity results by arranging the incidents so that they all tend to the same
catastrophe. There might be episodes for they impart variety and lengthen the plot but they must be
properly combined with the main action following each other inevitably. It must not be possible to
remove or to invert them without injuring the plot.

'Organic unity' cannot be provided only by the presence of the tragic hero, for many incidents in hero’s
life cannot be brought into relation with the rest. So there should be proper shifting and ordering of
material.

Aristotle joins organic unity of plot with probability and necessity. The plot is not tied to what has
actually happened but it deals with what may probably or necessarily happen. Probability and necessity
imply that there should be no unrelated events and incidents. Words and actions must be in character.
Thus probability and necessity imply unity and order and are vital for artistic unity and wholeness.

'Probability' implies that the tragic action must be convincing. If the poet deals with something
improbable, he must make it convincing and credible. He dramatist must procure, “willing suspension of
disbelief”. Thus a convincing impossibility is to be preferred to an unconvincing possibility.

Aristotle rules out plurality of action. He emphasizes the Unity of Action but has little to say about the
Unity of Time and the Unity of Place. About the Unity of Time he merely says that tragedy should
confine itself to a single revolution of the sun. As regards the Unity of Place, Aristotle said that epic can
narrate a number of actions going on all together in different parts, while in a drama simultaneous actions
cannot be represented, for the stage is one part and not several parts or places.

Tragedy is an imitation of a ‘serious action’ which arouses pity and fear. The plot of a tragedy essentially
deals with great moral issues. Tragedy is a tale of suffering with an unhappy ending. This means that the
plot of a tragedy must be a fatal one. Aristotle rules out fortunate plots for tragedy, for such plot does not
arouse tragic emotions. A tragic plot must show the hero passing from happiness to misery and not from
misery to happiness. The suffering of the hero may be caused by an enemy or a stranger but it would be
most piteous when it is by chance caused by friends and relatives who are his well-wishers.

Aristotle divided the plots into two categories viz. ‘Simple Plot’ and ‘Complex Plot’. Of this, the simple
plot he stated as an action which is continuous and one, is called Simple Plot. Complex Plot on the other
hand was given quiet special treatment by Aristotle. According to him the complex plot consists of either
‘Peripeteia’ or ‘the reversal of intention’ and ‘Anagnorisis’ or ‘recognition’ connected with ‘catastrophe’.
In order to properly understand complex plot, both of these constituents are to be given due consideration.

Peripeteia: According to Aristotle, Peripeteia occurs when a character performs an action and this
becomes the cause of giving rise to an effect which is contrary of that effect which he intends to produce.
The English form of Peripeteia is Peripety. Example, In Hamlet it occurs when Hamlet draws the sword
out of avenge from Claudius against his father’s murder but hesitates seeing him praying and believing
that he would go to heaven if he’s killed now.Peripeteia consequently leads to anagnorisis or the
discovery of the true facts.

Anagnorisis in Aristotle’s words can be concluded as a change from ignorance to knowledge producing
love or hate between the persons destined by the poor or proper fortune. Ex. Oedipus, despite his attempt
of changing his fate of killing his father and marrying his mother, does the same in ignorance and later on
the truth is revealed to him, which turns out to be entirely unexpected. Thus anagnorisis is caused as a
result of Peripeteia.

Conclusively, both these factors or concepts of peripety and anagnorisis being the major components of a
complex plot. Aristotle uses these distinctive effect of plot to distinguish tragic plot from other plots, like
comic and satiric and this shows that Aristotle clearly favors complex plot as opposed to the simple plot
in which reversal of the situation is almost impossible.