DISTINCTIVE

CATHARSIS ARISTOTLE EMOTIONAL

RESPONSE

ROME O A ND J U L I E T ’ S A RI S T OT LE B E L I E V E D AROUSING PITY

P O PU L A RI TY I S T H AT S UC H A RO U S A L
EXPLAINED BY THE O F PI T Y A N D F EA R OUT OF FEAR
I D E A OF CAT H A RSI S CA N B E T H E RA PE U T I C FOR THE HERO

THE FEAR FOR THE COUPLE COMMITTING A TERRIBLE MISTAKE, AND

THE PITY WHEN THEY HAVE DONE IT SOMEHOW GAVE THE AUDIENCE
SOME FEELING OF RELIEF, AND THEREFORE, EXPERIENCED CATHARSIS.

CLASSICAL THEORY 400 BC – 400 AD

Reference: https://www.myexamsolution.com/2018/06/classical-literary-criticism.html
 RE L AT I O N SHI P OF
ALLEGORY NEOPLATONISTS MAT E RI A L TH I N G S T O
T H E O N E WH I CH T H E Y
H AV E E MA N AT E D

SMALLER THINGS ARE

DANIEL DEFOE’S RE CU RRI N G T H EM E : F R AG M E N TA L
ROBINSON H E AV E N LY A S CE N T O R REFLECTIONS OF THE
J O U RN E Y FULLNESS OF THE
CRUSOE GOODNESS

THE ABANDONED BOY IN AN ISLAND LEARNED WHAT’S NECESSARY

FOR SURVIVAL AND PROGRESS, AND THE LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE. IT
SYMBOLIZES UNAIDED HUMAN REASON, WHICH LEAD TO COMPLETE
IGNORANCE TO THE UNION WITH THE DIVINE.

MEDIEVAL THEORY 400 AD – 1400 AD

Reference: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/medieval-literary/
 Q U E S T I ON S AC CE P T E D
N O RMS, CH A L L E NGI NG
NEOCLASSISM ENLIGHTENMENT T H E CO N T RO L O F
MO N A RCH Y A N D
RE L I G I O US L E A DE R S

PORTRAYED F O CU S E D I N T H E
GULLIVER’S HUMANS AS MORE I MI TAT I O N O F T H E
TRAVELS A N CI E N T RO MA N A N D
FLAWED G RE E K C L AS S I CS

GULLIVER TRAVELED TO DIFFERENT PLACES AND ENCOUNTERED

DIFFERENT SPECIES. THIS IS A METAPHOR TO HUMAN DIFFERENCES
AND VARIOUS ISSUES.

NEO-CLASSICAL 1500 AD – 1700 AD

References: https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/english-
literature/literary-movements/neo-classical/
 HUMAN E V E RY I N D I V I D UAL I S
ROMANTICISM EXPERIENCE AND D I F F E RE N T F RO M O N E
A N OT H E R
INVIDUALITY
WORDSWORTH’S VIEW OF HUMAN HONESTY AND
PREFACE TO THE LIFE, MAN’S STRENGTH AS
LYRICAL BALLADS RELATIONSHIP AND CRITERIA VALUE
EXTERNAL REALITY

FREE EXPRESSION, SPONTANEITY, SINCERITY, AND NATURAL

EXPRESSION OF FEELING

ROMANTIC THEORY 1750 AD – 1850 AD

References: https://www.myexamsolution.com/2018/06/romanticism-literary-
theory.html#more
 READER MUTUAL RELATIONSHIP
OF READER AND THE
E X PL I CI T N E S S O F T H E
T E X T D E PE N D S O N T H E
RESPONSE TEXT RE A D E RS

RE A D E RS A RE MORE HUMAN
THE DEATH OF THE EXPERIENCE LEADS TO
ACT I V E LY I N VO LV E D
AUTHOR (ROLAND I N T H E CRE AT I O N O F
B ROA D E R
BARTHES) COMPREHENSION OF THE
ME A N I N G TEXT

THIS IS AN ESSAY WHICH TALKS ABOUT THE DISREGARD TO THE

AUTHOR AND HIS INTERPRETATION OF THE TEXT, HIGHLIGHTING THE
READERS’ POWER TO GIVE THEIR OWN.

FORMALISM THEORY 1900s – 1970s

References: https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/english-
literature/literary-criticism-and-theory/reader-response-criticism/