Aristotle’s Poetics Student Edition

1. Aristotle’s PoeticsStudent Edition Prepared by: Dr. Kay Picart Assistant Professor of English & Humanities

2. Name that Aristotelian Trivia

3. Name that Aristotelian Trivia

4. Kinds of Poetry

5. What are the different kinds of poetry, according to Aristotle? • A. Epic prose • B. Tragedy • C. Horror • D. Comedy • E. Dithyrambic Poetry • F. Flute Music • G. Lyre Music • H. Guitar Music • I. A – E only • J. None of the above fits perfectly

7. Causes of Poetry

8. Which of the following statements are true? • A. One reason for why we like poetry is because we have an instinct for imitation. • B. This instinct for imitation is something we share just like, and no more than, the animals. • C. There is pleasure and pain in viewing imitations, even if what they depict is painful or ignoble. • D. The pleasure we get from imitation is the recognition of likeness. • E. Another reason why we like poetry is because we have an instinct for harmony and rhythm. • F. We possess an instinct for preaching, which makes us like poetry. • G. All of the above except B, C, F • H. All of the above except F

10. Comedy

11. Which of the following statements is true? • A. Comedy is an imitation of “lower” (ludicrous) types. • B. Only comedies use masks. • C. The concept of the ludicrous implies that it excites horror and fear. • D. The ludicrous implies that there is a defect or ugliness that inspires awe. • E. A & B only • F. B & C only • G. C & D only • H. All of the above • I. None of the above

13. Tragedy 1

14. Which of the following statements is true? • A. Tragedy is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete and of a certain magnitude. • B. Tragedy occurs in the form of an action, not a narrative. • C. Tragedy, through exciting pity and fear, causes the purging of these emotions (catharsis). • D. Plot within a tragedy is nothing more than the imitation of an action. • E. Tragedy has six parts: plot, character, diction, thought, spectacle, song. • F. A & B only • G. C& D only • H. All of the above • I. None of the above fits perfectly

16. Tragedy 2

17. Which of the following statements is true? • A. Tragedy is an imitation of men, rather than of action. • B. Character in tragedy is the first principle, and plot, the second. • C. Peripeteia or reversal of the situation, & recognition scenes, are part of the plot of tragedy. • D. The third principle of tragedy is thought—the faculty of saying what is possible & pertinent in given circumstances. • E. The fourth principle is diction—the expression of the meaning in words • F. Song is the least powerful of the ornamental elements of tragedy. • G. Spectacle is the most artistic element of tragedy. • H. C, D, E only • I . None of the above fits perfectly.

19. Tragedy 3

20. Which of the following statements is true? • A. Tragedy is an imitation of something complete & whole—that is, it has a beginning, middle & end. • B. A beautiful object (e.g., well crafted tragedy), like a living organism, must not only have an orderly arrangement of parts but also a magnitude that can be embraced in one view. • C. Of all plots and actions, the “episodic” (that is, there is no probable or necessary connection across the episodes) is the worst, according to Aristotle • D. A & B only • E. B & C only • F. A & C only • G. All of the above • H. None of the above fits perfectly

22. BONUS QUESTION!

23. Answer the following: • Right now, I am feeling: • A. confused • B. nervous • C. pretty confident • D. amused • E. entertained • F. A & B only • G. D & E only • H. Fill in the blank with your answer

25. Epic Poetry

26. Which of the following statements is true? • A. Epic poetry differs from tragedy in scale. • B. Homer is the best example of an epic poet, according to Aristotle. • C. The element of the wonderful is required in tragedy; the irrational, on which the wonderful relies, has a wider scope in epic poetry. • D. All of the above except A • E. All of the above except B • F. All of the above except C • G. All of the above • H. None of the above fits perfectly

28. Imitation

29. Which of the ff. statements is true? • A. According to Aristotle, the poet, as an imitator, may imitate one of the following—things as they were or are; things as they are said or thought to be; things as they ought to be. • B. For Aristotle, the standard of correctness is the same in politics and poetry. • C. For Aristotle, intention (e.g., secure a greater good or avert an evil) is important in determining poetic fitness. • D. The irrational or depravity of character should be censured when there is no inner necessity for introducing them. • E. All of the above except A • F. All of the above except B • G. All of the above except C • H. All of the above except D • I. None of the above fits perfectly

31. The Superior Art

32. Which of the ff. statements is true? • A. Tragic art requires gesture while the epic does not. • B. Tragic art appeals to an inferior audience; epics appeal to a cultivated audience. • C. Tragic art uses all the elements of the epic but concentrates them by using narrower limits. • D. A tragedy has less unity than an epic. • E. Tragedy is superior to epics. • F. All of the above are false except A & C • G. All of the above are false except C & E • H. All of the above are false • I. None of the above fits perfectly

33. The End!