Title Page

Analysis of Contents

I. 'Imitation' the common principle of the Arts of Poetry

II. The Objects of Imitation

III. The Manner of Imitation

IV. The Origin and Development of Poetry

V. Definition of the Ludicrous, and a brief sketch of the rise of Comedy

VI. Definition of Tragedy

VII. The Plot must be a Whole

VIII. The Plot must be a Unity

IX. (Plot continued.) Dramatic Unity

X. (Plot continued.) Definitions of Simple and Complex Plots

XI. (Plot continued.) Reversal of the Situation, Recognition, and Tragic or disastrous Incident defined and explained

XII. The 'quantitative parts' of Tragedy defined.

XIII. (Plot continued.) What constitutes Tragic Action

XIV. (Plot continued.) The tragic emotions of pity and fear should spring out of the Plot itself

XV. The element of Character in Tragedy

XVI. (Plot continued.) Recognition: its various kinds, with examples

XVII. Practical rules for the Tragic Poet

XVIII. Further rules for the Tragic Poet

XIX. Thought, or the Intellectual element, and Diction in Tragedy

XX. Diction, or Language in general

XXI. Poetic Diction.

XXII. (Poetic Diction continued.) How Poetry combines elevation of language with perspicuity

XXIII. Epic Poetry

XXIV. (Epic Poetry continued.) Further points of agreement with Tragedy.

XXV. Critical Objections brought against Poetry, and the principles on which they are to be answered

XXVI. A general estimate of the comparative worth of Epic Poetry and Tragedy.

THE POETICS OF ARISTOTLE

translated by S. H. BUTCHER