Aristotle's Poetics
Aristotle could be considered the first popular literary critic. Unlike Plato, who all but condemned written verse, Aristotle breaks it down and analyses it so as to separate the good from the bad. He studies in great detail what components make a decent epic or tragedy. The main sections he comes up with are form, means and manner. For most drama and verse, Aristotle's rules are a fairly good measure of the quality of a piece of written work. In modern day however (modern meaning within the last century), certain changes in the nature of dramatic writing have started opening a gap between Aristotelian criticism and what is actually being produced on the stage. Changes in values and techniques brought about by Stanislavsky and some leaders of the popular feminist movement have shifted the direction of theatre. In light of these changes some of Aristotle's rules are not applicable anymore. That is not to say that they are not sound. They simply do not apply. Sharon Pollock, one of Canada's great female playwrights and a strong leader of the popular feminist movement, is one example of a writer that breaks Aristotle's mold. Her play "Blood Relations" sits on the edge of what Aristotle would call tragedy.
that he would be king got him into this disaster! We can see that he is doomed, the moral sense, no calls forth pity or fear. Nor should the downfall of the sound and fury/ Signifying nothing" Act V, scene v, lines 26-28. Macbeth's the forces of fate. These hags lead Macbeth on to destroy himself. Their audience in that scene and it becomes apparent that it was Macbeth's and Lady
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Approximate Word count = 3348
Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page double spaced)
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