In Poetics of Aristotle, translated by Preston H. Epps, tragedy is defined as “Imitation, an action, not a narrative, a serious, perfect, and extensive action, in which imitation is also done through pity and fear, the catharsis of similar emotions Aristotle believed that there are six elements of tragedy: plot, character, speech, music. According to Aristotle, plot is the main one /oedipus-rex”>Oedipus Rex provides an excellent example of argument in classical Greek use in tragedy. In modern times, an attempt at Aristotelian argumentation is illustrated in the 1990 film Innocent Presumed.
There are many criteria that Aristotle sets for a tragic argument. One is such that the plot has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The emphasis here is on the logical connection. Sophocles has no business connecting these things. The story begins with a plague in Thebes, and it is necessary to solve the city found plagued and punish the guilty. The process of storytelling is a process of discovery; fine punishment Sophocles begins to act at a moment of despair in the Thebans and in the brave heart of the king. The initial situation (plague, mourning and royalty) is immediately given in dramatic situations. Next, each step that Oedipus himself takes provides an opportunity to reveal some part of the previous knowledge that is necessary for discovery. And none of this information is necessary to capture the first condition.
Aristotle also suggests that there are two types of tragic argument: simple and complex argument. It is a simple argument that arises when it comes to its disaster without change and recognition. It is a complicated plot in which the tragic character finds his disaster through reversal or revision. Oedipus Rex clearly falls into the complex plot category. The reversal in Oedipus Rex occurs when Tiresias, the messenger, comes to cheer Oedipus and tells him that he is not afraid of his mother and his identity. It does the opposite of what it intended. It ultimately leads to the destruction of Oedipus. Recognition, however, can be defined as passing from good to evil through ignorance. This is the first instance when Oedipus realizes that he killed his father and married his mother. Sophocles’ tragedy, which is illustrated, is perhaps one of the best examples to contain the tragic aspect of the plot.
In modern times there are few clear examples of true Aristotelian tragedies. The film, Presumed Innocent does not meet all the criteria of tragedy, but still comes close to portraying the tragic plot. The story begins with a colleague having an affair with the main character. He does not know that his wife knows his business. As the movie progresses, the monster is killed, and the man is framed for the murder. His personal vendetta finds the real killer. At the conclusion of the film, the husband is acquitted of murder, and later realizes that his wife is the killer. We can draw parallels between the criteria of Aristotelian argument and the argument of this film. It has a beginning, a middle and an end. The beginning sets the stage for the wife’s jealousy and murder. The process of the film involves the revelation of things that point to the killer. As the film concludes, the tragedy becomes more appropriate with the recognition of man. He sheds his ignorance, and realizes that his wife has committed murder. He did not want to turn her away for the sake of his son. However, the wife does the murder with the chance to identify. This can perhaps be generated for a complex argument. As illustrated, the first one is indeed experiencing recognition. For these reasons, Aristotle’s invention can easily relate to this film. However, the film should not be created as a tragedy, because the focus of the film is not on the plot, but on character development.
Report:
- Poetics of Aristotle by Preston H. Epps
