Page 30 - DENG501_LITERARY_CRITICISM_AND_THEORIES

Literary Criticism and Theories

Notes 4. Fourthly, the characters must be consistent. They must be true to their own natures, and their
actions must be in character. Thus a rash, impulsive person should act rashly and impulsively
throughout. If the dramatist has to represent an inconsistent person, then he must be,
“consistently inconsistent”.
Aristotle emphasises the point, further by saying that the actions of a character must be necessary and
probable outcome of his nature. He should act as we may logically expect a man of his nature to act
under the given circumstances. Just as the incidents must be casually connected with each other so
also his actions must be the natural and probable consequences, of his character, and the situation
in which he is placed. They must be logically inter-linked with his earlier actions, and must not
contradict the impression produced earlier.
This leads Aristotle to digress on the weakness of denouements which are not the natural or necessary
outcome of the preceding events, but are arbitrarily achieved by the intervention of the super-natural
or by other such mechanical devices. He permits the use of such stage-devices only for past events
and for future events which must be foretold. The actual action of the tragedy should have nothing
irrational or improbable about it; the use of the irrational or the supernatural should be strictly
limited to events lying outside the tragedy.
Ch. XVI: Recognition: Its Kinds
In chapter XI, Aristotle has already defined and explained Anagnorisis, ‘Discovery’ or ‘Recognition’
as change from ignorance to knowledge bringing about a reversal in the fortunes of the tragic hero
Since he regards Discovery as an important element of a successful plot, in this chapter he further
discusses the point, and lists six kinds of Recognition or Discovery:
1. The least artistic is the Recognition brought about by signs or marks. These signs may be by
birth, or they may by acquired after birth as scars, etc. Further, these signs or tokens may be
external, like necklaces, etc., which may bring about the discovery. To use such signs as proofs
implies reflection, and such a use of them is inartistic. When used at all, their use must be
spontaneous, not the result of thought but of chance.
2. Next come the discoveries introduced by the poet at will. Their use is arbitrary and so inartistic;
they do not grow naturally and logically out of the plot. They are manipulated by the poet
without regard to necessity and probability.
3. The third kind of discovery depends upon memory. It is a discovery made by a person whose
memory is awakened by some-thing he sees or hears. He is reminded of the past, and the
recognition follows.
4. The fourth kind of discovery is the discovery made through a process of reasoning. Through
the process of reasoning one event is linked up with another till the truth is recognised.
5. It is hard to understand what Aristotle really means by, “the discovery arising from false
reasoning on the side of the other party”. The examples he cites are obscure. Miss Dorothy
Sayers says that it is the, “Discovery by bluff”, employed by detectives both in and out of fiction.
Another interpretation is that Aristotle is here referring of the, “device of laying false clues”.
6. The best and the most artistic kind of discovery is the one which grows out of the action itself.
Such a discovery is natural and credible, and it surprises and startles the readers.
Thus in this chapter the Greek philosopher has listed six, “kinds of recognition”, from least to the
most artistic.
Chs. XVII and XVIII: Some Practical Rules for Would-be Dramatists:
Kinds of Tragedy
Chapter XVII is concerned with the process of constructing plays, and Aristotle lays down certain
guidelines for this purpose. While constructing his plays, the poet should do three things. First, he
should imaginatively visualise the action, secondly, he should work out the emotions with the
very ‘gestures’ of his dramatic personages, and thirdly, he should begin with the ‘universal form’
of the plot, adding the names and episodes later. Visualisation means imaginative sympathy; it

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