PLOT AND CHARACTER

 

ARISTOTLE'S PLOT AND CHARACTER

The function of tragedy, according to

Aristotle, is to arouse the emotions of pity and

fear. The nature of plot depends upon the

arousal of these two tragic feelings. Tragedy,

according to Aristotle is not an imitation of

men but men in action. Action implies a

process of change from happiness

to misery. Now every action is made of a

number of events, situations and incidents. plot

is the organization of such events, situations

and incidents. This makes Aristotle to define

two types of plots. He uses the term (a) simple

plots (b) complex plots. In simple plots, the

fortune of the hero moves only n one direction

ending in catastrophe. In complex type of plots

there are elements of ‘peripety and

anognorisis’. A good plot has either of the two

element or both. Aristotle quotes the example

of ‘Oedipus’ again and again. The two

Shakespeare’s tragedies- ‘King Lear’ and

‘Othello’ are classical examples of the reversal

of fortune and discovery of truth. Aristotle

compares a plot to a living organism. It means

that nothing can be added or taken away from

it. The incidents choose must be serious and

not trivial. They should be such as to arouse

the feelings of pity and fear. A good plot

follows the principle of the laws of probability

and necessity. A tragedy does not deal with

what actually happened but what might

happen Humphrey House makes it clear that

plot is not a story but is governed by the law of cause and effect. The Shakespearean tragic

heroes suffer from ‘hamartia’ or tragic flow

which is ultimately responsible for their

downfall.

‘Character’, according to Aristotle, is a

habit of mind which is revealed only through

speech and action. He means to say that

tragedy is possible even when the character do

not reveal themselves. In Greek tragedy, we

find the protagonist victim of cruel fate. Character says Aristotle is made up of two

elements. The words he uses are- ethos and

‘dionia’. ‘Ethos’ is the intellectual element.

Some of the modern critics have

challenged the theory of the primary

importance of plot as put forward by Aristotle.

They argue that plot is merely external frame-

work devised to illustrate the working of

character. The character of a person lies in

thoughts before action. Events have no

meaning if they do not proceed from the

thoughts of the character. Now this confusion

arises because of the advancement of the

science of human psychology. The modern

literature has become psychology analytical.

T.S Eliot uses the X-ray techniques to lay bare

the inner self of prufrock.

The modern drama has suffered

because of the interest in the inner working of

the mind of the protagonist. The plays of G.B

Shaw are like drawing debates. It was

Shakespeare how draw a balance between plot

and character. The characters like kinglear,

Hemlet, Macbeth and Othello are immortal.

But their tragedies have powerful plots. Thus

we see that Aristotle’s Statement has been

misunderstood. Too much emphasis on

character can make a drama into lyric but not a

successful play.        ****BIJAN SIR****