Aristotle's Concept of The Plot of Tragedy, Its Structure, Its Constituent Elements, Kinds of Plots, and the Concepts of Peripeteia-Anagnorisis

Q.7.     The Plot of Tragedy, Its Structure, Its Constituent Elements, Kinds of Plots, and the Concepts of Peripeteia-Anagnorisis.

Ans. In "The Poetics", Aristotle devotes much attention to the examination of the nature, structure and the formative or constituent elements of an ideal tragic plot. Tragedy is the representation of action, and action consists of incidents and events. So, Plot is the arrangement of these incidents and events in the tragedy. Thus, Plot contains the kernel of the action, which it is the object of the tragedy. Hence the primary importance of the plot and the extended and considerable treatment which it receives by Aristotle is very significant. According to Aristotle, Plot, is the first principle, the soul of tragedy. So much so Aristotle says that there can be a tragedy without character and but there can be no tragedy without plot. Out of six formative elements of a tragedy, i.e., Plot, character, thought, melody, diction, spectacle-Aristotle assigns the first place to plot. More space has been devoted to the discussion of the nature, structure, kinds, and the constituent elements of an ideal plot, than any other of the six formative or constituent elements of Tragedy.

The Greek word 'poet' means a 'maker'. The poet is a 'maker', not because he makes (writes) verses, but because he makes plots. Here, Aristotle differentiates between 'story' and 'plot'. The poet needs not to make his own story; indeed, it would be better if he chooses a traditional story and then proceeds to make his own plot out of it. He says that the stories taken from history, mythology, or legend are to be preferred, for they are familiar and easy to understand, and they serve as guide-lines for characterisation. After chosen his story or after inventing it, the dramatist must subject it to a process of artistic selection and ordering. Only relevant incidents and situations are selected, and they are arranged in a skilful way that they seem to follow each other necessarily and inevitably. Moreover, the incidents chosen must be 'serious', of some importance, and not 'trivial', as tragedy is the imitation of a serious action. Therefore, the incidents should be 'serious', likely to arouse the tragic emotions of pity and fear.

Next, Aristotle describe that the tragic plot must be a complete whole. By 'complete' he means that the plot must have a proper beginning, middle, and end. It must have a beginning, i.e., it must not necessarily flow out of some previous situation. There might be earlier parts of the story, the antecedents, and they may be communicated by the dramatist in due course of the action. But the beginning must be clear and intelligible. It must not provoke confusion to ask 'why' and 'how'. It was the common Greek practice to give the antecedents through the Prologue. Aristotle says that an effective beginning is the sure test of a dramatist's skill. The middle is something that is consequent upon a situation that has gone before, and which is followed by the catastrophe. So the middle is everything between the first incident and the last. The middle is followed by the end. 'The end' is that which is consequent upon a given situation, but which is not followed by any further incident or situation. The middle must follow naturally and inevitably upon the beginning, and it must logically lead to the end, or the catastrophe. Thus artistic wholeness implies logical link-up of the various incidents, events and situations that form the plot.

Then, Aristotle comes to the important question of Magnitude. The plot must have a certain magnitude. It must have a certain "length". Here 'Magnitude' means 'size'. It should be neither too small nor too large. However, it should be long enough to allow the process of change from prosperity to adversity initiated by 'the beginning', to be properly and completely developed, but not too long for the memory to understand it as a whole. Aristotle describes, if it is too long, the beginning would be forgotten before the end. If it is too small, its different parts will not be clearly distinguishable from each other, as in the case of a living organism. Within these limits, the plot should be as large as possible, however larger the better. Aristotle says that it is the action itself, not the audience or the judges that should determine the magnitude or size of the plot. Each drama is a unique problem in poetic craftsmanship, and what is valid for one may be invalid for another. Aristotle further describes that Magnitude also implies order and proportion, and as in the case of a living organism, beauty and order depend upon its magnitude. It's different parts properly relate to each other and to the whole. Thus magnitude implies that the plot must have order, logic, symmetry and perspicuity.

Aristotle conceives that the plot of a tragedy is an organic whole, and also have an organic unity in its action. An action is a process of change from happiness to misery or vice versa, and tragedy must depict only one such action. There may be a number of incidents and events in the play, but together they must constitute one, and only one, action.. Thus the plot may have variety, but still be a unity and a whole. This unity arises from the fact that, every event, every incident, has a logical connection with the rest of the action, and none of them is irrelevant. There might be episodes indeed, episodes are necessary, for they impart variety and serve to lengthen out the plot but they must be properly integrated with the main action. They must be necessary, and they must follow each other inevitably. Just as every part of the body of a living creature is essential for its life, and cannot be removed without injury to it, so every incident and episode must be necessary for the whole. Otherwise, episodic plots are the worst of all.

Further, Aristotle correlates organic unity of plot with probability and necessity. The plot deals with action, incidents and events, which is possible according to the laws of probability and necessity. So the plot is not tied to what has actually happened, but it deals with what may probably or necessarily happen under the given circumstances. Here probability and necessity imply that there should be no unrelated and unnecessary events and incidents, rather the various events must be inter-related with a sort of artistic logic. They must follow each other logically and inevitably and further that nothing should be left to chance and coincidence or to the 'marvellous', at least in the essential parts of the action. Thus probability and necessity imply coherence and order and are essential for artistic unity and wholeness. Moreover, Aristotle says that here probability implies that the tragic action must be credible or convincing. If the poet deals with something improbable event, he must have the skill to make it convincing and credible. He concludes that a convincing impossibility is preferable to an unconvincing possibility.

The former discussion makes it clear that Aristotle rules out plurality of action. He emphasises on the Unity of Action but he has little to say about the Unity of Time and the Unity of Place. About the Unity of Time he merely says in 'The Poetics "that tragedy should confine itself, as far as possible, to a single revolution of the sun. However, no law is implied here. But he has simply made a suggestion, he has simply pointed out what is desirable. As regards the so-called Unity of Place, Aristotle only mentioned it once, when he was comparing the epic and the tragedy, that epic can narrate a number of actions going on simultaneously in different parts, while in a tragedy only one action can be represented. On this point again, Aristotle was much misunderstood by Renaissance critics, and later French critics, that Aristotle was in the favour of unity of place.

Aristotle says that tragedy is an imitation of a 'serious action', and that its purpose is to arouse pity and fear. This means that tragedy is a story of suffering with an unhappy ending, because it is only such a story that is likely to arouse both pity and fear. This means, in other words, that the plot of a tragedy must be a fatal one. Aristotle rules out fortunate plots for tragedy, because such a plot is not likely to arouse the proper tragic emotions. A tragic plot must depict the hero passing from prosperity to adversity and not rising from misery to happiness.

According to Aristotle, Tragic plots may be of three kinds, (I) Simple, (II) Complex, and (III) Plots based on or depicting incidents and events of suffering, and depending on their effect. The words Simple and Complex, have been used here in technical terms. A Simple plot is one which does not have any Peripety and Anagnorisis, but the action moves forward uniformly without any violent or sudden change. But Aristotle prefers Complex plots. An ideal tragic plot, according to Aristotle, must not be Simple. It must be Complex, i.e., it must have Peripeteia, i.e., "reversal of intention", and Anagnorisis, i.e., "recognition of truth". Peripeteia implies ignorance of truth, while Anagnorisis is the realisation of truth by some signs, or by chance, or better still, by the logical development of events. An ideal plot is one in which Anagnorisis follows or even coincides with Peripeteia, i.e., with the false step taken by the hero or his well-wishers.

As regards the third kind of plot, the plot depending for its effect on spectacle-incidents of suffering, Aristotle rates it very low. It is the plot which derives its effect from the depiction of spectacle, e.g. torture, murder, maiming, violence, death, etc. But Aristotle says that tragic effect must be created naturally, and not with artificial and theatrical aids. Such plots indicate a deficiency in the art of the poet.

In the end Aristotle says that in making their plots, the poets should take great care to make their denouements or 'resolutions', it should be very effective and successful. While making the denouements, unravelling of the plot should be done naturally and logically, and not by the use of arbitrary devices, like chance, supernatural intervention, etc. According to Atkins "Gods should intervene only where it becomes necessary to explain the past, or announce future events external to the action". In the same way, Aristotle does not consider Poetic Justice (ideal justice) as necessary for Tragedy. He regards it more in keeping with the spirit of comedy. Similarly, Aristotle rules out the use of plots with a double end, i.e., plots in which there is happiness for some of the characters, and misery for others. Such a double-ending plot weakens the tragic effect, and hence must be avoided. It is more proper to Comedy. Thus Aristotle is against Tragi-comedy.

Points to Remember:

1.                  Introduction.

2.                  Plot contains the kernel of action.

3.                  Poet means a maker.

4.                  Only relevant incidents are selected.

5.                  Plot must be a complete whole.

6.                  Beginning, Middle and end.

7.                  Magnitude.

8.                  Probability and necessity.

9.                  Aristotle rules out plurality of action.

10.              Peripeteia and Anagnorisis.

11.  Conclusion.

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