Euripedes Medea versus Aristotlean Poetics Essay -- essays research p

Aristotle, a philosopher, scientist, culture medium and passionate critic of the arts, spent many years studying mankind nature and its relevance to the stage. His rules of calamity in fact made a deep imprint on the writing of tragic works, while he influenced the structure of theatre, with his analysis of human nature. Euripides Medea, a Greek tragedy write with partial adherence to the peripatetic rules, explores the continuation of the ancient Greek tales meet the mythology of Medea, Princess of Colchis, and granddaughter of Helios, the sun god, with heartlessness to rival the infamous Circe. While the structure of this diddle undoubtedly perpetuates many of the Aristotelian rules, there are some spectacular structures which challenge its standing with relevance to Aristotles guidelines, and the judgment of Medea as a spectacular success within the tragic genre.With relevance to the most qualitative of the Aristotelian rules, that which dictates the necessity of continuing cathartic elements byout the execution, Medea is doubtlessly an epitome. Aristotle (Poetics 7.2) wrote that a fitting tragedy ?should, moreover, imitate actions which excite pity and fear, this being the distinctive mark of tragic imitation.?These focus elements, of pity and fear are essentially what formulate the action within Medea, and in turn, reflect upon the characters creating a relevance to the audience, and the cathartic response for which Aristotle was so passionate. A key point within the text of Medea, which represents the perpetuation of these emotive elements, is when she is informed by Kreon, Lord of Corinth that she is to be exiled, as the following extract details. MEDEA Aiai. Utterly destroyed. Dead. ... ... survived the bastardization which comes with any translation.NURSEIf only the Argo hadn?t crashed through the waves To distant and dangerous ColchisIf only the pine trees on Pelion Mountain had neverbeen felled, for the heroes who w ent in pursuit ofthe golden fleece for Pelias.(Act 1, sc i. Lines 1-6The speech is poetry in itself, and if such a verse can be created in translation, what beauty could be found in the original text.If nothing else, this examine has proven the synthesis of Aristotelian and unconventional tragic elements, through the rehearse of the tragic hero, the three unities and the support of a cathartic response from the audience. in any case though, with disregard to many Aristotelian rules, to create perhaps not a dramatic success by Aristotle?s ideals, but undoubtedly an efficacious and challenging text which is Medea.