Macbeth: Aristotelian Tragedy
Interpretive Test
The definition of tragedy in an excerpt from Aristotle's "Poetics" is
the re-creation, complete within itself, of an important moral action. The
relevance of Aristotle's Poetics to Shakespeare's play Macbeth defines the
making of a dramatic tragedy and presents the general principles of the
construction of this genre.
Aristotle's attention throughout most of his Poetics is directed towards
the requirements and expectations of the plot. Plot, 'the soul of tragedy',
Aristotle says, must, be an imitation of a noble and complete action. In
Macbeth, Shakespear provides a complete action, that is it has what Aristotle
identifies as a beginning, a middle, and an ...
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Exodos is that entire part of a tragedy which has no choric
song after it. Of the Choric part the Parodos is the first undivided utterance
of the Chorus." Shakespeare follows this precise arrangement of parts to tell
his story of Macbeth. Macbeth is divided into five acts. It contains a
Prologue, Episode, Exodus, Parodos and Stasimon, but is the only one of
Shakespeares plays that does not include Choric songs. This does not dismiss
Macbeth as a tragedy in the Aristotelian sense, because it still follows
Aristotle's fundamental component of a plot. That the arrangement of actions
and episodes arrange themselves into a 'causally connected', seamless whole.
The ideal arrangement of action into a plot is: Exposition, Inciting Action,
Rising Action, Turning Point(Climax), Falling Action, and Denouement. Macbeth
follows each of these steps while introducing a new question every moment that
keeps our interest. That is called dramatic tension, a very important part of a
tragedy: to ...
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(lines 66-67). The plot of the tragedy unfolded for the
audience in that scene and it becomes apparent that it was Macbeth's and Lady
Macbeth's own evil actions that destroyed themselves. The last guideline of an
Aristotelian complete action is the reversal of action. This occurs when
Macduff kills Macbeth. Throughout the play Macbeth, driven by his corrupt
ambition, went after what he desired most. Even subjecting himself to evil sins,
but it is at the very end where his own ambition kills him. Macbeth's life ends
in the same way he took the other lives, through murder and deception. Stated
above, Aristotle says, the plot of a Tragedy must be an imitation of a noble and
complete ...
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"Macbeth: Aristotelian Tragedy." Essayworld.com. October 10, 2004. Accessed April 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Macbeth-Aristotelian-Tragedy/15645.
"Macbeth: Aristotelian Tragedy." Essayworld.com. October 10, 2004. Accessed April 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Macbeth-Aristotelian-Tragedy/15645.
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