Page:The Theatre of the Greeks, a Treatise on the History and Exhibition of the Greek Drama, with Various Supplements.djvu/357

 Aristotle's treatise ox poetry. 331 vrith. metre, than w-ithout They are distinguished by thLs, that the one relates what has been, the other what might he. On this account, poetry is a more philosophical and a more excellent thing than history; for ])oetry is chiefly conversant about general truth, history about particular. In what manner, for example, any person of a certain character would speak or act, probably or necessarily — this is general: and this is the object of poetry, even while it makes use of particular names. But, what Alcibiades did, or what happened to him — this is particular truth. With respect to Comedy, this is now become obvious ; for here, the poet, when he has formed his plot of prohahle incidents, gives to his characters whatever names he pleases; and is not, like the iambic poets, particular and personal. Tragedy, indeed, retains the use of real names ; and the reason is, that, what we are disposed to believe, we must think possihh: now, what has never actually happened, we are not apt to reg;ird as possible; but what has been is unquestionably so, or it could not have been at all. There, are, however, some Tragedies, in which one or two of the names are historical, and the rest feigned : there are even some in which none of the names are historical; such is Agatho's Tragedy called Tlte Flower, for in that all is invention, both incidents and names ; and yet it pleases. It is by no means, therefore, essential that a poet shotild con- fine himself to the known and established subjects of Tragedy. Such a restraint would, indeed, be ridicidous; since even those subjects that are known, are known, comparatively, but to few, and yet are interesting to all. From all this it is manifest, that a poet should be a j^oet, or " maker," of 2^^ots, rather than of verses; since ^ it is imitation that constitutes the poet, and of this imitation actions are the object : nor is he the less a poet, though the incidents of his fable should chance to be such as have actually happened; for nothing hinders but that some true events may possess the probability/, the invention of which entitles him to the name of poet Of simjyle plots or actions, the episodic are the worst. I call that an episodic plot (eTretcroStoj^Ty p.x6ov), the episodes of which follow each other without any j^J'obable or necessary connexion; a faidt into which bad poets are betrayed by their want of skill, and good poets by the players ; for, in order to accommodate their pieces to the purposes of rival per- formers in the dramatic contests, they spin out the action beyond their powers, and are thus frequently forced to break the connexion and con- tinuity of its parts. 1 6<j'-i) ''just in proportion as.'" — J. Vr. D.