poetics-第4节

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which　the　plots　are　an　imitation；　obviously　show　a　similar



distinction。　An　action　which　is　one　and　continuous　in　the　sense



above　defined；　I　call　Simple；　when　the　change　of　fortune　takes　place



without　Reversal　of　the　Situation　and　without　Recognition



　　A　Complex　action　is　one　in　which　the　change　is　accompanied　by　such



Reversal；　or　by　Recognition；　or　by　both。　These　last　should　arise



from　the　internal　structure　of　the　plot；　so　that　what　follows　should



be　the　necessary　or　probable　result　of　the　preceding　action。　It



makes　all　the　difference　whether　any　given　event　is　a　case　of



propter　hoc　or　post　hoc。



POETICS｜11



　　XI







　　Reversal　of　the　Situation　is　a　change　by　which　the　action　veers



round　to　its　opposite；　subject　always　to　our　rule　of　probability　or



necessity。　Thus　in　the　Oedipus；　the　messenger　comes　to　cheer　Oedipus



and　free　him　from　his　alarms　about　his　mother；　but　by　revealing　who　he



is；　he　produces　the　opposite　effect。　Again　in　the　Lynceus；　Lynceus



is　being　led　away　to　his　death；　and　Danaus　goes　with　him；　meaning　to



slay　him；　but　the　outcome　of　the　preceding　incidents　is　that　Danaus　is



killed　and　Lynceus　saved。



　　Recognition；　as　the　name　indicates；　is　a　change　from　ignorance　to



knowledge；　producing　love　or　hate　between　the　persons　destined　by



the　poet　for　good　or　bad　fortune。　The　best　form　of　recognition　is



coincident　with　a　Reversal　of　the　Situation；　as　in　the　Oedipus。



There　are　indeed　other　forms。　Even　inanimate　things　of　the　most



trivial　kind　may　in　a　sense　be　objects　of　recognition。　Again；　we　may



recognize　or　discover　whether　a　person　has　done　　a　thing　or　not。　But



the　recognition　which　is　most　intimately　connected　with　the　plot　and



action　is；　as　we　have　said；　the　recognition　of　persons。　This



recognition；　combined　with　Reversal；　will　produce　either　pity　or　fear；



and　actions　producing　these　effects　are　those　which；　by　our



definition；　Tragedy　represents。　Moreover；　it　is　upon　such　situations



that　the　issues　of　good　or　bad　fortune　will　depend。　Recognition；　then；



being　between　persons；　it　may　happen　that　one　person　only　is



recognized　by　the　other…　when　the　latter　is　already　known…　or　it　may



be　necessary　that　the　recognition　should　be　on　both　sides。　Thus



Iphigenia　is　revealed　to　Orestes　by　the　sending　of　the　letter；　but



another　act　of　recognition　is　required　to　make　Orestes　known　to



Iphigenia。



　　Two　parts；　then；　of　the　Plot…　Reversal　of　the　Situation　and



Recognition…　turn　upon　surprises。　A　third　part　is　the　Scene　of



Suffering。　The　Scene　of　Suffering　is　a　destructive　or　painful



action；　such　as　death　on　the　stage；　bodily　agony；　wounds；　and　the



like。



POETICS｜12



　　XII







　　The　parts　of　Tragedy　which　must　be　treated　as　elements　of　the



whole　have　been　already　mentioned。　We　now　come　to　the　quantitative



parts…　the　separate　parts　into　which　Tragedy　is　divided…　namely；



Prologue；　Episode；　Exode；　Choric　song；　this　last　being　divided　into



Parode　and　Stasimon。　These　are　common　to　all　plays：　peculiar　to　some



are　the　songs　of　actors　from　the　stage　and　the　Commoi。



　　The　Prologue　is　that　entire　part　of　a　tragedy　which　precedes　the



Parode　of　the　Chorus。　The　Episode　is　that　entire　part　of　a　tragedy



which　is　between　complete　choric　songs。　The　Exode　is　that　entire



part　of　a　tragedy　which　has　no　choric　song　after　it。　Of　the　Choric



part　the　Parode　is　the　first　undivided　utterance　of　the　Chorus：　the



Stasimon　is　a　Choric　ode　without　anapaests　or　trochaic　tetrameters：



the　Commos　is　a　joint　lamentation　of　Chorus　and　actors。　The　parts　of



Tragedy　which　must　be　treated　as　elements　of　the　whole　have　been



already　mentioned。　The　quantitative　parts…　the　separate　parts　into



which　it　is　divided…　are　here　enumerated。



POETICS｜13



　　XIII







　　As　the　sequel　to　what　has　already　been　said；　we　must　proceed　to



consider　what　the　poet　should　aim　at；　and　what　he　should　avoid；　in



constructing　his　plots；　and　by　what　means　the　specific　effect　of



Tragedy　will　be　produced。



　　A　perfect　tragedy　should；　as　we　have　seen；　be　arranged　not　on　the



simple　but　on　the　complex　plan。　It　should；　moreover；　imitate　actions



which　excite　pity　and　fear；　this　being　the　distinctive　mark　of



tragic　imitation。　It　follows　plainly；　in　the　first　place；　that　the



change　of　fortune　presented　must　not　be　the　spectacle　of　a　virtuous



man　brought　from　prosperity　to　adversity：　for　this　moves　neither



pity　nor　fear；　it　merely　shocks　us。　Nor；　again；　that　of　a　bad　man



passing　from　adversity　to　prosperity：　for　nothing　can　be　more　alien　to



the　spirit　of　Tragedy；　it　possesses　no　single　tragic　quality；　it



neither　satisfies　the　moral　sense　nor　calls　forth　pity　or　fear。　Nor；



again；　should　the　downfall　of　the　utter　villain　be　exhibited。　A　plot



of　this　kind　would；　doubtless；　satisfy　the　moral　sense；　but　it　would



inspire　neither　pity　nor　fear；　for　pity　is　aroused　by　unmerited



misfortune；　fear　by　the　misfortune　of　a　man　like　ourselves。　Such　an



event；　therefore；　will　be　neither　pitiful　nor　terrible。　There　remains；



then；　the　character　between　these　two　extremes…　that　of　a　man　who　is



not　eminently　good　and　just；　yet　whose　misfortune　is　brought　about　not



by　vice　or　depravity；　but　by　some　error　or　frailty。　He　must　be　one　who



is　highly　renowned　and　prosperous…　a　personage　like　Oedipus；　Thyestes；



or　other　illustrious　men　of　such　families。



　　A　well…constructed　plot　should；　therefore；　be　single　in　its　issue；



rather　than　double　as　some　maintain。　The　change　of　fortune　should　be



not　from　bad　to　good；　but；　reversely；　from　good　to　bad。　It　should　come



about　as　the　result　not　of　vice；　but　of　some　great　error　or　frailty；



in　a　character　either　such　as　we　have　described；　or　better　rather　than



worse。　The　practice　of　the　stage　bears　out　our　view。　At　first　the



poets　recounted　any　legend　that　came　in　their　way。　Now；　the　best



tragedies　are　founded　on　the　story　of　a　few　houses…　on　the　fortunes　of



Alcmaeon；　Oedipus；　Orestes；　Meleager；　Thyestes；　Telephus；　and　those



others　who　have　done　　or　suffered　something　terrible。　A　tragedy；　then；



to　be　perfect　according　to　the　rules　of　art　should　be　of　this



construction。　Hence　they　are　in　error　who　censure　Euripides　just



because　he　follows　this　principle　in　his　plays；　many　of　which　end



unhappily。　It　is；　as　we　have　said；　the　right　ending。　The　best　proof　is



that　on　the　stage　and　in　dramatic　competition；　such　plays；　if　well



worked　out；　are　the　most　tragic　in　effect；　and　Euripides；　faulty



though　he　may　be　in　the　general　management　of　his　subject；　yet　is　felt



to　be　the　most　tragic　of　the　poets。



　　In　the　second　rank　comes　the　kind　of　tragedy　which　some　place　first。



Like　the　Odyssey；　it　has　a　double　thread　of　plot；　and　also　an　opposite



catastrophe　for　the　good　and　for　the　bad。　It　is　accounted　the　best



because　of　the　weakness　of　the　spectators；　for　the　poet　is　guided　in



what　he　writes　by　the　wishes　of　his　audience。　The　pleasure；　however；



thence　derived　is　not　the　true　tragic　pleasure。　It　is　proper　rather　to



Comedy；　where　those　who；　in　the　piece；　are　the　deadliest　enemies…　like



Orestes　and　Aegisthus…　quit　the　stage　as　friends　at　the　close；　and



no　one　slays　or　is　slain。



POETICS｜14



　　XIV







　　Fear　and　pity　may　be　aroused　by　spectacular　means；　but　they　may　also



result　from　the　inner　structure　of　the　piece；　which　is　the　better　way；



and　indicates　a　superior　poet。　For　the　plot　ought　to　be　so　constructed



that；　even　without　the　aid　of　the　eye；　he　who　hears　the　tale　told　will



thrill　with　horror　and　melt　to　pity　at　what　takes　Place。　This　is　the



impression　we　should　receive　from　hearing　the　story　of　the　Oedipus。



But　to　produce　this　effect　by　the　mere　spectacle　is　a　less　artistic



method；　and　dependent　on　extraneous　aids。　Those　who　employ　spectacular



means　to　create　a　sense　not　of　the　terrible　but　only　of　the　monstrous；



are　strangers　to　the　purpose　of　Tragedy；　for　we　must　not　demand　of



Tragedy　any　and　every　kind　of　pleasure；　but　only　that　which　is



proper　to　it。　And　since　the　pleasure　which　the　poet　should　afford　is



that　which　comes　from　pity　and　fear　through　imitation；　it　is　evident



that　this　quality　must　be　impressed　upon　the　incidents。



　　Let　us　then　determine　what　are　the　circumstances　which　strike　us



as　terrible　or　pitiful。



　　Actions　capable　of　this　effect　must　happen　between　persons　who　are



either　friends　or　enemies　or　indifferent　to　one　another。　If　an　enemy



kills　an　enemy；　there　is　nothing　to　excite　pity　either　in　the　act　or



the　intention…　except　so　far　as　the　suffering　in　itself　is　pitiful。　So



again　with　indifferent　persons。　But　when　the　tragic　incident　occurs



between　those　who　are　near　or　dear　to　one　another…　if；　for　example；



a　brother　kills；　or　intends　to　kill；　a　brother；　a　son　his　father；　a



mother　her　son；　a　son　his　mother；　or　any　other　deed