To Aristotle, an Epic is a narrative
poem written in heroic hexa-metre. It has four constituent parts namely plot ,
character, thought, & diction. Aristotle defines every point in much detail
& finally, having compared between tragedy & epic, comes to the
conclusion that a tragedy is superior to an epic.
According to Aristotle, the plots of
epics should be dramatically constructed like those of tragedies. They should
centre upon a single action whole & complete & having a beginning,
middle & an end. Nor should epics be constructed like the common run of
histories. The aim of history is to focus on a single period, while the task of
an epic is to focus on a single action that is required. In this respect,
Aristotle appreciates the greatness of Homer beyond all other poets. Though the
Trojan War had a beginning & a war, Homer didn't attempt to put the whole
of it to 'The Iliad'. As whole would have been too vast a theme to be easily
embraced by a single view. Homer has selected one part of the story & has
introduced mant incidents from other parts as episodes in order to give the
poem a touch of variety. Other epic like the authors of 'Cypria' & 'The
Little Iliad' have used many separate incident in their works.
Thus, while only
one tragedy could be made out of the 'Iliad' & the ‘Odyssey’. Several might
be made out of the 'Cypria' & more than eight out of the 'Little Iliad’.
Again epic poetry must divide into the same type as tragedy; it must me simple
or complex or ethical or pathetic, & its thoughts & diction should be
as artistic as they are in tragedy. The best models,again,supplied by Homer.
His 'Iliad' is at once simple & pathetic & ‘Odyssey’, complex &
ethical. Moreover,in diction & thought, they surpass all other poems. The
epic, like tragedy, requires reversals of the situation, recognition &
scenes of suffering.
Epic can be greater in length than
tragedy. Unlike tragedy, an epic action should have no limit in time. It is the
special advantage of epic that it may be of considerable length. In tragedy, it
isn't possible to represent several parts of the story as taking palce
simultaneously. Epic poetry, on the contrary, is able to represent several
incidents that are taking place simultaneously. And if these incidents are
relevant, they increase the gravity of the poems & also relieve the poems
of monotony & dullness.
Epic represents the life of an entire
period & relates an action concerning the fortunes or destiny of a nation.
The marvellous has a function in epic .
The irrational on which the wonderful depends for its chief effects,has a wider
scope in epic poetry because there the persons' acting ain't visible. The
pursuit of Hector by Achilles in Homer's 'The Ilaid' before the Greeks,
standing still & watching the scene with passive interest, would be simply
laughable on the stage, whereas in the epic the absurdity passes unnoticed.
In the final chapter of poetics
Aristotle raises the question whether the epic or the tragic drama is the
higher form of imitation. According to him , the better form of art is less
vulgar & the less vulgar is always that which is designed to appeal to the
better type of audience . Now it's obvious that the form that appeals everyone
is extremely vulgar. Thus epic is said to appeal to cultivated readers who
don't need the help of visible forms, while tragedy appeals to meaner minds. If
,then, it is a vulgar art, it is obviously inferior to epic.
But this accusation can be defended by
saying that the tragic drama can achieve its end without the help of action.
Like epics, the quality of a tragic drama can be staged, while tragic drama can
be staged as well as recited. Moreover, the disadvantage that tragic drama
appeals to meaner minds can be compensated by the other respects in which
tragedy is definitely superior.
The second accusation inherent to
tragedy is that when the performers act on the stage ,they sometimes do a great
deal of unnecessary movements. The performers can't act the parts of
respectable women.
The flute players can't do their job
properly. And the older actors always criticize the younger.But this kind of
arguing is a criticism of acting, not of poetry , for it is also possible for a
bard to exaggerate his gestures while reciting, & for a singer too.
The tragic drama is also superior
because it has all the epic elements, while epic doesn't have all the elements
of tragedy. Tragic drama may even employ the epic metre ,& it has the
additional attraction of music & spectacular effects which are the sources
of distinct feeling of pleasure. Then the effect is as vivid when a play is
need as when it is acted.
Aristotle is a teleologian, the upholder
of the theory that everything has a purpose to fulfill. The purpose of a poetic
imitation is to give pleasure. In this respect, tragic drama achieves its ends
in shorter compass, and what is more compact gives more pleasure than what is
extended over a long period . For example, if the play 'Oedipus Rex' by Sophocles was cast in a form as long as the epic
''The Iliad' , the effect of the play would greatly be diminished. An epic has
less unity than a tragedy. An epic can furnish subject for several tragedies
& this shows that , then, is less unity in an epic poem.
Concluding his discussion Aristotle says
that if tragedy is superior to epic in all these respects , it fulfills its
artistic function in achieving its end better than epic. It must be the better
form of art & also fulfilling its artistic function then, obviously, in
achieving its ends better than epic; it must be the better form.
