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Poetics. Aristotle. ed. Henry James Pye. London. 1792.
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The Poetic of Aristotle (Henry James Pye, revised 1792) (OCR draft) (English) (Henry James Pye's revised 1792 English translation, corrected against the 1788 first edition, aligned to the Kassel reference edition, and supplied with a selective apparatus of substantive 1788 readings.)
Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.
Editions (4)
Περὶ ποιητικῆς (OCR draft) (Aristotle, Poetics. Immanuel Bekker, editor, Aristotelis Opera, volume 2. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1837.) — 10 focus
Εἰσὶ δὲ τῶν μύθων οἱ μὲν ἁπλοῖ οἱ δὲ πεπλεγμένοι· καὶ γὰρ αἱ πράξεις, ὧν μιμήσεις οἱ μῦθοί εἰσιν, ὑπάρχουσιν εὐθὺς οὖσαι τοιαῦται.
Λέγω δὲ ἁπλῆν μὲν πρᾶξιν, ἧς γινομένης, ὥσπερ ὥρισται, συνεχοῦς καὶ μιᾶς ἄνευ περιπετείας ἢ ἀναγνωρισμοῦ ἡ μετάβασις γίνεται,
πεπλεγμένην δέ, ἐξ ἧς μετ᾿ ἀναγνωρισμοῦ ἢ περιπετείας ἢ ἀμφοῖν ἡ μετάβασίς ἐστιν.
Ταῦτα δὲ δεῖ γίνεσθαι ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς συστάσεως τοῦ μύθου, ὥστε ἐκ τῶν προγεγενημένων συμβαίνειν ἢ ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἢ κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς γίνεσθαι ταῦτα· διαφέρει γὰρ πολὺ τὸ γίνεσθαι τάδε διὰ τάδε ἢ μετὰ τάδε.
Περὶ ποιητικῆς (OCR draft) Perseus (Aristotle, De arte poetica liber. Rudolf Kassel, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1965. Reference edition for passage alignment.) — 10 focus
εἰσὶ δὲ τῶν μύθων οἱ μὲν ἁπλοῖ οἱ δὲ πεπλεγμένοι· καὶ γὰρ αἱ πράξεις ὧν μιμήσεις οἱ μῦθοί εἰσιν ὑπάρχουσιν εὐθὺς οὖσαι τοιαῦται.
λέγω δὲ ἁπλῆν μὲν πρᾶξιν ἧς
15
γινομένης ὥσπερ ὥρισται συνεχοῦς καὶ μιᾶς ἄνευ περιπετείας ἢ ἀναγνωρισμοῦ ἡ μετάβασις γίνεται,
πεπλεγμένην δὲ ἐξ ἧς μετὰ ἀναγνωρισμοῦ ἢ περιπετείας ἢ ἀμφοῖν ἡ μετάβασίς ἐστιν.
ταῦτα δὲ δεῖ γίνεσθαι ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς συστάσεως τοῦ μύθου, ὥστε ἐκ τῶν προγεγενημένων συμβαίνειν
20
ἢ ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἢ κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς γίγνεσθαι ταῦτα· διαφέρει γὰρ πολὺ τὸ γίγνεσθαι τάδε διὰ τάδε ἢ μετὰ τάδε.
Poetics, Greek text (Ingram Bywater, 1909) (OCR draft) Experimental (Ingram Bywater's Greek text of Aristotle's Poetics, published in 1909.) — 10 focus
Εἰσὶ δὲ τῶν μύθων οἱ μὲν ἁπλοῖ οἱ δὲ πεπλεγμένοι·
καὶ γὰρ αἱ πράξεις ὧν μιμήσεις οἱ μῦθοί εἰσιν ὑπάρχουσιν
εὐθὺς οὖσαι τοιαῦται.
λέγω δὲ ἁπλῆν μὲν πρᾶξιν ἧς
γινομένης ὥσπερ ὥρισται συνεχοῦς καὶ μιᾶς ἄνευ περιπετείας
ἢ ἀναγνωρισμοῦ ἡ μετάβασις γίνεται,
πεπλεγμένη
δὲ †λέξις† μετὰ ἀναγνωρισμοῦ ἢ περιπετείας ἢ ἀμφοῖν ἡ
μετάβασίς ἐστιν.
δὲ †λέξις† μετὰ ἀναγνωρισμοῦ ἢ περιπετείας ἢ ἀμφοῖν ἡ
μετάβασίς ἐστιν.
ταῦτα δὲ δεῖ γίνεσθαι ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς συστάσεως
τοῦ μύθου, ὥστε ἐκ τῶν προγεγενημένων συμβαίνειν
ἢ ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἢ κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς γίγνεσθαι ταῦτα· διαφέρει
γὰρ πολὺ τὸ γίγνεσθαι τάδε διὰ τάδε ἢ μετὰ τάδε.
Poetics, Greek text (Franz Ritter, 1839) (OCR draft) Experimental (Franz Ritter's 1839 Greek edition, corrected against OCR of the represented copy and aligned to the conventional Perseus chapter-and-subchapter sequence.) — 10 focus
Εἰσὶ δὲ τῶν μύθων οἱ μὲν ἁπλοῖ οἱ δὲ πεπλεγμένοι· καὶ γὰρ αἱ πράξεις, ὧν μιμήσεις οἱ μῦθοί εἰσιν, ὑπάρχουσιν εὐθὺς οὖσαι τοιαῦται.
λέγω δὲ ἁπλῆν μὲν πρᾶξιν, ἧς γινομένης, ὥσπερ ὥρισται, συνεχοῦς καὶ μιᾶς ἄνευ περιπετείας ἢ ἀναγνωρισμοῦ ἡ μετάβασις γίνεται,
πεπλεγμένην δέ, ἐξ ἧς μετ’ ἀναγνωρισμοῦ ἢ περιπετείας ἢ ἀμφοῖν ἡ μετάβασίς ἐστιν.
ταῦτα δὲ δεῖ γίνεσθαι ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς συστάσεως τοῦ μύθου, ὥστε ἐκ τῶν προγεγενημένων συμβαίνειν ἢ ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἢ κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς γίνεσθαι ταῦτα· διαφέρει γὰρ πολὺ τὸ γινεσθαι τάδε διὰ τάδε ἢ μετὰ τάδε.
Translations (13)
Poetics (W. H. Fyfe) (OCR draft) Perseus (William Hamilton Fyfe's English translation of Aristotle's Poetics, Loeb Classical Library, 1939 printing.) — 10 focus
Some plots are
simple and some
complex, as indeed the actions represented by the plots are obviously such.
By a simple action I mean one that is single and continuous in the sense of our definition above,
1
wherein the change of fortune occurs without
reversal or
discovery;
by a complex action I mean one wherein the change coincides with a
discovery or
reversal or both.
These should result from the actual structure of the plot in such a way that what has already happened makes the result inevitable or probable;
20
for there is indeed a vast difference between what happens propter hoc and post hoc.
Arabic Poetics (Badawī edition, 1953) (OCR draft) (The ancient Arabic translation of Aristotle's Poetics in ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Badawī's 1953 edition.) — 10 focus
〈الفعل البسيط والفعل المركب〉
وقد توجد مركبة. وذلك أن الأعمال هى تشبيه ومحاكاة للأعمال بتوسط الخرافات؛ وأعنى بالعمل البسيط لذاك الذى عندما تكون هى كما حدث هى واحدة متصلة يكون الا〈نتقال〉 بلا التزوير أو الاستدلال؛ والمركبات تعد تلك التى يكون الانتقال فيها مع الاستدلال أو الإدارة أو مع كليهما.
ونقول إن هذه تكون من قوام الخرافة نفسها، حتى إنها من الأشياء التى تقدم كونها: وذلك إما من الضرورة، وإما على طريق الحقيقة؛ وبين أن تكون هذه من أجل هذه، وبين أن تكون بعد هذه — فرق كبير.
Poetics (S. H. Butcher, 1911) (OCR draft) Experimental (S. H. Butcher's English translation from Aristotle's Theory of Poetry and Fine Art, fourth edition, 1911.) — 10 focus
Plots are either Simple or Complex, for the actions
in real life, of 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.
Aristotle on the Art of Poetry (Ingram Bywater, 1909) (OCR draft) Experimental (Ingram Bywater's English translation of Aristotle's Poetics, published in 1909.) — 10 focus
Plots are either simple or complex, since the actions they
represent are naturally of this twofold description.
The
action, proceeding in the way defined, as one continuous
whole, I call simple, when the change in the hero's fortunes
takes place without Peripety or Discovery;
and complex,
when it involves one or the other, or both.
These should
each of them arise out of the structure of the Plot itself,
so as to be the consequence, necessary or probable, of the
antecedents. There is a great difference between a thing
happening propter hoc and post hoc.
Poetics (Thomas Twining, 1789) (OCR draft) Experimental (Thomas Twining's English translation of Aristotle's Poetics, published in 1789 and aligned to the Kassel reference passage sequence.) — 10.4 focus
And these should arise from the structure of the fable itself, so as to be the natural consequences, necessary or probable, of what has preceded in the action. For there is a wide difference between incidents that follow from, and incidents that follow only after, each other.
IX.
The Poetic of Aristotle (Theodore Alois Buckley) (OCR draft) Experimental (Theodore Alois Buckley's English translation, first published in 1850 and represented from the Henry G. Bohn 1857 printing; corrected against a second OCR and aligned to the Kassel reference passage sequence.) — 10.4 focus
For it makes a great difference whether these things are effected on account of these, or after these.
[1]
1
Now, revolution is a mutation, as has been stated, of actions into a contrary condition; and this,
Poetica Latine conversa (Franciscus Ritter, 1839) (OCR draft) Experimental (Franz Ritter's Latin translation, corrected against OCR of the represented copy and aligned to the conventional Perseus chapter-and-subchapter sequence.) — 10 focus
Sunt autem fabularum aliae simplices aliae implicatae: nam actiones quoque, quarum imitationes fabulae sunt, utique ita comparatae sunt.
dico autem simplicem actionem, cuius, dum, ut definitum, continua evenit et una, sine peripetia vel agnitione mutatio fit,
implicatam autem, ex qua cum agnitione vel peripetia vel utraque mutatio fit.
haec vero ex ipsa compositione fabulae evenire debent, ut ex anteactis sive necessario sive verisimiliter fieri videantur: differt enim multum, utrum haec fiant ob haec an post haec.
La poëtique d'Aristote (André Dacier, 1692) (OCR draft) Experimental (André Dacier's French translation of Aristotle's Poetics, published in 1692.) — 10.4 focus
Or l'une & l'autre doivent naître de la conſtitution même du ſujet, de telle maniere, que ce qui précede les produiſe, ou neceſſairement ou vray-ſemblablement, car il y a une tres grande difference entre des incidens qui naiſſent les uns des autres, & des incidens qui viennent ſimplement les uns aprés les autres.
CHAPITRE ONΖΙΕΜΕ.
De la péripetie & de la reconnoiſſance. Il y a pluſieurs ſortes de reconnoiſſances. Quelle eſt la plus parfaite, & les conditions qu'elle doit avoir. Elle eſt ou ſimple ou double. Ce que c'eſt dans la fable que la paſſion.
1.
Poetica d'Aristotile (Bernardo Segni, 1549) (OCR draft) Experimental (Bernardo Segni's 1549 Florentine Italian translation, aligned to the Kassel reference passage sequence.) — 10 focus
Ma delle Fauole, certe ne fono fcempie, & certe ne ſono intrecciate; ſicome anchora interuiene nelle Attioni, che da eſſe Fauole ſono imitate: le quali fi trouano dell'una, & dell'altra forte.
Io chiamo Attione ſcempia quella, che eſſendo vna fola, & fucceduta continuatamente (ſicome è ſtato determi nato) vi ſi fa dentro il tranſito ſenza la Peripetia, & fen za la recognitione.
Et chiamo intrecciata quella, doue ſi fa il tranſito ò con la Recognitione,ò có la Peripetia;
ò con l'unajò con l'altra:doue tai coſe debbono ſeguirui mediante la conſtitutione d'effa Fauola, di tal manie ra, che per le coſe ſeguite innanzi elle vi fuccedin' dappoi ò verifimilmente,ò neceflariamente. Perchè egli è vna gran differenza, che e'ſucceda vn' caſo, ò per via d'una tal coſa; ò doppo vnatal cofa.
De poetica (Antonio Riccobono, 1587) (OCR draft) Experimental (Antonio Riccobono's Latin translation, first published in 1587; text represented from Immanuel Bekker's 1831 edition.) — 10 focus
Ac fabularum aliae simplices sunt aliae implexae. etenim actiones quarum imitationes fabulae sunt, ne aliud quaeramus, sunt tales.
appello simplicem actionem, qua facta, ut definitum est, continua et una, transitus fit sine peripetia vel agnitione.
implexa est, ex qua cum agnitione aut peripetia aut ambabus transitus fit haec autem oportet fieri ex ipsa constitutione fabulae,
ut ex anteactis
ant
aut ex necessitate aut secundum verisimile haec fieri contingat. differt enim multum utrum haec propter haec an post haec fiant.
De arte poetica liber (William of Moerbeke, ca. 1277) (OCR draft) Experimental (William of Moerbeke's medieval Latin translation, represented by the 1953 Aristoteles Latinus edition.) — 10 focus
Sunt autem fabularum hee quidem simplices, hee autem complexe ; et enim actiones, quarum imitationes sunt fabule, existunt mox entes tales.
Dico autem simplicem quidem actionem qua existente, ut determinatum continua et una sine peripetia et anagnorismo transitio fit,
complexa autem locutio cum anagnorismo aut peripeteia aut ambobus transitio est.
Hec autem oportet fieri ex ipsa consistentia fabule, quare ex pregestis accidit aut ex necessitate aut secundum verisimile fieri hec ; differt enim multum fieri hec propter hec aut post hec. —
Arabic Poetics (Abū Bishr Mattā; Tkatsch edition) (OCR draft) Experimental (The Arabic translation attributed to Abū Bishr Mattā, edited by Jaroslaus Tkatsch in 1928 and aligned to the Kassel reference passage sequence.) — 10 focus
وقد يوجد مركبة وذلك ان الاعمال هى ٮسببها ومحاكاة للاعمال بتوسط الخرافات
اعنى بالعمل البسيط لذاك الذى عند ما يكون هى كما حدث هى واحدة متصلة يكون الانتقال بلا الٮرويرا والاستدلال
والمركبات تعد تلك التى يكون الانتقال فيها مع الاستدلال او الاراده او مع كليهما
ونقول ان هذه تكون من قوام الخرافة نفسها حتى انها من الاشيا التى تقدم كونها وذلك اما من الضرورة واما على طريق الحقيقة وبين ان يكون هذه من اجل هذه وبين ان تكون بعد هذه فرق كبير
Arabic Poetics (Abū Bishr Mattā; Tkatsch edition, unaligned) (OCR draft) Experimental (Tkatsch's edition of the medieval Arabic translation in its original, unaligned segmentation.) — 10 focus
وقد يوجد مركبة وذلك ان الاعمال هى ٮسببها ومحاكاة للاعمال بتوسط الخرافات
اعنى بالعمل البسيط لذاك الذى عند ما يكون هى كما حدث هى واحدة متصلة يكون الانتقال بلا الٮرويرا والاستدلال والمركبات تعد تلك التى يكون الانتقال فيها مع الاستدلال او الاراده او مع كليهما
ونقول ان هذه تكون من قوام الخرافة نفسها حتى انها من الاشيا التى تقدم كونها وذلك اما من الضرورة واما على طريق الحقيقة وبين ان يكون هذه من اجل هذه وبين ان تكون بعد هذه فرق كبير
Notes on the current edition
Poetics
1.
Συνεχής. Continuous. Having the events depending on each other. This part of the definition does not relate to the fimple fable only, but is equally applicable to the complicated.
2.
Περιπέτεια. An unexpected revolution of fortune. I have retained the word in the tranflation, as it is naturalized in the language of dramatic criticifm.
Commentary
Commentary on the Poetics (Ingram Bywater, 1909) (OCR draft) (Ingram Bywater's English commentary on Aristotle's Poetics.) focus
1. mvp-aristotle-comment-381
1.
mvp-aristotle-comment-382
1452a12
εἰσὶ δὲ τῶν μύθων κτέ.
Chap. 10 is a sequel to
9. 1452 a 1-11
, and an application of its results. The real point is not in the formalistic distinction between the two kinds of
μύθοι, with which it opens (
12-18
), but in the assertion that follows,
viz. that even the complex story comes under the general canon of construction laid down in chap.
7
, and that the element of surprise (the
ἀναγνώρισις and
περιπέτεια) must be, like everything else in a play, part of the unity of the whole, the natural or necessary consequence of something before it (
ἐκ τῶν προγεγενημένων 19).
1.
mvp-aristotle-comment-383
εὐθὺς:
see on
5, 1449 a 36.
ὥσπερ ὥρισται,
i. e. in chaps.
7-8
.
2.
mvp-aristotle-comment-384
1452a17
περιπετείας ἢ ἀναγνωρισμοῦ:
see on
6, 1450 a 34
. Both terms are explained in the next chapter.
δὲ λέξις.
The editors generally acquiesce in the corrected reading
δὲ ἐξ ἧς, in lieu of which
Vahlen has
δέ ἐστιν ἐξ ἧς, and
Susemihl
δ᾽ ἐστὶν ἧς.
I have suggested that
Aristotle may possibly have written
πεπλεγμένην δὲ λέγω ἧς, on the supposition that
λέξις may be taken to represent
λεγω ἧς.
ταῦτα,
i. e.
ἀναγνωρισμὸς and
περιπέτεια.
4.
mvp-aristotle-comment-385
ταῦτα.
If any correction is wanted,
αὐτά or
τὰ μετ᾽ αὐτά is perhaps simpler than either
τὰ ὕστερα (
Gomperz) or
τἀναντία (
Bonitz) though this last has certainly the great advantage of supplying an easy explanation of the
καθάπερ εἴρηται in
11, 1452 a 23
.
The objection to
ταῦτα is its supposed inelegance and superfluity. It is not more inelegant, however, than the
γίγνεσθαι that immediately precedes it (
ταῦτα δὲ δεῖ γίνεσθαι ... ὥστε ... γίγνεσθαι ταῦτα); and its apparent superfluity is a common phenomenon with demonstratives in Greek (
v.
Kühner,
Gr. Gr. 2. 1 p. 660).
Remarques sur la poëtique d'Aristote (André Dacier, 1692) (OCR draft) (André Dacier's French commentary on Aristotle's Poetics.) focus
1.
mvp-aristotle-comment-263
10.2
Appelle ſimples, les actions, , qui étant, comme on l'a déja dit, continues & unies finiſſent ſans reconnoiſſance & ſans péripetie.]
1
2.
mvp-aristotle-comment-264
10.3
Et j'appelle implexes, celles qui ont, ou la péripetie, ou la reconnoiſſance, ou toutes les deux.]
2
3.
mvp-aristotle-comment-265
10.4
Or l'une & l'autre doivent naitre de la conſtitution mème du ſujet, de telle manière, que ce qui précede les produiſe, ou neceſſairement ou vray-ſemblablement.]
3
4.
mvp-aristotle-comment-266
10.4
Car il y a une tres grande difference entre des Incidens qui naiſſent les uns des autres, & des Incidens qui viennent ſimplement les uns aprés les autres.]
4
Commentary on the Poetics (Thomas Twining, 1789) (OCR draft) (Thomas Twining's notes on Aristotle's Poetics, aligned to the Kassel reference edition.) focus
81.
mvp-aristotle-comment-81
NOTE 81. P. 84.
10.1
FABLES-SIMPLE, AND COMPLICATED.
It is high time to discard the technical jargon of
implex fables, used by Addison, and others, after the French writers .
1
If any authority were requisite for speaking English, I have that of Mr. Harris, who renders Aristotle's
ἁπλοι, and
πεπλεγμενοι, by simple, and complicated.
Phil. Inq. p. 146.
82.
mvp-aristotle-comment-82
NOTE 82. P. 84.
10.2
WHEN ITS CATASTROPHE IS PRODUCED WITHOUT EITHER REVOLUTION OR DISCOVERY.
Ἀνευ περιπέτειας ἢ ἀναγνωρισμεως ἡ μεταβασις γινεται.—
Μεταβασις, is the change of fortune which constitutes the catastrophe of the piece. This, which is common to all Tragedy, must not be confounded with the
Περιπετεια, which, however important, is not essential. Le Bossu, Dacier, and others, by not attending to this distinction, have introduced much confusion into one of the clearest parts of Aristotle's work. Thus, Dacier says—
"Il appelle fable simple, celle ou il n'y a ni changement d'etat, ni reconnoissance, et dont le denouement n'est qu'un simple passage de l'agitation et du trouble au repos et à la tranquillité." He adopts the language of Le Bossu
2
. Undoubtedly, there are Tragedies without a sudden and unexpected reverse of fortune; but where is the Tragedy, antient or modern, in which there is no "changement d'etat?" This would be no other than a Tragedy without a catastrophe. Thus, these writers take
μεταβασις to signify the mere passage, progress, or suite, of the piece
3
: whereas it clearly signifies a change; a transition from prosperous to adverse, or at least from adverse to more adverse, fortune, or the contrary; as Beni has well observed
4
. The sense of the word is clearly fixed by other passages; and in cap. xviii. he expressly makes the
μεταβασις, such a change of fortune as is common to every Tragedy.
Ἔστι δε ΠΑΣΗΣ τραγῳδίας, το μεν, δεσις, το δε, λυσις.
λέγω δε δεσιν μεν εἶναι την ἀπ᾿ ἀρχης μεχρι τουτου του μερους ὃ ἔσχατον ἐστιν, ἐξ οὗ ΜΕΤΑΒΑΙΝΕΙ εις ευτυχίαν· λυσιν δε, την ἀπο της ἀρχης ΤΗΣ ΜΕΤΑΒΑΣΕΩΣ μέχρι τέλους.
Mr. Harris, in his
Philol. Inquiries, p. 145, &c. seems to have deserted Aristotle for Le Bossu, who, with little reason, in my opinion, passed with him, as well as with Lord Shaftesbury, for "Aristotle's best interpreter
5
." Throughout his chapter on this subject, above referred to, he appears to me to confound the
μεταβασις, or change, which Aristotle makes essential to all Tragedy, with that particular kind of change which he denominates
περιπετεια: for he uses, repeatedly, the word revolution, (his translation of
περιπετεια,) to express what Aristotle means by
μετάβασις, μεταβαινειν, μεταβαλλειν. He speaks of
Othello, and
Lear, as complicated fables, and having revolutions. And so, indeed, they have, if we take the word in Aristotle's sense of
μεταβασις; I do not see that they have, in his sense of
περιπετεια. In neither of those Tragedies can it, I think, be said, that the catastrophe is produced by a sudden change, to the reverse of what is expected, by the spectator, from the circumstances of the action. At least, with respect to
Othello, this seems to admit of no dispute. [See the next NOTE.]
The Abbé Batteux gives, I think very properly, the
Polieucte of Corneille, as an example of the simple fable.
"La fable simple, qui n' a ni revolution subite, ni reconnoissance; qui commence, continue, s'acheve, sans secousses, ni retours inattendus. Ainsi Polieucte reçoit le baptême, son zele lui fait renverser les autels des payens, il est arrêté, jugé, mis à mort: c'est une fable simple."
Principes de la Lit. tome iii. p. 84.
Victorius, Beni, Piccolomini, and Goulston, agree with me in my idea of this passage, where the words,
συνεχης και μιας, are not put to characterize the simple fable, as Victorius well observes, but refer merely to that unity and continuity of action, which had been established as necessary to Tragedy in general.
Commentary on the Poetics (Henry James Pye, 1792) (OCR draft) (Henry James Pye's 1792 English commentary, aligned to the Kassel reference edition.) focus
10.1.
mvp-aristotle-comment-29
10.2
I CALL THAT A SIMPLE ACTION WHICH HAS THE TRANSITION OF FORTUNE, WITHOUT PERIPETIA OR DISCOVERY.
ARISTOTLE here plainly diftinguishes between the peripetía, (περιπέτεια), the fudden and unexpected revolution of fortune, which is peculiar to the complicated action, and the μετάβασις, or change from misery to happiness, or vice-versa, which is not only common to every species of tragedy, but to every affecting tale, whether dramatic or narrative, serious or comic. The first of these, the peripetía, as Mr. Twining justly observes, is not to be found in Othello; nor, I think, in Lear, as written by Shakespear, whose misfortunes go on in regular fucceffion from their first cause, his obstinacy and self-opinion. The change of fortune arifes from the alteration of the conduct of his daughters; but this cannot be called fudden or unexpected, since it is foreseen by all the perfons of the drama, except the old king. I believe modern dramas have oftener the fimple than the complicated action, as our tragic distresses arise more from manners and paffion, than incident. See Note III. CC 2 CHAP.
Commentarius in Aristotelis Poeticam (Franciscus Ritter, 1839) (OCR draft) (Ritter's Latin commentary, extracted from the 1839 volume, divided by Ritter's chapters and sections, and linked to the corresponding Perseus reference subsections.) focus
1.
mvp-aristotle-comment-75
Ritter, cap. 10 § 1
Fabulae aut simplices sunt aut implexae. implexarum propria est aut agnitio aut rerum in contrarium conversio aut utrumque. ante quam pergit declarare fabulae sive argumenti naturam, interim quot et quales species eius reperiantur definit.
2.
mvp-aristotle-comment-76
Ritter, cap. 10 § 2
ἧς γινομένης,
ὥσπερ ὥρισται,
συνεχοῦς καὶ μιᾶς: verba
ὥσπερ ὥρισται referenda sunt ad ea quae capite 7 et 8 et 9. de fabulae natura explicata sunt. quae adduntur
συνεχοῦς καὶ μιᾶς, haec lectorem breviter admonent eorum quae illis locis uberius disputata sunt, actio fit
συνεχής, si eius partes ex causa quadam ac principio deinceps prodeunt; eadem
μία fit, si ex partibus ipsius arte coniunctis totum (
ὅλον) quoddam efficitur.
πεπλεγμένην δέ,
ἐξ ἧς μετ': quamquam de scripturae vulgatae integritate dubitatio vix admitti potest, tamen operae pretium videtur insignem codicum discrepantiam recognoscere et intelligere, quemadmodum ea ex uno fonte nata sit.nimirum
ἐξ ἧς cum litteris coniunctis
εξης scriberetur et pro mediae aetatis consuetudine
εξις pronuntiaretur, ex eo nomen
λέξις fecerunt. iam consequens erat ut
πεπλεγμένην in nominativum mutarent, cum vulgares isti correctores magis studeant structurae sustentandae quam sententiae rite conservandae. itaque AcBcNa offerunt
πεπλεγμένη δὲ λέξις μετὰ, idemque in M 14 16 21 haud dubie inest, quamquam Winstanleius nonnisi
λέξις pro
ἐξ ἧς attulit. M XIV exhibet
πε πλεγμένη δὲ πρᾶξις eique consentiunt GP. Aldus prope ad verum accedens dedit
πεπλεγμένη δὲ ἐξ ἧς cet.
ἄνευ περιπετείας ἢ ἀναγνωρισμοῦ: quid sit
περιπέτεια et
ἀναγνωρισμός sequente capite illustratur. forma
ἀναγνωρισμὸς ab altera
ἀναγνώρισις quae paulo post adhibetur ita differt, ut
ἀναγνώρισις actum agnoscendi,
ἀναγνωρισμὸς potius agnitionem a poeta propositam designet.
3.
mvp-aristotle-comment-77
Ritter, cap. 10 § 3
ταῦτα δὲ δεῖ γίνεσθαι ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς συστάσεως τοῦ μύθου: ut fabulae implicatae unitas et forma poetica conservetur, peripetia vel agnitio aut ambo ex fabulae compositione sponte prodire debent, et ita quidem prodire, ut tamquam effectus causae appareant. vides idem h. 1. postulari, quod paulo ante (c. 9, 10), si fabulis deesset, pro summo vitio poetae notabatur.