Aristotle: The Mimetic Theory

The word ‘mimemis’ comes from the Greek ‘mimeisthai’ which means ‘to imitate’. The mimetic school of consideration evaluates any work of art or literature in terms of imitation. The mimetic approach is one of the oldest way of evaluating works of art in relation to reality. A work, under this approach, is treated as a photographic reproduction. The mimetic theory in literary criticism began with its pioneer, the great Greek philosopher, Plato. Some critical thinkers believe that the external objects and the world which we see is a world of mere appearances. Plato is the father of this belief. He thinks of reality as ‘ideas’ or ‘forms’ which exists in the ideal world rather than in the world of appearances. Those thinkers who share a similar …show more content…
He imitates one of the three entities, things as they are, things as they are said or thought to be or things as they ought to be. In other words, he imitates what is past or present, what is commonly believed and what is ideal. Aristotle says in Poetics that there is natural amusement in imitation which is an in-born impulse in all of us. It is this fruition in imitation that conditions the child to learn his earliest drills in speech and conduct from those around him, because there is a enjoyment in doing so. In a grown-up child, a poet, there is another instinct, helping him to make him a poet which is the instinct for harmony and rhythm. He does not agree with his Plato in poet’s imitation is twice removed from reality and hence unreal or illusionary and is a distraction from truth. To prove his point and further justification, he compares poetry with history. The poet and the historian differ not by their medium which is one writes in prose and the other in verse, but the true difference lies in that the historian relates ‘what has happened’ and the poet, ‘what may or ought to have happened’ i.e. the ideal. Poetry, in this consideration is more philosophical, and of a higher standing than history because history expresses the particular while poetry tends to delve into the universal. Therefore, the picture of poetry pleases all and at all times. Aristotle does not agree with Plato in the function of poetry making people weaker and emotional or too sentimental. For him, catharsis is ennobling and it humbles a human being. As far as the moral function of poetry is concerned, Aristotle believes that the end of poetry is to please; however, teaching may be the byproduct of it. Such pleasing is superior to the other pleasures because it teaches civic morality. So all good literature gives pleasure, which is not absent from moral lessons. Aristotle claims