Thinking Activity

Question 1

How far  do you agree with Plato's objection to freedom of expression and artistic liberty enjoyed by creative writer? Name the text (novels, plays, movies, T.V soap etc. Which can be rightfully objected and banned with reference to Plato's objection)

                   Yes, sometimes I agree with the Plato's objection to freedom of expression and artistic liberty enjoyed by creative writer because according to Plato the art deal with illusion or they are imitation of an imitation twice removed from reality. As a moralist Plato disapproves of poetry because it is immoral as a philosophy. He disapproves it because it is based on falsehood. According to Plato philosophy is better than poetry. Philosopher deals with idea and truth whereas poet deals with what appears to him illusion. Another point is he believed that truth of philosophy was more important than the pleasure of poetry. According to him all arts are imitative or mimetic in nature.  Plato's three main objections of poetry are:

                   ● From the point of view Education 

                   ● From the philosophical view

                   ● From the moral point of view

                            
 Now let us discuss the Plato's objection is banned with the example of TV serial:

■ Gathbandhan :-

        

                    Gathbandhan is directed by Rohit Raj Goyal. Gathbandhan is an Indian Television drama series. Gathbandhan is the story of two opposing people. Raghu Jadhav (Abrar Quzi) is the Dombivli's Don. On the other hand Dhanak Parekh (Shruti Sharma) whose dream is to become an IPS officer. Raghu's mother Savitri Bai (Sonali Naik) is also a very big don. The first meeting of Raghu and Dhanak due to the circumstances.  Raghu and Dhanak get married.  But due to the bad habits of Raghu, Dhanak leaves Raghu. But after sometime Dhanak is ready to return home but with some conditions. ( Wikipedia) Here we are finding that no any objections of Plato or Aristotle followed by director.  In this serial no proper beginning or the middle action by actor and actress. Some events repeating throughout serial that is Raghu and Dhanak meets together and then separate together then again they meets together and separate. No any moral, educational or ethical objection gain by the audience. 

Question 2

With reference to the literary texts you have studied during B.A programme. Write brief note on the texts which followed Aristotalian literary tradition.(I.e. his concept of Tragedy, Catharsis, Tragic hero with Hamartia)

                    Here I would like to put the tragedy by Arthur Miller's " All my Sons " . It follows all rules of Aristotle's theory. According to Aristotle,

             "Tragedy, then is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete of a certain magnitude;in the language embellished with each kind of artistic ornaments the kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action not of narrative; through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation, catharsis of these and similar emotions."

Catharsis means,

       

             " Purification, Purgation, moderating or tempering of the passion, fulfillment or satisfaction. "

Tragic hero with Hamartia means,

            " Tragic flaw. The phrase 'tragic flaw' should be treated with suspicion."

■ All my Sons :-

                      Arther Miller's All my Sons (1947) is to be viewed in the light of Aristotle's dramaturgy. The play portrays events restricted to 'One circuit of the sun'( Poetics ;chapter 5). More precisely it covers eighteen hours. Reader knows everything except the conclusion that is the suicide of the hero Joe Keller. All three acts of the play are dovetailed to a large extent. The first act is made a little larger. At the very outset of the play it is hinted by histrionic devices that something happened wrong in the past. On the stage " The four foot high stump of a slender apple tree whose upper trunk and branches lie topped beside it, fruit still clinging to its branches ". Later on Kate Keller the wife of Joe Keller sees in the dream blown down apple tree which was planted in the memory of her son Larry Keller who is missing. To say it simply before the start of the play it is reported that Larry the elder brother of Chris is lost perhaps dead. Joe Keller the catalyst in this tragedy is a business man, ships out defective rather cracked cylinder heads of P-40 airplane.

                In the first act is the beginning, the second act is middle and the third act is the denouement section. Thus we see that the playwright observed and followed largely Aristotalian requirements of a tragedy. The principles of eikos and enable, spoudaios, time, peripetia, anagnorisis, Hamartia, pity and fear and catharsis can be explained with the reference to All my Sons. Joe is a man like us He is not a king or renowned soldier. Joe Keller seen in the play ever ready to blanket his weakness. ( https://www.arcjournals.org )

Question 3

With the reference to the literary texts you have studied during B.A programme. Write a brief note on the texts which did NOT follow Aristotalian literary tradition. ( I.e. his concept of tragedy, catharsis, tragic hero with Hamartia)

   

                  During our B.A programme we had studied three tragedies 

            

               ☆ All my Sons

               ☆ Tughlaq 

               ☆ Othello

                  But three tragedies follows all objection of Aristotalian theory like his concept of tragedy, catharsis, tragic hero with Hamartia except the objection of Unity of time, place and action.  Shakespeare had not followed the unity of time, place and action. In the play Othello, Shakespeare not followed the the unity of time, place and action.

Question 4

Have you studied any tragedies during programme who was/were tragic protagonist/s in those tragedies? What was their Hamartia?

              Yes, we have studied the tragedy during B.A programme which is Othello: 

■ Othello :-

                  The protagonist tragic hero is Othello himself. In the beginning,  we see Othello is reasonable, patient and noble. He faces the anger of Brabantio calmly like a general. He ignores when when Iago provokes him against Desdemona's father. He has been experienced in war and adventure and that is how he wins a wife. He is a man of great character and some virtue but brings about his own dooms due to his tragic flaw. But as a typical tragic character Othello has the terrible fault (Hamartia) in that he is disturbingly gullible, madly jealous and irrationally quick in his wrong judgement and action. 

               As a tragic character " error of judgment " lies in his fault understanding of innocent people like his wife as guilty and his pig headed trust of villains like Iago. He is a complex character. His sexual jealousy, which rouses in us terrible hatred, would be something ordinary and tolerable if it was reasonable. But his jealousy is based on his disgustingly gullible nature. Othello is noble but turn out to be a disgusting rogue, killing his innocent wife and trying to justify his horrible crime at the end. As he transforms his weakness flourish and the nobility of the great soldier vanishes. In short his fall is tragic and even shocking. His suicide also atones for his sin and arouses in us some sympathy.  (https://www.bachelorandmaster.com)

Question 5

Did the ' Plot ' of those tragedies follow necessary rules and regulations proposed by Aristotle?( Like chain of cause and effect, principle of probability and necessity, harmonious arrangement of incidents, complete, certain magnitude, unity of action etc.)

                  According to Aristotle Plot is the first principle the most important feature of tragedy - the soul of tragedy. Aristotle defines plot as " the harmonious arrangement of incidents " not the story itself but the way the incidents are presented to the audience. The structure of the play according to the Aristotle tragedies where the outcome depends on a tightly constructed "cause and effect chain of action are superior to those that depends primarily on the character and personality on the protagonist. The plot must be with the beginning, the middle and the end. The plot must be complete having unity of action. The plot must be of a certain magnitude. The plot may be either simple or complex. Yes, the play All my sons followed the all rules of the plot. Which is given by Aristotle. In All my sons we see plot as a beginning has a few tragic elements that are displayed in third act. If we define tragedy as being the downfall of something good. First, the relationship between Ann and Chris comes to an end. Once Ann reveals the letter that she received from Larry and Joe admites to having ordered Herbert to ship the faulty machine parts. In the middle Chris's realization that he is now " practical " is tragic because he has lost the hope that man look out for the well being of others before that of themselves. He feels guilty that his own father has played a role in killing many. In the end Larry recognizes that the lives of the soldiers are meaningless to those in charge. He sends Ann the letter to let her know that he is sacrificing his life as a statement against the nature of war. Finally,  Joe's suicide is tragic because it is all he can do in the face of having admitted his past wrongs. According to Aristotle plot must be either simple or complex.  All my sons is the play which is complex plot because the play is about the chequered career of Joe Keller.  So, the tragedy All my sons follows the all plot's rules of Aristotle.(Wikipedia)

                           Second tragedy by William Shakespeare Othello. It follows the all rules of Aristotalian objection except the concept of time, place and action. In starting of the play Othello is a reasonable, patient and noble character. He faces the anger of Brabantio calmly like a general but further more in the play Othello as a typical tragic character. Othello has the terrible fault in that he is disturbingly gullible, madly, jealous and irrationally quick in his wrong judgement and action. At the end of the play he killing his own innocent wife and trying to justify his own terrible crime at the end and he committed suicide. According to Aristotle plot may be either simple or complex. Here we find out as a complex character or plot.