The theory of tragedy in aristotle's "poetics"

The bachelor‘s thesis is dedicated to the analysis of the tragedy theory found in Aristotle‘s “Poetics”. The thesis is aimed at a study of two tragedy‘s ends: story and catharsis, and how they influence the particularity of tragedy. In the beginning the author of this thesis overwiews the major concepts of the tragedy theory: action, story, character, thought and mimesis. Then, the question of the priority of the story is examined together with the role of other tragedy’s elements. Furthermore, the theories of possible katarsis’ meanings are discussed, the feelings needed to provoke catharsis and the differences between the most beautiful and strongest tragedies are highlighted. Finally, there is a translation and cultural commentary of Aristotle’s “Poetics” sixth to nineteenth chapters. During the analysis a tendency was noticed that Aristotle attempts at separating the art of poetry from ethics. The introduction of catharsis as the effect of tragedy shows that even the negative feelings (pity and fear) aroused by a tragedy are purged or purified and thus changed in the character of a spectator. Moreover, it was discovered that the story of a tragedy reveal the universal laws of life‘s actions, and the superiority of story refers hierarchical structure of the elements, in which the inferior element exist to unfold the superior one