Aristotle suggests there are three differences between art forms according to his work Poetics. 1) Means - the medium used such as language in literature or instruments in music. 2) Objects - the characters depicted which can be better or worse than real people. 3) Manner of imitation - how the story is communicated such as simple narration, narration through a character, or dramatic representation of events. Aristotle emphasizes tragedy should provoke pity and fear in the audience.

1. Name:-Hitaxi H Bhatt.
Roll No:- 03
Sem:- M.A( Sem :-01)
Paper:- 03( Literary theory and
criticism western :-1)
Topic:- Three difference
suggested by Aristotle in
‘Poetics’
Submitted to:-
S.B.Gardi,
Department of English,
M.K.Bhavnagar

2. Aristotle was disciple of Plato but he
differs fromPlato in many points. Aristotle
says that poetry is an imitation of an
imitation twice removed fromreality but it
is not carbon copy of the physical thing. He
says that if the poet gives something less
than life, he also gives something more
than life. Aristotle also says that all fine
arts differfromone anotherin three ways.
They are… Difference of means
 Difference of objects
 Difference in manner of imitation

4. 1) Difference of means
In literature the use of language
becomes the means.
In music the use of musical
instruments like flute or lyre becomes
the means. Sometimes means are
identified as mediums.
Any artist expresses his ideas and
feelings regarding things and person
through particular means or medium.
The artist also chooses a particular
fine art for his expression and the
selection of a particular fine art goes
with the mode of imitation.

5. 2. Difference of
objects
 The objects and imitatorrepresents the
action with agent who are necessarily either
good man orbad man.
 Aristotle says that in workof art man
depicted eitherabove orbelow in degree of
theirattributes. It means the characterin a
workof art may be betterthan real people
orthey may be worse than real people.
 However, the artist delineates the
characters as he finds themin real life.
Difference in objects is also shown through

6. The third difference is the mannerof Imitaion.
When workof art in literature includes simple
narration. The writerdirectly tells about the
characters and events to the readers.
Thus, simple narration is one way of
communicative things to the readers.
Sometimes the authoruses the simple narration
and then speaks through an assumed character.
Such type of narration becomes complex
narration. There is also third mannerof
communicating things in which the writer
represents the whole story dramatically through
characters as if they were actually doing things

8. Aristotle says that in tragedy the tragic
events invoke the feeling of pity and fear
in the minds of the audience orthe
proper‘purgation of minds’ .
Through pity and fearAristotle also
emphasis that three should be an organic
whole in a workof art.
He says that plot must have beginning ,
middle and end. He also talks about the
three unities required in a workof art.
They are unity of time place and action.