Aristotle’s Theory Of Imitation

Hemkant V. Dhade
ACS College, Kalwan
Aristotle
 (c. 384 B.C. to 322 B.C.)
 He was a notable Greek
critic of literature, philosopher
and scientist.

 He was the student of the great

Ancient Greek Philosopher,
Plato.
Theory of Imitation

 Imitation was called mimesis in Ancient

Greek and imitatio in Latin.
 It means a copy or model or replica of
someone or something.
 It was Aristotle’s guru, Plato who used first
the concept of imitation in reference to
poetry.
 Plato used imitation for the first time in his
world famous critical treatise, Republic.
Conti……
 Aristotle used the concept, Imitation with a
new light in his Poetics.

 Imitation, according to Plato, is a mere

copy of life. It is a copy of copy.

 Aristotle says that imitation is not a mere

photostat copy of life or the world, but it is
a recreated ideal copy of the world.
Conti…..
 According to him, it is the recreation of
reality. The poets and the painters are not
mere copiers. They are creators. They
create a new world that is different from
the existing world. They create the poetic
truth in their creations.

 Thus poetic imitation of Aristotle is an act

of imaginative creation.
Conti…..
 Poetry is one of the fine arts. It imitates life.
It recreates life. It reproduces reality with the
help of imaginations. It makes poetry creative
and innovative.

 Poetic imitation helps a poet to make

something new and creative out of the exiting
reality.
Conti…..
 According to Aristotle, all arts imitate life,
but there are three differences in which
they can be distinguished from each other.
They are:
1. The Medium of Imitation.

2. The Object of Imitation.

3. The Manner of Imitation.

Conti…..
 Poetry and painting imitate life, but the
mediums of poet and painter are
different. The mediums of poetry are
words, rhythm and harmony whereas the
mediums of painting are colour and
form. The musician imitates harmony
and rhythm.
Conti…..
 The objects of imitation in poetry are ‘men in
action’. These men may be either better or
worse than the real life men. In poetic
imitation, they are ideal. They represent the
real world.

 The manner of imitation also differs from one

art to another. The manner of poetic imitation
is either narrative or dramatic.
Conti…..

 Thus, poetic imitation is not a pictorial

representation.
 It is a faithful but creative recopy of life. It is the
possible reality of life. It is an act of imaginative
creation. The poet imitates the existing world but
he does not create a copy of the world. He
creates a new world that is replica of the real
world and it is his own created world.
Thank You
 References:
 Kulkarni Anand and Chaskar Ashok (2013). Introduction to Literary
Theory and Criticism. Orient Blackswan.
 Thorat Ashok and others(2001). A Spectrum of Literary Criticism.
Frank Bros.
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle
 http://nazarbazmi.com/aristotles-theory-of-imitation/
 https://ardhendude.blogspot.com/2015/04/aristotles-theory-of-
poetic-imitation.html
 https://www.slideshare.net/inetkply/imitation-power-point-
presentation