WHAT
IS MIMESIS?
Mimesis is a term used in philosophy and in literary
criticism. It is basic principle of creating art. It is a Greek word which means
imitation and self-presentation. Plato and Aristotle both
have spoken about this and both have different opinion about it. Plato who took
mimesis to be unifying concept where Aristotle against Plato took mimesis as a
limiting or differentiating concept.
PLATO
VIEW ABOUT MIMESIS:
Plato and Aristotle both spoke of mimesis as the
representation of nature. Plato had talked about Mimesis in both the book Ion
and The Republic. In Ion he states that poetry is the art of divine
madness or inspiration. And he also included that the poet does not speak
truth. In book II of The Republic, he talks about Socrates. Socrates warns that
one should not take poetry seriously regarded as truth, since poet has no place
in our idea of God
Plato while explaining his theory about mimesis took a very
popular example of bed or the chair made by a carpenter. The bed or the chair
is only an imitation of the idea of the bed or chair have first come in the mind
of the carpenter. The idea of the bed or the chair is one, but idea of beds and
chairs are innumerable.
ARISTOTLE
VIEW ABOUT MIMESIS:
Aristotle also define mimesis as imitation of nature. He states
that art is not only imitation but use of perfect balance in the search for the
perfect, enduring and complementary being with becoming. He had a view that nature
can change but art is everlasting, Aristotle wrote about the four (4) formal
cause in nature.
1.
Formal cause (Immortal idea)
2.
Material cause
3.
Efficient cause
4.
Final cause
Aristotle’s Ars Poetica / Poetics is a counterpart to the Plato’s
concept or view about poetry. According to Aristotle poetry was completely
based on philosophical thoughts while history is based on facts. The historians
write about factual reality whereas poet anticipate about the ultimate truth of
life. He believed that poetry is the mother and caretaker of all the moral
value and philosophy. According to Aristotle poetry is directly related to
heart and soul.
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