Plato’s Criticisms of Tragedy and Aristotle’s Response

Plato’s theory of Mimesis and Aristotle’s Defense

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Plato and Aristotle are two of the most influential philosophers in the history of Western thought. They both wrote extensively on various aspects of art, poetry, and tragedy but had very different views on these subjects. In this essay, I will explain how Aristotle’s understanding of tragedy responds to the criticisms of Plato in Republic X and compare both authors’ understanding of mimesis and their epistemological and ethical reflections on tragedy.

Plato’s Criticisms of Tragedy

In Republic X, Plato argues that tragedy is a harmful and deceptive form of art that should be banned from his ideal state. He says all art is mimetic, an imitation of life. Tragedy is an imitation of an imitation and, therefore, far removed from the truth (Barad, 2023). Tragedy is a further imitation of the sensible world and, thus, even more distant from the Forms. Plato also argues that tragedy appeals to the irrational part of the soul and arouses emotions that harm virtue. By doing so, it stimulates the emotions of pity and fear in the audience and makes them sympathize with the tragic heroes who suffer or act unjustly. Furthermore, he claims that tragedy contradicts his moral theory that justice is always better than injustice. Plato argues that justice is the harmony of the soul when each part performs its proper function: reason rules over spirit and appetite; spirit supports reason; appetite obeys