Three Unities in Drama

Paper no - 3 : Literary criticism 1
Three Unities in Drama
According to Aristotle and also Dryden's point of view

1. THREE UNITIES IN DRAMA P r e p a r e d b y Avni D a v e

2. T h r e e U n i t i e s i n D r a m a Name : Dave Avni J Roll No : 03 Enrollment No : 2069108420190011 Class : M.A. Sem 1 Year : 2018-19 Submitted to : Smt. S. B. Gardi Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University.

3. Aristotle Aristotle, A Greek philosopher and scientist was born around 384 B.C. he was taught by Plato and went on to tutor Alexander the great most famously (at least to -playwrights ),he wrote poetics , the first treatise (or long essay) about dramatic theory and literary theory in the west Aristotle explains that the most successful plays, at least the tragedies ,were (and are) the once that obey three rules or three “ unities.” Works :- ‘ Nicomachean Ethics’ and ‘ Eudemian Ethics’, ‘Metaphysics’, ‘Poetics’, ‘Rhetoric’, ‘Prior Analytics’, ‘Other Works on Logic’, ‘Works on Science’.

4. U n i t y o f A c t i o n The Unity of Action dictates that the plot of the play should follow  one main plot line with zero or very few subplots. And if subplots exist, they should contribute in some way to the main plot. Aristotle saw that eliminating any extraneous plotlines or actions helped focus the play on the essential and most important story being told. For Examples, The Death of Salesman The Waiting for Godot

5. The Unity of Place The Unity of Place dictates that the action of the play should take place in  one  location in a single physical space. The stage should not represent more than one place at the same time nor utilize scene changes to change the setting of the action.   T h e transition period in which the stage must be transformed from one place into another causes an interruption in the action, flow, and pacing of the story, sometimes pulling audience members out of the story. For Example, Doll House by Henric Ibsen Waiting for Godot

6. The Unity of Time The Unity of Time dictates that the action (plot) of the play should take place within a 24-hour time period.  Limiting the action of the play is like giving yourself, as a writer, a time limit by which to resolve your story. It’s like a timer you set that helps you move the story along to an effective resolution. For Exmaple , A Midsummer Night’s Dream

7. JOHN DRYDEN’S VIEW ON THREE UNITIES He argued that, French plays are often betrayed in to absurdities from which English plays are free. Disregarded of unities enable them to give ‘Just’ and ‘Lively’ image of human nature. 50 French plays are regular but not live 7 For examples : Shakespeare’s plays are close to human life. ‘Sub-plot’ brings variety , richness and liveliness French had narrow and cramped plays. Result in impossibility.

8. ‘LISIDEIUS ARGUES THAT “we cannot so speedily recollect ourselves after a scenes of great passion and concernment to pass to another of mirth and humor and to enjoy it with any relish.”

9. NEANDER REPLIED “Why should he imagine the soul of man more heavy than his senses? Does not the eyes pass from an unpleasant object to a pleasant in a much shorter time?” Gratification of senses are primary, secondary that of soul.”

10. Conclusion Aristotle formulated t h r e e u n i t i e s o r r u l e s for how t o m a k e a p e r f e c t t r a g e d y , t h e u n i t y o f t i m e m e a n s t h a t a p e r f e c t t r a g e d y should o n l y t e l l t h e s t o r y o f w h a t h a p p ened i n o n e d a y , t h e u n i t y o f place m e a n s o n e s c e n e i n t r a g e d y a n d u n i t y o f a c t i o n m e a n s n o s u b p l o t s a n d s i d e stories . T h i s t h r e e principles o f d r a m a t i c c o n s t r u c tion d e r i v e d b y a A r i s t o tle 's p o e t i c s .