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Tragedy
Unity is the state of being complete or whole. According to Aristotle, an object of imitation must be whole or complete, and when an action is imitated in a tragedy or an event is imitated in epic poetry, the plot that makes up that action or event must be unified as well. Plots must have a definite beginning, middle, and end to be considered unified, and their magnitude cannot be so much as to prohibit holding the plot in a single view (that is, their scope should be neither too big nor too small). Unity in an epic poem is more difficult to achieve because epics are long, and that is one reason why Aristotle argues that tragedy, which is shorter and therefore easier to unify, is superior to epic poetry.
Unity Quotes in Poetics
The Poetics quotes below are all either spoken by Unity or refer to Unity. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 4 Quotes
Tragedy is an imitation of an action that is admirable, complete and possesses magnitude; in language made pleasurable, each of its species separated in different parts; performed by actors, not through narration; effecting through pity and fear the purification of such emotions.
(By “language made pleasurable” I mean that which possesses rhythm and melody, i.e. song. By the separation of its species I mean that some parts are composed in verse alone; others by contrast make use of song.)
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This quote, which occurs in Aristotle’s explanation of tragedy, outlines the key elements of tragic poetry, and it also reflects Aristotle’s argument as to the importance of catharsis in tragedy. This passage illustrates exactly what makes a poem tragic: a tragedy imitates an action that is admirable (that is, it imitates an action that is morally good and associated with moral people), whole, and entertaining enough to inspire awe (it must possess “magnitude”). As explained in Aristotle’s parenthetical aside, a tragedy can be separated into “different parts” of verse and of song, and it is written in “language made pleasurable,” Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Duc
Chapter 5 Quotes
Any beautiful object, whether a living organism or any other entity composed of parts, must not only possess those parts in proper order, but its magnitude also should not be arbitrary; beauty consists in magnitude as well as order. For this reason no organism could be beautiful if it is excessively small (since observation becomes confused as it comes close to having no perceptible duration in time) or excessively large (since the observation is then not simultaneous, and the observers find that the sense of unity and wholeness is lost from the observation, e.g. if there were an animal a thousand miles long). So just as in the case of physical objects and living organisms, they should possess a certain magnitude, and this should be such as can readily be taken in at one view, so in the case of plots: they should have a certain length, and this should be such as can readily be held in memory.
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This quote appears when Aristotle outlines the basic concepts of plot, and it is significant because it explains the ideas of magnitude and unity, and it illustrates the importance of these concepts and their required balance within a tragic plot. Aristotle claims that “any beautiful object” in art, whether that object is a landscape imitated in a painting or a person imitated in a tragedy, must resemble whatever said art is meant to imitate. Furthermore, this passage explains that poetry’s “magnitude,” or its ability to inspire awe and wonder in others, “should not be arbitrary.” In other words, an object Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta i
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Unity Term Timeline in Poetics
The timeline below shows where the term Unity appears in Poetics. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 5. Plot: Basic Concepts
...also be difficult to appreciate. The problem with objects that are too big is that unity of observation becomes impossible and the sense of completeness is lost.
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...happen to any one person, and any combination of these things does not necessarily constitute unity. Similarly, an actor may perform several actions, but these actions might not constitute a single...
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5.4 Determinate State. An imitation is considered to have unity if it imitates a single object. The same goes for plot, which should imitate a...
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Chapter 6. Plot: Species and Components
...simple or complex. A simple plot is a plot in which a single action of unity is imitated, but the change of fortune is achieved without reversal or recognition. A complex...
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Chapter 10. Epic
...should be constructed “dramatically.” This means that an epic should imitate a whole action of unity, and it should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. An epic should not...
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...plot of an epic is longer; however, one should still be able to appreciate its unity. In an epic, many parts can occur simultaneously, which makes the poem more extraordinary. Different...
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Chapter 12. Comparative Evaluation of Epic and Tragedy
...as long as the Iliad, it would be much less impactful. Lastly, there is less unity in epic, and it can be difficult to hold the whole object in view.
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