Plato’s Criticism

Introduction

Plato is a disciple of Socrates.  When he started his career, literature declined and philosophy and oratory were on demand, so Plato discussed much of philosophy and less of literature and its value in society.  He is not  a professional critic.  His philosophical thoughts are discussed in his famous work “Dialogues”.  This book is in the form of dialogues between Aristotle and his disciples including Plato.

His View of Art

            Literature is an art like painting and sculpture.  Art, according to Plato, is an idea.  Ideas are the ultimate reality.  Things are made as ideas before they take a form or shape.  A tree is an imitation of an image in idea, so a tree is a copy.  Art reproduces this first copy, so it is twice removed from reality.  The things are imperfect copies and art is more imperfect.  So art takes men far away from reality and this is dangerous.

His Attack of Poetry

            Plato attacks poetry and poets for the following reasons:

1.      Poetry is twice removed from reality and it makes men believe in the imperfection.

2.      The poet writes a poem not because not because he thought for a long time but because he is inspired suddenly.  This suddenness cannot be truthful.  Poetry contains profound truth but poetry fails in the test of reason.  It cannot take the place philosophy and it cannot make better citizen.

3.      Poetry affects the emotions and not the reason.  It appeals to the heart and not to the intellect.  Emotions are temporary and they cannot be safe guides to men.

4.      Poetry is non-moral in character.  It treats both virtue and vice alike.  It does not teach moral to the readers.  It corrupts human beings.

Function of Poetry

            Poetry is not just to offer pleasure.  It should teach some morals.  It should contribute to the knowledge.  A poet should also be good teacher.

His Comments on Drama

            Drama, according to Plato, is a branch of poetry.  Drama is different from poetry in the following ways:

1.      Drama is to be staged.  It approval and disapproval depends upon the audience.  To convince the audience dramatists use some cheap techniques like quarrels, lamentations, thunder and sounds of animals.  These techniques are a shame in our normal life.  Such plays should be censored.

2.      Audience while watching characters who are cowards, knaves and criminals tend to become one such character.  They lose their individuality.  Such characters must not be there in a play.  A play should have good characters.

3.      Plato is against the pleasure a tragedy and comedy gives.  Tragedy offers pleasure to the audience.  Human beings are full of feelings like anger, fear, grief, etc., when they are in excess there is pleasure.  In comedy, people laugh when a coward act like a brave man or when a criminal acts like an honest man.  These characters are not to be laughed at but they should be pitied.  A comic character must be lovable.

His Observations on Style

            Plato lived in the age of oratory.  He gives rules for the spoken language which could also be applied for the written word.  A speaker must be thorough in the knowledge.  He must be sure of what he has to say.  It must impress the hearers.  Next a speaker must be naturally gifted and he must be constantly in practice.  His speech must follow a natural sequence.  Finally a speaker must know the psychology of his audience.

Conclusion

            Plato condemns poets.  He distinguishes poetry with life.  He is highly moralistic and he believes in art for life sake.  His observations of tragedy and comedy are important contributions.  He is the first to see art as an imitation.