Foundation of Literary criticism
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Foundation Of Literary Critism
Name:Jadeja Yoginiba Jagdishsinh
Definition and scope-what is literary theory and criticism?
(Class Assignment)
What is Literary Theory?
Literary Theory is the study of the principles, ideas, and methods used to understand and interpret literature.
It provides different perspectives or “lenses” to analyze literary texts such as novels, poems, dramas, and short stories.
In simple words:
👉 Literary theory explains how and why we interpret literature in different ways.
It asks questions like:
What is literature?
How does a text create meaning?
Does the author control meaning?
How does society influence literature?
What is Literary Criticism?
Literary Criticism is the practical application of literary theory to analyze and evaluate literary works.
👉 If theory is the tool, criticism is the use of the tool.
Criticism involves:
Interpreting meaning
Evaluating quality
Analyzing themes, characters, structure, style
- Judging literary value
🏛 Historical Development of Literary Theory and Criticism
🔹 1. Classical Period:
Plato: Believed literature is imitation (mimesis) and can influence morality.
Aristotle: In Poetics, explained tragedy, plot, character, and catharsis.
- 👉 Foundation of Western literary criticism began here
🔹 2. Renaissance & Neoclassical Period:
Focus on rules, order, and imitation of classical models.
Emphasis on decorum, unity, and morality.
🔹 3. Romantic Period:
Focus shifted to imagination and emotion.
Important figures:
William Wordsworth
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
👉 Literature seen as expression of personal feelings.
🔹 4. Modern & Contemporary Theories:
Modern literary theory includes:
Psychoanalytic Theory – Based on Sigmund Freud
Marxist Criticism – Based on Karl Marx
Feminist Criticism
Structuralism
Post-structuralism
Postcolonial Theory
Reader-Response Theory
Deconstruction
👉 These theories explore psychology, class, gender, language, power, and culture.
🎯 Scope of Literary Theory and Criticism
The scope (area of study) is very wide. It includes:
1️⃣ Interpretation of Texts
Understanding hidden meanings
Analyzing symbols and themes
2️⃣ Evaluation of Literature
Judging literary quality
Deciding what makes a work “great”
3️⃣ Study of Author and Context
Historical background
Social and political influences
4️⃣ Language and Structure
Study of narrative techniques
Style and literary devices
5️⃣ Cultural and Social Analysis
Gender issues
Class conflict
Colonial influence
Identity and race
📖 Difference Between Literary Theory and Literary Criticism
| Literary Theory | Literary Criticism |
|---|---|
| Provides principles | Applies principles |
| Abstract and philosophical | Practical and analytical |
| Develops frameworks | Analyzes specific texts |
🌍 Importance of Literary Theory and Criticism
Deepens understanding of literature
Develops critical thinking
Connects literature with society
Encourages multiple interpretations
Helps students in exams and research
📝 Conclusion
Literary theory provides the ideas and frameworks to understand literature, while literary criticism applies those ideas to interpret and evaluate literary works.
Together, they help us:
Understand meaning
Analyze structure
Explore culture and ideology
Appreciate artistic beauty
👉 In short, literary theory and criticism help us see literature not just as stories, but as powerful reflections of human life, society, and thought.
Poetics by Aristotle
(Home Assignment)
🏛️ Introduction
Poetics is one of the earliest and most important works of literary criticism. Written around 335 BCE, Aristotle analyzes tragedy, epic poetry, and dramatic art, explaining how stories work and why they affect audiences.
The main focus of Poetics is tragedy, especially Greek tragedies by writers like Sophocles andEuripides.
🎭 1. What is Poetry? (Mimesis – Imitation)
Aristotle says all art is mimesis (imitation) of life.
He explains that:
Humans naturally imitate.
We learn through imitation.
Poetry imitates actions, not just people.
Different arts imitate in different ways:
Through rhythm
Through language
Through harmony
🎭 2. Types of Poetry
Aristotle divides poetry into:
Tragedy
Comedy
Epic Poetry
Dithyrambic poetry
Difference:
Tragedy shows serious and noble actions.
Comedy shows ordinary or lower characters in a humorous way.
Epic poetry (like Iliad by Homer) is similar to tragedy but written in narrative form.
🎭 3. Definition of Tragedy
Aristotle gives a famous definition:
“Tragedy is the imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude… through pity and fear effecting the catharsis of such emotions.”
Key Terms:
Serious action – important and meaningful event
Complete – has beginning, middle, and end
Magnitude – proper length and importance
Catharsis – emotional purification (release of pity and fear)
🧱 4. The Six Elements of Tragedy
Aristotle says tragedy has six parts:
1️⃣ Plot (Mythos) – MOST IMPORTANT
Structure of events
Soul of tragedy
Should be unified
2️⃣ Character (Ethos)
Moral quality of characters
Should be consistent and realistic
3️⃣ Thought (Dianoia)
Theme or message
4️⃣ Diction (Lexis)
Language used
5️⃣ Melody (Melos)
Music/chorus
6️⃣ Spectacle (Opsis)
Visual effects (least artistic element)
🔥 5. Plot Structure
Aristotle emphasizes Unity of Action:
Story should focus on one main action.
No unnecessary events.
Types of Plot:
Simple Plot – No reversal or recognition.
Complex Plot – Contains:
Peripeteia (Reversal) – Sudden change of fortune.
Anagnorisis (Recognition) – Discovery of truth.
Example: In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus realizes he killed his father and married his mother.
😢 6. Hamartia (Tragic Flaw)
The tragic hero:
Is noble
Not perfectly good
Falls due to hamartia (error in judgment)
Oedipus is not evil — he makes mistakes unknowingly.
😨 7. Catharsis
One of the most debated ideas.
Aristotle says tragedy causes:
Pity (for the hero)
Fear (that this could happen to us)
These emotions are purified through watching the tragedy.
📖 8. Epic Poetry vs Tragedy
Epic poetry (like the Iliad):
Is narrative
Longer
Has multiple plots
Tragedy:
Is performed on stage
Shorter
More concentrated
More powerful emotional effect
Aristotle says tragedy is superior to epic because it is more unified and intense.
🎯 9. Ideal Tragic Hero
The perfect tragic hero:
Is of high status
Has a tragic flaw
Experiences reversal and recognition
Evokes pity and fear
📚 10. Importance of Unity
Aristotle stresses:
Unity of Action (most important)
Logical sequence of events
Probability and necessity
Events should happen naturally, not by accident.
🧠 11. Aristotle’s Method
Unlike his teacher Plato, who criticized poetry, Aristotle:
Studies poetry scientifically
Analyzes how it works
Defends tragedy as meaningful
🌟 Why Poetics is Important
Foundation of Western literary criticism
Introduced concepts like:
Plot structure
Tragic flaw
Catharsis
Unity
Even modern movies and dramas follow Aristotle’s structure.
📌 Final Conclusion
In Poetics, Aristotle explains:
Art imitates life.
Tragedy is the highest form of poetry.
Plot is more important than character.
A good tragedy produces catharsis.
The tragic hero falls due to error, not evil.
This book shaped drama, theatre, and storytelling for more than 2000 years.
Preface to the plays of Shakespeare
📖 Introduction
The Preface to the Plays of Shakespeare is a critical essay written by Samuel Johnson for his 1765 edition of William Shakespeare’s works. It is one of the most important pieces of literary criticism in English literature.
Johnson evaluates Shakespeare’s strengths and weaknesses honestly. He praises Shakespeare’s understanding of human nature but also points out his faults.
🔹 1. Shakespeare as the Poet of Nature
Johnson’s most famous praise is that Shakespeare is the “poet of nature.”
Shakespeare represents universal human nature.
His characters are realistic and relatable.
They speak and behave like real people.
His plays are not limited to one time or place — they are timeless.
👉 According to Johnson, Shakespeare’s characters are not imaginary heroes but real human beings with real emotions.
🔹 2. Representation of Human Life
Johnson says Shakespeare’s plays are a “mirror of life.”
They show joy and sorrow, love and jealousy, ambition and fear.
Shakespeare does not exaggerate characters.
Even kings and queens behave like normal humans.
Johnson believes this realism makes Shakespeare superior to many other writers.
🔹 3. Mixture of Tragedy and Comedy
One major criticism of Shakespeare during Johnson’s time was that he mixed tragedy and comedy.
Johnson defends this mixture:
Real life contains both sadness and happiness.
Mixing tragic and comic scenes makes drama more natural.
It increases emotional impact.
He argues that the strict classical rule of separating tragedy and comedy is unnecessary.
🔹 4. Violation of the Three Unities
Classical critics believed in the “Three Unities”:
Unity of Time
Unity of Place
Unity of Action
Shakespeare often breaks these rules.
Johnson defends him:
The unity of action is important (Shakespeare usually follows it).
But time and place are not so important.
Audiences use imagination and can accept changes in time and location.
So, Johnson rejects blind obedience to classical rules.
🔹 5. Shakespeare’s Faults
Johnson is fair and does not blindly praise Shakespeare. He points out several weaknesses:
❌ Moral Weakness
Shakespeare sometimes sacrifices morality for dramatic effect.
Villains are not always punished clearly.
❌ Carelessness
Some plots are confusing.
There are inconsistencies in events.
❌ Wordplay and Puns
Shakespeare sometimes uses too many puns.
Johnson calls it a “fatal Cleopatra” — meaning Shakespeare could not resist wordplay.
🔹 6. Shakespeare’s Language
Johnson says:
Shakespeare’s language fits his characters.
He uses both poetic and simple language.
However, some expressions are outdated or difficult.
Johnson also mentions that Shakespeare sometimes writes loosely without careful revision.
🔹 7. Importance of Shakespeare
Johnson concludes that:
Shakespeare’s works have survived because they reflect human nature.
His plays continue to please audiences across generations.
He is not perfect, but his genius is greater than his faults.
🌟 Overall Evaluation
According to Samuel Johnson:
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Deep knowledge of human nature | Carelessness in plots |
| Realistic characters | Excessive wordplay |
| Natural dialogue | Moral ambiguity |
| Powerful emotional effect | Sometimes illogical events |
📌 Conclusion
In the Preface, Samuel Johnson presents a balanced criticism. He neither blindly praises nor unfairly criticizes Shakespeare.
His main message:
Shakespeare’s greatness lies in his truthful representation of universal human nature.
The essay remains one of the most influential works of English literary criticism
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