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Since the
objects of imitation are men in action, and these men must be either of a
higher or a lower type (for moral character mainly answers to these divisions,
goodness and badness being the distinguishing marks of moral differences), it
follows that we must represent men either as better than in real life, or as
worse, or as they are. It is the same in painting. Polygnotus depicted men as
nobler than they are, Pauson as less noble, Dionysius drew them true to life.
Now it is
evident that each of the modes of imitation above mentioned will exhibit these
differences, and become a distinct kind in imitating objects that are thus
distinct. Such diversities may be found even in dancing, flute-playing, and
lyre-playing. So again in language, whether prose or verse unaccompanied by
music. Homer, for example, makes men better than they are; Cleophon as they
are; Hegemon the Thasian, the inventor of parodies, and Nicochares, the author
of the Deiliad, worse than they are. The same thing holds good of Dithyrambs
and Nomes; here too one may portray different types, as Timotheus and
Philoxenus differed in representing their Cyclopes. The same distinction marks
off Tragedy from Comedy; for Comedy aims at representing men as worse, Tragedy
as better than in actual life.
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