SUPERIORITY OF TRAGEDY OVER EPIC(5 marks)

Aristotle’s treatment of the epic is slight as compared to his treatment of tragedy. But he makes a few
general statements, which bring out the salient features of the epic, and establishes the affinity as well as
thedifference between epic and tragedy.
Both epic and tragedy are imitations of serious subjects, and deal with characters of the higher
type. A numberof elements are to be found common to both. These are Plot, Character, Thought and
Diction. The structure of both should show a unity. Epic poetry is similar to tragedy because it has as
many species as tragedy. Like a tragedy, the epic plots can be complex or simple, full of suffering, or
concentrate on Character.
The first difference that matter is that of length. Tragedy, by its very nature, is more
concentrated and compact. Hence its size is much more limited than that of. the epic. The length of a
tragedy is based on the principle that the work must be short enough to be grasped as an artistic whole.
This holds good for the epic as well. But the length of the epic can be greater than that of the tragedy. The
time limits of epic are not fixed. It can relate a number of incidents happening simultaneously to
different persons at the same time. Tragedy cannot show more than one incident happening at one place at
one time.

Tragedy can make use of a greater variety of metres, while the epic has to content itself with the heroic
metre.The heroic metre or the hexameter is most dignified and stately. It can make use of rare and strange
words.The tragic mode allows the use of metaphors, in the iambic and trochaic tetrameter. Aristotle says,
Nature hasestablished the appropriate metres for all forms of poetry. The iambic verse is close to the
speech of men, andsuited to imitation of men in action.

The epic allows greater scope for the marvelous and the irrational. Tragedy however, cannot make too
muchuse of the marvelous within the action. Epic can relate improbable tales because it is not going to be
presentedon stage before the eyes of the spectators. The degree of the irrational can be greater because it
is left to theimagination, and not placed before the eyes. Indeed, the element of marvelous adds to the
artistic pleasure andwonder of the epic. Such supernatural and the irrational incidents of the marvelous
have to be placed outsidethe action of tragedy.

The epic uses the mode of the narrative, and tragedy the mode of the dramatic. The epic allows for more
andlonger incidents than does tragedy. The epic allows multiplicity of stories, which would be
unthinkable in thetragedy.The elements Music and Spectacle are only can be found in the tragedy. Tragedy
has a vividness which isabsent in epic. For all reasons which discussed above, even if the tragedy is read
and not acted out on stage Tragedy is Superior to the Epic.

Concluding his discussion Aristotle says that if tragedy is superior to epic in all
these respects , it fulfills its artistic function in achieving its end better than epic. It
must be the better form of art & also fulfilling its artistic function then, obviously, in
achieving its ends better than epic; it must be the better form.