Aristotle and Don Quixote

Aristotle defends poetry, and the art of writing in general, by laying down the laws of imitation. First off, there are three differences that determine exactly what kind of imitation it is. There is the medium "of color, form or again by voice", which is basically the form the imitation is in; a tragedy, prose or verse, even a dance, thus "taken as a whole, the imitation is produced by rhythm, language, or harmony, either singly or combined."

Then there is the objects. These are generally men, or types of men "in action". These men are either higher than, the same as, or lower than us. So Aristotle argues here that poetry doesn't lie, but represents and imitates the different levels of people that are actual, that are real and breathing. The purpose is not to give a complete accurate history about a specific person, but to represent the level of a person who exists somewhere and everywhere.

Finally there is the mode or manner in which the objects, or people, are imitated. What is meant by this is how the poem is written/told. Like narration, or how Plato told his stories through Socrates (because there's no proof that Socrates was his own person because Plato was the only one who ever wrote down what he supposedly said). Thus the poet is imitating through narration, first person, or whatever have you.

Aristotle also argues that imitation is natural and rooted in human nature from childhood. In fact all living creatures rely on imitation to learn. Key word here, LEARN. Without an example, irrelevant if it's historically accurate or true, no one would know how to do anything.
So basically, Aristotle argues that poetry is no more a lie than reality is. It is an imitation based on the history of man kind. It may not be historically accurate, matching up perfectly with specific names and dates, but poetry imitates the actual, the possible. It's no more a lie than the imitation of this computer is. There could be the perfect computer out there, ideal in form and process, but I still have this computer here, imitation the perfection of the perfect computer form. And it's no less real.

"If one were to reply that those who compose these books write them as fictions, and therefore are not obliged to consider the fine points of truth, I should respond that the more truthful the fiction, the better it is, and the more probable and possible, the more pleasing. Fictional tales must engage the minds of those who read them, and by restraining exaggeration and moderating impossibility, then enthrall the spirit and thereby astonish, captivate, delight, and entertain, allowing wonder and joy to move together at the same pace; none of these things can be accomplished by fleeing verisimilitude and mimesis." - Senor Canon

First fleeing verisimilitude : fleeing appearance of being true or real.

This brings me to the section I just read in Don Quixote. It starts on page 411 in chapter XLVII and continues into chapter XLIX. I'm referring to the conversation that mainly goes on between the Priest and the Canon that the meet of the road, and to some extent that of the Barber and Don Quixote as well. They are discussing the books of chivalry and the Canon and the Priest pretty much agree that they are "foolish stories meant only to delight and not to teach, unlike moral tales, which delight and teach at the same time."

Basically they argue in this section what Plato and Aristotle argue, the worth of fiction. The Priest /Canon side agree with Plato where the Don Quixote side agrees with Aristotle. Don Quixote believes the fictions are true in that there were actual knights of errant who completed deeds like those in the books. He takes is a step further that Aristotle and instead of believing that the poems/books are imitations of knights and their feats, but that they are actual histories. He knows that there were once knights, and thinks there still is, so why aren't these histories true, and not just imitations.

The Canon and the Priest argue that even though where were knights errant, the books are pointless lies because they only delight and even lead the mind astray in believing their lies are actual histories.
So yeah. I'm up to page 432 in Don Quixote and I found these chapters extremely relevant to what we have been discussing in class.