Poetics

One of the most influential tracts in World Theatre, the Poetics of Aristotle is much cited but little read. It is credited as the source of the ’Aristotelian’ doctrine of the Three Unities - of Time, Place and Action - but in fact insists on only one of them. Much of its analysis of tragedy is questionable, though the idea of catharsis, of being ’purged’ by our experience of tragedy, has taken hold of the modern mind.
This brand new translation by the late Kenneth McLeish seeks to make this famous text as accessible as possible without cutting or paraphrasing. Instead, important passages are highlighted, while key words and concepts are glossed within the text so as to dispense with the need for intrusive footnotes. The aim is to allow readers to experience Aristotle’s arguments directly for themselves.