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Non-Aristotelian drama

December 18, 2023

Non-Aristotelian drama, or the 'epic form' of the drama, is a kind of play whose dramaturgical structure departs from the features of classical tragedy in favour of the features of the epic, as defined in each case by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle in his Poetics (c.335 BCE)

The German modernist theatre practitioner Bertolt Brecht coined the term 'non-Aristotelian drama' to describe the dramaturgical dimensions of his own work, beginning in 1930 with a series of notes and essays entitled "On a non-aristotelian drama".[1] In them, he identifies his musical The Threepenny Opera (1928) as an example of "epic form". "[B]y Aristotle's definition," Brecht writes, "the difference between the dramatic and epic forms was attributed to their different methods of construction."[2] Method of construction here refers to the relation the play establishes between its parts and its whole:

The epic writer Döblin provided an excellent criterion when he said that with an epic work, as opposed to a dramatic, one can as it were take a pair of scissors and cut it into individual pieces, which remain fully capable of life.[3]

Brecht also defines the contrast between the traditional, Aristotelian 'dramatic' and his own 'epic' as corresponding to idealist and materialist philosophical positions:

The epic drama, with its materialistic standpoint and its lack of interest in any investment of its spectators' emotions, knows no objective but only a finishing point, and is familiar with a different kind of chain, whose course need not be a straight one but may quite well be in curves or even in leaps. [...] [W]henever one comes across materialism epic forms arise in the drama, and most markedly and frequently in comedy, whose 'tone' is always 'lower' and more materialistic.[4]

It is this materialist perspective on the world, and specifically on the human being, that renders the epic form particularly appropriate and useful to the dramatist, Brecht argues. Contemporary science (the term includes what English calls "human sciences"; especially, for Brecht, historical materialism) reveals that the human being is determined by and determining of its circumstances ("social" and "physical"). The epic form enables the drama to stage humanity in a way that incorporates this scientific understanding; the dramatist becomes able to show the human (the level of interpersonal relationships) in interaction with the larger forces and dynamics at work in society (the supra-personal, historical scale):[5]

Today, when the human being has come to be seen as 'the sum of all social circumstances' the epic form is the only one that can embrace those processes which serve the drama as matter for a comprehensive picture of the world. Similarly man, flesh and blood man, can only be embraced through those processes by which and in the course of which he exists.[4]

Epic Theatre also rejects the principle of natura non facit saltus (nature does not make jumps) which is a methodological assumption of Swedish naturalist Carl Linnæus used in his categorization of plants and animals.[6]

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Willett (1964, 46).
  2. ^ From an essay by Brecht probably written in 1936; Brecht (1964, 70).
  3. ^ The resonance between this image as a means of describing epic dramaturgical form and the concrete practice of cinematic montage, particularly as theorized by the Soviets, is not coincidental, but rather part of a shared radical modernist aesthetic exploration. (Brecht 1964, 70).
  4. ^ a b Brecht (1964, 46).
  5. ^ This gloss draws on Szondi (1965).
  6. ^ Squiers, Anthony (2014). An Introduction to the Social and Political Philosophy of Bertolt Brecht: Revolution and Aesthetics. Amsterdam: Rodopi. ISBN 9789042038998.

Works cited edit

December 18, 2023
aristotelian, drama, epic, form, drama, kind, play, whose, dramaturgical, structure, departs, from, features, classical, tragedy, favour, features, epic, defined, each, case, ancient, greek, philosopher, aristotle, poetics, german, modernist, theatre, practiti. Non Aristotelian drama or the epic form of the drama is a kind of play whose dramaturgical structure departs from the features of classical tragedy in favour of the features of the epic as defined in each case by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle in his Poetics c 335 BCE The German modernist theatre practitioner Bertolt Brecht coined the term non Aristotelian drama to describe the dramaturgical dimensions of his own work beginning in 1930 with a series of notes and essays entitled On a non aristotelian drama 1 In them he identifies his musical The Threepenny Opera 1928 as an example of epic form B y Aristotle s definition Brecht writes the difference between the dramatic and epic forms was attributed to their different methods of construction 2 Method of construction here refers to the relation the play establishes between its parts and its whole The epic writer Doblin provided an excellent criterion when he said that with an epic work as opposed to a dramatic one can as it were take a pair of scissors and cut it into individual pieces which remain fully capable of life 3 Brecht also defines the contrast between the traditional Aristotelian dramatic and his own epic as corresponding to idealist and materialist philosophical positions The epic drama with its materialistic standpoint and its lack of interest in any investment of its spectators emotions knows no objective but only a finishing point and is familiar with a different kind of chain whose course need not be a straight one but may quite well be in curves or even in leaps W henever one comes across materialism epic forms arise in the drama and most markedly and frequently in comedy whose tone is always lower and more materialistic 4 It is this materialist perspective on the world and specifically on the human being that renders the epic form particularly appropriate and useful to the dramatist Brecht argues Contemporary science the term includes what English calls human sciences especially for Brecht historical materialism reveals that the human being is determined by and determining of its circumstances social and physical The epic form enables the drama to stage humanity in a way that incorporates this scientific understanding the dramatist becomes able to show the human the level of interpersonal relationships in interaction with the larger forces and dynamics at work in society the supra personal historical scale 5 Today when the human being has come to be seen as the sum of all social circumstances the epic form is the only one that can embrace those processes which serve the drama as matter for a comprehensive picture of the world Similarly man flesh and blood man can only be embraced through those processes by which and in the course of which he exists 4 Epic Theatre also rejects the principle of natura non facit saltus nature does not make jumps which is a methodological assumption of Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus used in his categorization of plants and animals 6 See also editAllan Kaprow Avant garde Dick Higgins Elizabeth LeCompte Experimental theatre The Flea Theater Fluxus Happenings Heiner Muller Intermedia Marina Abramovic Ontological Hysteric Theater Performance art Performing Garage Postdramatic theatre Richard Foreman Richard Schechner Robert Wilson Tadeusz Kantor Speculations An Essay on the Theater The Wooster GroupNotes edit Willett 1964 46 From an essay by Brecht probably written in 1936 Brecht 1964 70 The resonance between this image as a means of describing epic dramaturgical form and the concrete practice of cinematic montage particularly as theorized by the Soviets is not coincidental but rather part of a shared radical modernist aesthetic exploration Brecht 1964 70 a b Brecht 1964 46 This gloss draws on Szondi 1965 Squiers Anthony 2014 An Introduction to the Social and Political Philosophy of Bertolt Brecht Revolution and Aesthetics Amsterdam Rodopi ISBN 9789042038998 Works cited editBrecht Bertolt 1964 Brecht on Theatre The Development of an Aesthetic Ed and trans John Willett British edition London Methuen ISBN 0 413 38800 X USA edition New York Hill and Wang ISBN 0 8090 3100 0 Brecht Bertolt 1965 The Messingkauf Dialogues Trans John Willett Bertolt Brecht Plays Poetry Prose Ser London Methuen 1985 ISBN 0 413 38890 5 Szondi Peter 1965 Theory of the Modern Drama Ed and trans Michael Hays Theory and History of Literature Ser 29 Minneapolis University of Minnesota Press 1987 ISBN 0 8166 1285 4 Willett John 1964 Editorial notes In Brecht on Theatre The Development of an Aesthetic by Bertolt Brecht British edition London Methuen ISBN 0 413 38800 X USA edition New York Hill and Wang ISBN 0 8090 3100 0 Williams Raymond 1993 Drama from Ibsen to Brecht London Hogarth ISBN 0 7012 0793 0 pp 277 290 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Non Aristotelian drama amp oldid 1147481468, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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