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It is right, however, to censure both improbability and depravity where there is no necessity and no use is made of the improbability.An example is Euripides’ intro duction of AegeusEur. Medea 663. In Aristotle’s opinion there is no good reason for Aegeus’s appearance and no good use is made of it. or(of depravity)the character of Menelans in the Orestes.
32
The censures they bring are of five kinds; that things are either impossible or irrational or harmful or inconsistent or contrary to artistic correctness. The solutions must be studied under the heads specified above, twelve in number.i.e., any expression that is criticized should be considered with reference to (1) things as they were; (2) things as thy are; (3) things as they are said to be; (4) things as they seem to be; (5) things as they ought to be. Further, we should consider whether (6) a rare word or (7) a metaphor is used; what is the right (8) accent and (9) punctuation; also where there may be (10) ambiguity and what is (11) the habitual use of the phrase; also we may refer to (12) the proper standard of correctness in poetry as distinct from other arts.
1
The question may be raised whether the epic or the tragic form of representation is the better.