Rebecca Sherwin Blauvelt
English 436
February 4, 2009
Aristotle and The Man in the Moon
The following is a scene from the film The Man in the Moon. Please focus on the section from 2:50 – 6:18 (I apologize for my inability to edit out the unneeded portions.)
Aristotle believed Tragedy to be a high form of poetry which could evoke a deep and lasting emotional response, which would cause the audience to consider theuniversalities of life. He believed that it was essential for the characters to be lifelike and consistent and the plots to be probable, so that they might be deeply relatable. In Chapter 11 of Poetics, Aristotle described three fundamental plot elements of Tragedy. Reversal is a complete opposite shift in the situation, for example from prosperity to wealth, executed in a probable way so that the experience is authentic to the audience. The notion of Recognition is described as a “change from ignorance to knowledge.” Aristotle believed that these elements would be more profound and meaningful to the plot if they were combined elements. He describes Suffering as a third key plot element emphasizing the significance of the physical characteristic of the Suffering, as “an action of a destructive or painful nature, such as deaths openly represented, physical agonies, woundings, and the like” (Aristotle, 71)
The clip demonstrated all three of the key plot elements that Aristotle felt were necessary for Tragedy. There are two examples of recognition and reversal in the clip. The first occurs as the older female character, Maureen, returns from the woods disheveled, and it is at that moment that the younger female character, Dani, realizes that her sister is sleeping with the young man she has feelings for. She becomes aware of the betrayal and at once shifts from innocence to experience/maturity and from trusting to betrayed. The emotion of the male character, Cort, relishing in the glow of having recently consummated a romantic relationship rapidly reverses/shifts from joyful to sorrowful as he falls from his tractor. Almost immediately he recognizes the cost of his carelessness as the blades of the tractor overtake him. The scene then transitions to the suffering as the fatally wounded young man lies crumpled in his mother’s arms. Aristotle created the term “hamartia” which he described as a “man who is neither a paragon of virtue, nor utterly worthless … who falls from prosperity into misfortune through some error,” In this case, Cort’s tragic flaw is distractibility, a characteristic which is a key component of the plot, which ultimately causes him to lose his life.
Aristotle emphasized importance of the presentation of the tragedy which he stated should be “presented in the form of action, not narration; by means of pity and fear bringing about the catharsis of such emotions” (Aristotle, 64). In the scene, the actual accident is not pictured, narrated or described. Aristotle taught that these evocative situations would have even more of an impact if they are unexpected, as is the case of Cort’s untimely death. The viewer is shown the seemingly normal moments before the accident and the reactions of the mother and young girl as they become aware of what has occurred. The urgency of the situation is made clear by the musical cues (frantic, then solemn) and the sparse language used – the jarring cries for “Daddy!” and simple, breathless delivery of the punctuated words, “Tractor... Cort…Help!”
Aristotle believed that Tragedy was a powerful educational tool because of its ability to transfix the audience on an emotional level. He believed that the audience could actually become so enveloped by the actions of the tragic drama that real feelings, rising to the level of catharsis, could be evoked. The ability of the audience to place themselves in the experience, such as the scene from the film The Man in the Moon is fundamental because it allows for an ability to learn and gain and increased perspective of human nature.
Works Cited
Aristotle. Poetics
Classical Literary Criticism. 2d ed. Ed. Penelope Murray and T. S. Doarch
London: Penguin Books, 2004
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English 436
February 4, 2009
Aristotle and The Man in the Moon
The following is a scene from the film The Man in the Moon. Please focus on the section from 2:50 – 6:18 (I apologize for my inability to edit out the unneeded portions.)
Aristotle believed Tragedy to be a high form of poetry which could evoke a deep and lasting emotional response, which would cause the audience to consider theuniversalities of life. He believed that it was essential for the characters to be lifelike and consistent and the plots to be probable, so that they might be deeply relatable. In Chapter 11 of Poetics, Aristotle described three fundamental plot elements of Tragedy. Reversal is a complete opposite shift in the situation, for example from prosperity to wealth, executed in a probable way so that the experience is authentic to the audience. The notion of Recognition is described as a “change from ignorance to knowledge.” Aristotle believed that these elements would be more profound and meaningful to the plot if they were combined elements. He describes Suffering as a third key plot element emphasizing the significance of the physical characteristic of the Suffering, as “an action of a destructive or painful nature, such as deaths openly represented, physical agonies, woundings, and the like” (Aristotle, 71)
The clip demonstrated all three of the key plot elements that Aristotle felt were necessary for Tragedy. There are two examples of recognition and reversal in the clip. The first occurs as the older female character, Maureen, returns from the woods disheveled, and it is at that moment that the younger female character, Dani, realizes that her sister is sleeping with the young man she has feelings for. She becomes aware of the betrayal and at once shifts from innocence to experience/maturity and from trusting to betrayed. The emotion of the male character, Cort, relishing in the glow of having recently consummated a romantic relationship rapidly reverses/shifts from joyful to sorrowful as he falls from his tractor. Almost immediately he recognizes the cost of his carelessness as the blades of the tractor overtake him. The scene then transitions to the suffering as the fatally wounded young man lies crumpled in his mother’s arms. Aristotle created the term “hamartia” which he described as a “man who is neither a paragon of virtue, nor utterly worthless … who falls from prosperity into misfortune through some error,” In this case, Cort’s tragic flaw is distractibility, a characteristic which is a key component of the plot, which ultimately causes him to lose his life.
Aristotle emphasized importance of the presentation of the tragedy which he stated should be “presented in the form of action, not narration; by means of pity and fear bringing about the catharsis of such emotions” (Aristotle, 64). In the scene, the actual accident is not pictured, narrated or described. Aristotle taught that these evocative situations would have even more of an impact if they are unexpected, as is the case of Cort’s untimely death. The viewer is shown the seemingly normal moments before the accident and the reactions of the mother and young girl as they become aware of what has occurred. The urgency of the situation is made clear by the musical cues (frantic, then solemn) and the sparse language used – the jarring cries for “Daddy!” and simple, breathless delivery of the punctuated words, “Tractor... Cort…Help!”
Aristotle believed that Tragedy was a powerful educational tool because of its ability to transfix the audience on an emotional level. He believed that the audience could actually become so enveloped by the actions of the tragic drama that real feelings, rising to the level of catharsis, could be evoked. The ability of the audience to place themselves in the experience, such as the scene from the film The Man in the Moon is fundamental because it allows for an ability to learn and gain and increased perspective of human nature.
Works Cited
Aristotle. Poetics
Classical Literary Criticism. 2d ed. Ed. Penelope Murray and T. S. Doarch
London: Penguin Books, 2004
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