Classical literary theory

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Slide 1: Slide

EngelsMiddelbare schoolvwoLeerjaar 6

This lesson contains 21 slides, with interactive quizzes and text slides.

Lesson duration is: 50 min

Items in this lesson

Classical literary theory

Slide 1 - Slide

What do the 'Harry Potter' series and 'Looking for Alaska' have in common?

Slide 2 - Open question

Socrates

"Most existing poetry is unsuitable to educational purposes."

Slide 3 - Slide

Why would Socrates think this?

Slide 4 - Open question

Moral weakness

Poetry depicts Gods and heroes in various forms of moral weakness. E.g. revenge, jealousy, quarreling, showing disrespect to your parents or teachers.

Slide 5 - Slide

Name at least three main characters in popular fiction who show signs of moral weakness

Slide 6 - Open question

Socrates said...

Young People are impressionable... Any impression we choose to make leaves a permanent mark.

Slide 7 - Slide

Plato

Excludes all poets from his ideal republic. "They are inspired or possessed. It is a form of divine madness"

Slide 8 - Slide

Slide 9 - Slide

Explain what is going on in this picture.

Slide 10 - Open question

Mimesis

This was a central concept in Aristotle's Poetics, where he argued that poetry is a form of mimesis. The idea that literature should imitate or represent reality. Aristotle: Essence precedes existence.

Slide 11 - Slide

Platonic ideal

Beauty, truth and goodness are one. They are the ultimate values to which we should all strive.

Gleaming lights of the Souls by Yayoi Kusama

Slide 12 - Slide

Verisimilitude

Our world is a bad copy of the world of ideas. Art is an even worse copy of that bad copy.

Slide 13 - Slide

Verisimilitude

The quality of appearing true or real, even if the work is fictional. Classical theorists emphasized the importance of creating a sense of verisimilitude in literary works.