Read the editors’ background to Aristotle and his text Poetics, sections 1-15 (83-101). In addition, finish reading Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex (33-end), and review the editors’ background to Plato and the assigned excerpts from Republic, Books II, Ill, VII, and X (41-77). Then, in a response of at least 600 words, address the following questions: 1. First, define the ancient Greek term mimesis, and discuss Socrates’s attitude toward mimesis in Plato’s Republic. 2. Next, compare and contrast Aristotle’s attitude toward mimesis in his text Poetics with that of Socrates. 3. In Poetics, Aristotle explicitly mentions Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex several times. Is Aristotle’s characterization of this tragic play positive or negative overall? Explain your response. 4. Finally, based on your reading of both Plato’s Republic and Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex, do you think that Socrates would or would not allow Oedipus Rex to be performed in his ideal republic? Explain your response. For full credit, please support your claims with 1. at least three direct quotations, at least one from each text, that is, Plato, Aristotle, and Sophocles (from the authors’ texts themselves versus the editors’ introductions) as well as 2. analysis/interpretation of these quotations. – Remember that you must correctly cite any print or web source that you quote or paraphrase. Submitting the words or ideas of someone else without proper citation is considered plagiarism. 3. Respond to the prompt. Read the prompt closely since any paper that does not respond to the specific prompt will not receive full credit.
Sample Solution
