Greek Criticism: Chief Characteristics

Pre-Platonic Criticism:

The art of criticism began in ancient Greece in the Age of Pericles. It was the golden age of remarkable creative activity and intellectual awakening. Dramatists like Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes lived in this age. In fact, criticism is as old as creation. “Criticism begins when literature begins.” The Greek criticism dates back to fourth century B.C. But it was not systematic before Plato. The writings of Homer, Aeschylus, Pindar, Sophocles and Euripedes contain hints and suggestions of critical ideas, which were later developed by Plato, Aristotle and Longinus into systematic principles of literary criticism. 

Homer anticipates the theory of inspiration and function of poetry. He begins his great epics, Iliad and Odyssey with a prayer to Muse to inspire him to utter truth. Hesiod too in his preface to the ‘Theogony’ explains how the Muse breathed into him the art of divine music. However these two poets differ in their view on the function of poetry. Homer thinks that the end of poetry is to give pleasure. To Hesiod the function of poetry was to teach or to convey the divined message. Pindar returned to a direct consideration of poetry and attached great importance to inspiration in poetry. He was the first creative writer who recognized the value of technique in poetry.

Aristophanes, the famous writer of the comedy The Frogs was the first to apply his mind to a critical consideration of literature. He based his observations on merit in poetry and drama, the relative importance of craftsmanship and morality and choice of language on rational, critical and dispassionate grounds.  He is therefore, the first regular critic who is also a creative writer. 

Plato was the first great Geek philosopher who systematically expressed his views on art and poetry. As a student of Socrates, he looked at life, society, art and literature from the lofty moral point of view. Art and poetry according to him, contribute neither to the making of an ideal state nor to that of an ideal citizen. So he condemns poetry on the following grounds: 1. the poet writes because he is inspired. As he is inspired there is no invention in him until he has been inspired and is out of his senses, and the mind is no longer in him. Poetry, according to Plato “feeds and waters the passion.” Poetry lack concerns for morality. However he admits poetry which manifests highest truth, ideal forms of justice, goodness, beauty and virtue.

It is from Aristotelian and Greek point of view art is an element in the higher life of the community, the pleasure it affords is enduring pleasure, an aesthetic enjoyment which is not divorced from civic end.  Comedy according to Aristotle is an imitation of characters of a lower type, which implies some defect or ugliness which is not painful or destructive. To Aristotle tragedy is superior to comedy. Tragedy then is an imitation that is serious complete and of a certain magnitude in the form of action through which pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of these emotions. He is the pioneer who talked about unity in plays. He also talks about ‘katharsis’ the function of tragedy in his ‘Poetics’