Throughout the centuries Aristotle's Poetics remained something of a mystery. What was the great philosopher trying to say about the nature of drama and storytelling? What did he mean by pity, fear and catharsis?
In this book, Ari Hiltunen explains the mystery of the 'proper pleasure', which, according to Aristotle, is the goal of drama and can be brought about by using certain storytelling strategies. Hiltunen develops Aristotle's thesis to demonstrate how the world's best-loved fairy tales, Shakespeare's success, and empirical studies on the enjoyment of drama and brain physiology, all give support to the idea of a universal 'proper pleasure' through storytelling.
Examining the key concepts and logic of Poetics, Hiltunen offers a unique insight to anyone who wants to know the secret of successful storytelling, both in the past and in today's multi-billion dollar entertainment industry. Analysis include:
• Cinderella, the world's most popular folktale
• Shakespeare's Aristotlean strategy for success: Romeo and Juliet
• The common basis of tragedy: from Sophocles' Oedipus Rex to Hitchcock's
Notorious
• Blockbuster movies Fugitive and Ghost; audience involvement in 'proper pleasure'
• ER: television and mass 'proper pleasure'
Ari Hiltunen concludes that Aristotle's ideas and insights are as valid today as they were over 2000 years ago. This book will be of interest to all those working and studying in the fields of communication, media and writing.