DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.48955#0178
I
i7q EPIC and DRAMATIC Ch. XXII.
interessing subjeft that engages our affections, oc-
cupies our whole attention, and leaves no room
for any separate concern11. Variety is more to-
ler .ble in comedy which pretends only to amuse,
without totally occupying the mind. But even
31 Racine, in his preface to the tragedy of Berenice, is
sensible that simplicity is a great beauty in tragedy, but
mistakes the cause. “ Nothing (says hej but verisimilitude
n pieases in tragedy: but where is the verisimilitude, that
it within the compass os a day, events ssiould be crowded
si which commonly are extended through months ? ” This is
miliaking the accuracy of imitation for the probability or
improbability of future events. 1 explain myself. The veri-
similitude required in tragedy is, that the astions corrcspond
to the manners, and the manners to nature. When this re-
semblance is preserved, the imitation is just, because it is a
true copy of nature, But I deny that the versimilitude of
future events , meaning the probability of future events , is
any rule in tragedy. A number of extraordinary events, are, it
is true, scldom crowded within the compass of a day: but what
seldom happens may happen ; and when such events fall out,
they appear no less natural than the most ordinary accidents.
To make verisimilitude in thesense of probability a governing
rule in tragedy, would annihilate that sort of writing altoge-
ther ; for it would exclude all extraordinary events, in which
the life of tragedy consists. It is very Improbable or unlikely,
pitching upon any man at random, that he will sacrifice his
life and fortune for his mistress or lot his country: yet when
that event happens, supposing it conformable to the charac-
ter, we recognise the verisimilitude as to nature, whatever
want of versimilitude or of probability there was a priori that
such would be the event.
i7q EPIC and DRAMATIC Ch. XXII.
interessing subjeft that engages our affections, oc-
cupies our whole attention, and leaves no room
for any separate concern11. Variety is more to-
ler .ble in comedy which pretends only to amuse,
without totally occupying the mind. But even
31 Racine, in his preface to the tragedy of Berenice, is
sensible that simplicity is a great beauty in tragedy, but
mistakes the cause. “ Nothing (says hej but verisimilitude
n pieases in tragedy: but where is the verisimilitude, that
it within the compass os a day, events ssiould be crowded
si which commonly are extended through months ? ” This is
miliaking the accuracy of imitation for the probability or
improbability of future events. 1 explain myself. The veri-
similitude required in tragedy is, that the astions corrcspond
to the manners, and the manners to nature. When this re-
semblance is preserved, the imitation is just, because it is a
true copy of nature, But I deny that the versimilitude of
future events , meaning the probability of future events , is
any rule in tragedy. A number of extraordinary events, are, it
is true, scldom crowded within the compass of a day: but what
seldom happens may happen ; and when such events fall out,
they appear no less natural than the most ordinary accidents.
To make verisimilitude in thesense of probability a governing
rule in tragedy, would annihilate that sort of writing altoge-
ther ; for it would exclude all extraordinary events, in which
the life of tragedy consists. It is very Improbable or unlikely,
pitching upon any man at random, that he will sacrifice his
life and fortune for his mistress or lot his country: yet when
that event happens, supposing it conformable to the charac-
ter, we recognise the verisimilitude as to nature, whatever
want of versimilitude or of probability there was a priori that
such would be the event.