What is mimesis according to Plato? Explain his conclusion that art is twice removed from reality. 2. What is the importance of poetry and tragic literature (or in our modern-day drama) in the process of CATHARSIS? 3. Explain the theory of Leo Tolstoy on Art as a Communication of Emotion.
Answer (1)
1. Plato said mimesis means imitation. He believed reality is the world of perfect forms (ideas), and what we see in life is already an imitation of those forms. Art, like painting or poetry, copies those real-life imitations.To illustrate, what Plato meant is that an artist painting a tree is not painting the real “ideal” tree, just a copy of the one he sees.2. Catharsis means releasing deep emotions like sadness or fear through art. Poetry and tragedy let people safely feel emotions and learn from them, helping to cleanse the heart and reflect on life.We ourselves experience this. After watching a sad drama or reading a sad ending of a novel, we cry and feel lighter or gain more understanding of the human experience.3. Tolstoy believed art is not just beauty, it's emotional communication. Good art transfers the artist’s sincere feelings to others. If you feel what the artist felt, then it is true art.If a writer feels joy about nature, and you feel the same joy reading it, then the art has served it's purpose. If a painter made a picture depicting his confusion, you might feel the same way because of the way he used his medium to evoke confusion in you.
