The classical Greek philosopher Aristotle, in his seminal treatise, Poetics (c. 335 BCE) is the earliest-surviving example and its arguments have influenced theories of theatre ever since. In it, he presents an account of what he calls “poetry” (a time period which in Greek actually means “making” and on this context contains drama—comedy, tragedy, and the satyr play—as well as lyric poetry, epic poetry, and the dithyramb). He examines its “first principles” and identifies its genres and basic components; his evaluation of tragedy constitutes the core of the discussion.
Old Comedy survives at present largely in the form of the eleven surviving performs of Aristophanes, whereas Middle Comedy is largely lost . New Comedy is known primarily from the substantial papyrus fragments of Menander. Aristotle outlined comedy as a illustration of laughable people who includes some sort of blunder or ugliness that doesn’t cause pain or catastrophe. Beginning May 1, …