Lecture one:
Literary Criticism
Literary criticism is the study, discussion, evaluation,
and interpretation of literature.
It includes the classification by genre, analysis of
structure, and judgement of value.
It asks what literature is, what it does, and what it is
worth.
Literary Criticism
In other words, literary criticism is the method used to
interpret any given work of literature.
The different schools of literary criticism provide us with
lenses which reveal important aspects of the literary
work.
Literary criticism helps us to understand what is
important about the text: its structure, its context (social,
economic, historical), what is written, and how the text
manipulates the reader.
Lecture One: Plato
Literary Criticism
It helps us to understand the relationship between
authors, readers, and texts.
The act of literary criticism ultimately enhances the
enjoyment of our reading of the literary work.
Plato
Plato was the student of Socrates.
He was the Greek philosopher who laid the foundations
of Western philosophy.
It is stated that Western philosophy is a series of
footnotes to Plato.
Plato gave initial formulation to the most fundamental
questions of literary criticism.
Most of Platos philosophy is expounded in dialogue
form.
Socrates is usually the main speaker in these dialogues.
Lecture One: Plato
Plato
Plato levels four accusations against poetry.
A.The falsity of the claims and representations of poetry
regarding both gods and men;
B. Poetry appeals to the weaker, inferior side of our
mind/soul (or psyche).
C.Poetry has a corruptive effect on character.
D.Poetry is a kind of madness or contagion
Lecture One: Plato
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