Aristotle and Lovecraft

ARISTOTLE

Art Theory

Tragedy conveys a story where a fortunate and admirable character either potentially or actually injures a loved one by mistake and suffers a great misfortune due to it. Since the injury and misfortune happen necessarily, yet unknowingly by the main character, the audience feels pity for the character and fear for themselves due to all that has happened. Those emotions in the audience are purged by their desire to understand why it all happened, and, in the end, are left wondering about the story.

Objective with the Audience

To excite wonder in the audience.

Means

By describing plausible and necessary events where the main character (either potentially or actually) suffers misfortune by mistakenly harming a loved one.

Characters

Fortunate and admirable characters who, while not necessarily paragons of virtue, are in no way scoundrels either.

Historical Development

Poets accidentally (by luck) discovered the principles of tragedy by telling stories of the famous, tragic families of Ancient Greece

LOVECRAFT

Art Theory

Cosmic horror conveys a story of unknown powers of cosmic proportions coming into contact with our known world. The audience feels a suspension or defeat of the fixed laws of nature which are the only safeguards against the assaults of chaos and daemons of unplumbed space.

Objective with the Audience

To excite in the reader a profound sense of dread.

Means

By describing a cosmic power beyond our understanding defeating our understanding of nature and threatening us.

Characters

Doesn't directly state. In theory, Lovecraft seems to like the Gothic / Byronic antihero. In practice he seems to prefer Men of Science who have devolved to unreliable, possibly insane, narrators because of their cosmic experience. Characters like Herbert West seem to embody both (the Byronic Man of Science).

Historical Development

Has always existed and always will due to mankind's innate fear of the unknown and the infinite mystery of the cosmos. Also, because of the superstitions we continue to transmit through our traditions and history. The maturation of modern psychology has aided the writers ability to more effectively excite the sense of dread in the reader.