Transcript of Hume and the theory of tragedy, by j. frederick doering
- 1. Hume and the Theory of TragedyAuthor(s): J. Frederick
DoeringReviewed work(s):Source: PMLA, Vol. 52, No. 4 (Dec., 1937),
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- 2. LXXIV HUME AND THE THEORY OF TRAGEDYBEHIND nearly all
English literary criticism, particularly that re- lating to the
Neo-classic drama, lies the Poetics of Aristotle. Somewriters have
been greatly affected by this epochal work; others havecome under
its sphere of influence to a lesser degree. However, there arefew
authors of importance upon whom the Poetics has failed to makesome
profound and enduring impression. Despite the fact that its
influ-ence permeates all English literature, excessive emphasis is
laid some-times upon the effect of Aristotles teachings, to the
detriment of suchprominent critics as Horace, Vida, Trissino,
Giraldi, Boileau, and Fon-tenelle. This applies especially to
commentators on Hume. Indeed, theScottish philosopher, historian,
and critic subscribed to the majority ofAristotles tenets, but the
doctrines of Tully, Horace, Boileau, and Cor-neille made an equally
impressive and indelible imprint upon his mind. Although Hume deals
with tragedy rather thoroughly, his treatmentis eclipsed by the
work of Corneille and of the immortal Greek masterboth in
minuteness and depth. Moreover, he does not adhere to
theAristotelian criteria as closely as would generally be imagined,
butrather takes Aristotle as he is interpreted by the French
classical drama-tists and critics, for in scarcely any of Humes
works is the influence ofthe literary men across the Channel more
pronounced than in "OfTragedy." Consequently, it is not difficult
to comprehend the reasonwhy Hume, despite his great admiration for
Aristotle, did not view himas being impeccable. This is aptly
demonstrated by his utterances onthe transitory nature of the fame
of philosophers. Thus:The fame of CICERO flourishes at present; but
that of ARISTOTLE utterly de- iscayed. LA BRUYERE passes the seas,
and still maintains his reputation; Butthe glory of
MALEBRANCHEconfined to his own nation, and to his own age. isAnd
ADDISON, perhaps, will be read with pleasure, when LOCKE1 shall be
en-tirely forgotten.2 In the Poetics, Aristotle states as his first
principle, "Epic poetry andTragedy, also Comedy, Dithyrambic
poetry, and most flute-playing andlyre playing, are all, viewed as
a whole, modes of imitation."3 To himall kinds of poetry were forms
of imitation of human action. Tragedywas dramatic imitation of
great action, serious and complete, with 1 Humeis carefulto point
out that this is no disparagement Lockes ability as a phi-
oflosopheror writer. 2 David Hume, Essays, Moral, Political, and
Literary, ed. T. H. Green and T. H. Grose(London, 1898), II, 5. ed.
W. D. Ross (Oxford, 8 "De Poetica,"tr. IngramBywater, The Works
Aristotle, of1924), xI, 1447.No pagination. 1130
- 3. J. Frederick Doering 1131proper elaboration and
embellishment. Hume recognizes these facts,but for him imitation
has a far more extensive connotation; conse-quently, he advocates
not only the copying of human actions, but alsothe imitation of
such outstanding models of antiquity as Homer, Vergil,Ovid,
Lucretius, and Cicero. This was also advised not only by
otherEnglish critics of the eighteenth century, such as Pope,4
Blackwell,5 andJohnson,6 but by a host of other admirers of earlier
Mediterraneanculture and art, including Bruni, Minturno, Scaliger,
and Jonson.7 But Humes regard for the classical drama of France
surpasses evenhis admiration for the productions of Greece and
Rome. In "Of CivilLiberty," after he has expounded his hypothesis
that the arts flourishbest under a popular form of government, he
states:But the most eminentinstanceof the flourishing learningin
absolutegovern- ofments, is that of FRANCE, which scarcelyever
enjoyed any establishedliberty,and yet has carriedthe arts and
sciencesas nearperfectionas any othernation.The ENGLISH are,
perhaps, greater philosophers, the ITALIANS better paintersand
musicians; the ROMANS were greater orators: But the FRENCH the only
arepeople,except the GREEKS, have been at once philosophers, who
poets, orators,historians,painters, architects, sculptors,and
musicians.With regard to thestage, they have excelled even the
GREEKS, who have far excelled the ENGLISH.And in commonlife, they
have, in a great measure,perfected that art, themost useful and
agreeableof any, IArt de Vivre,the art of society and
con-versation.8 Dryden found it expedient to imitate the French in
many respects,particularly in his dramatic productions, because he
knew that they hadadhered more stringently to the rules expounded
by Aristotle than hadthe English, with the possible exceptions of
Daniel and Greville. Thefact that he was obliged to admit certain
excellences in French playsmust have irked. Dryden considerably
for, in "An Essay of DramaticPoesy," he has Neander depreciate the
work of Corneille:Corneillehimself,their arch-poet,what has he
producedexcept The Liar?andyou know how it cried up in France;but
whenit came upon the Englishstage,though well translated,and that
part of Dorant acted to so much advantageas I am confidentit never
receivedin its own country,the most favourabletoit would not put it
in competitionwith many of Fletchersor Ben Jonsons.9 4 Alexander
Pope, An Essay on Criticism, 118-140. 11. 5 Blackwells commentson
Trissinoreveal,nevertheless, that he deploredservileimita-tion of
the ancients. See Thomas Blackwell,An Enquiryinto the Life and
WritingsofHomer(London,1735), p. 32 ff. 6 In spite of the fact that
Johnsonsremarks sometimesidentify him with the cult
oforiginalgenius,his own practiceis sufficientto prove that he
endorsedthe imitationofancientwriters,his
versesatiresbeingimitationsof Juvenal. 7 H. L. Snuggs,
ClassicalTheoryand Practicein the Comedies Ben Jonson (Duke
ofUniversityMastersthesis; Durham,N. C., 1928), p. 35. 8 Hume,
Essays, I, 159. 9 The Works John Dryden,ed. John Mitford(New York,
1854),II, 237-239. See also of
- 4. 1132 Hlume and the Theory of Tragedy Turning to a direct
analysis of Humes theory of tragedy, we findHume expressing
astonishment at the pleasure an audience derivesfrom the
disagreeable passions in a well-written tragedy.0 As do
Aris-totle11 and Corneille,l2 Hume reminds his readers that tragedy
is animitation; hence, it is very agreeable. He also states
emphatically that amixture of sentiments has a greater tendency to
delight the spectatorsthan those of a particular type: "The more
they (spectators) are touchedand affected, the more they are
delighted with the spectacle."3 This naturally brings Hume to the
point where a consideration ofthe Aristotelian catharsis is
requisite. Milton believed in purging themind of pity and fear;l4
"that is, to temper and reduce them to a justmeasure with a kind of
delight." Corneille maintained that the theoryof the purgation of
pity and fear together with admiration was the mosttenable;15
whereas Lessing and Winckelmann believed in the puri-fication of
the tragedy.6 Hume evidently inclines toward the purgationtheory,
which several eminent modern scholars and critics favour,17butle
grand philosophe of Scotland goes one step farther, after the
fashionof Lord Kames,l8 and includes all disagreeable passions. In
this he mayhave been partially influenced by Corneille, but this
conjecture cannotbe proven. Hume says, however, that as soon as the
uneasy passionscease to operate, the piece is ended, and that "one
scene full of joy andcontentment and security is the utmost that
any composition of thiskind can bear; and it is sure always to be
the concluding one."9 Thusour critic disposes of this annoying
problem. Hume next attacks the problem, which LAbbe Dubos and
Fontenellehad endeavored to solve, of the elimination of lethargy
and indolencefrom the tragedy. Hume apparently agrees with Dubos
that this mayP. Corneille,(Euvres (Paris, 1862),I: "Au
Lecteur,""LesTrois Unites," "Discoursde la andTrag6die,"
"Discoursde lutilit6et des partiesdu poemedramatique."
Drydenmusthave been cognizantof the difficulties arisingfrom the
judgingof a workfrom a transla-tion, even thoughit resemblesclosely
the original;yet he condemnedCorneillewithouthavingwitnessedthe
dramaon the Frenchstage. 10Hume, Essays, I, 258. n See
AristotlesPoetics,caput. 1447-49. 12 Corneille,(Euvres, 15. I, 13
Hume,op. cit., I, 258. Hume seems,however,to agreewith Scaliger
that realtragedyis always concerned solely with the serious.See J.
C. Scaliger,"PoeticesLibri Septem,"in BibliopolioCommeliano
(1617),I, 6. 14 "Preface Samson to in Agonistes," EnglishPoemsby
John Milton,ed. R. C. Browne(Oxford, 1877),n, 204. For
anotherangleof the pity andfearquestion,see G. G. Trissino,Tutte le
Opere (Verona, 1729), II, 95. 15 Corneille, (Euvres, I, 53. 18See
G. E. Lessing,Laokoon (London,1914)or WalterPater,Renaissance.
17See Allan H. Gilbert,"The AristotelianCatharsis,"in Philosophical
Review,xxxv(July, 1926), 301 ff. s1 Lord Kames (Henry Home) claims
that Aristotlewould confinetragedytoo much.See An Abridgement
Elements Criticism, John Frost (N. Y., 1850), pp. 248-249. of of
ed. 19 Hume, Essays, I, 258.
- 5. J. Frederick Doering 1133be accomplished to some extent by
arousing the passions with any-thing from gaming to an execution;20
and with Fontenelle that bothpleasure and pain should be excited.
The critic would add to both ofthese panaceas, nevertheless. He
would have both the tragedy and theoration swell the hearts of the
listener with sympathy-sympathy, thekeynote of Humes moral
philosophy.21 Hume strikes a "juste milieu" in the matter of the
passions. Eachemotion has its place in his system. By experience
and observation, thetwo chief weapons of the philosopher, Hume
learned that "Too muchjealousy extinguishes love: Too much
difficulty renders us indifferent:Too much sickness and infirmity
disgusts a selfish and unkind parent."Of course he was aware of the
fact that the fiction of the tragedy servesto mollify the passions,
still he admonished the dramatist to exerciseextreme caution in the
use of jealousy, difficulty, sickness, and the like,lest the
audience react unfavorably. All the passions, the
philosopherasserts, are heightened by the force of imagination, the
energy of ex-pression, the power of numbers, and the charm of
imitation; each initself delightful to the mind.22The philosophers
comments on jealousyand absence, which are especially illuminating,
are quoted in supportof the contention that he did follow the "via
media" very consistently.23Jealousyis a painfulpassion;yet without
some shareof it, the agreeableaffec-tion of love has difficultyto
subsist with its full force and violence.Absenceisalso a great
source of complaintamong lovers, and gives them the
greatestuneasiness:Yet nothingis more favourableto their mutual
passionthan shortintervalsof that kind. And if long intervalsoften
provefatal, it is only because,throughtime, men are accustomedto
them, and they cease to give uneasiness.Jealousyand absencein love
composethe dolcepeccante the ITALIANS, of whichthey supposeso
essentialto all pleasure.24By means of this, too, he points out
that "the pleasure, which poets,orators, and musicians give us, by
exciting grief, sorrow, indignation,compassion, is not so
extraordinary or paradoxical, as it may at firstsight appear."25 In
his Discours de la Tragedie, Corneille stated, "Le but du poete est
deplaire selon les regles de son art."26This was quite satisfactory
to Hume,but both he and the Frenchman went a step farther and added
that itwas the business of the poet to teach. That is why Hume
exalted Pope 20 Hume, nevertheless, seems to agreewith Giraldithat
only illustriousactionshave aplace in tragedy. See G. B.
GiraldiCinthio,ScrittiEstetici:DeRomazi,
delleComedie,edelleTragedie, (Milano,1864), II,6. ecc. 21Hume,
Essays, i, 261. 22 Ibid., I, 263-264. 23 Ibid., II, 209. 24Hume,
Essays, I, 263. Hume points out that the half-finishedproductionsof
theancientsgive pleasure.Cf. K. Jex-Blake,TheElderPlinys Chapters
theHistoryof Art on(London,1896),lib. xxxv, cap. 11. 26Hume,
Essays,I, 263. 26Corneille,(Euvres,xcv, 16-17.
- 6. 1134 Hume and the Theory of Tragedyabove the rest of his
contemporaries, for each line, each word, in Popesworks, is carved
and framed with the distinct purpose of having it con-vey some
moral precept to the reader. Hume and Corneille were not
someticulous in this respect; but both demanded that the virtuous
berewarded and the wicked punished. Now Aristotle had stated
thatpoetry should please the spectators,27 but, beyond intimating
that itwas possible to gain knowledge from the contemplation of a
work ofart,28had done no more than infer that literature should
have a didacticpurpose.29This caused Hume and the French
classicists great consterna-tion, but they finally interpreted the
Poetics in practically the samemanner as had Dryden and Pope. Of
course Hume believed in strict recognition of the unities.
TheElizabethan dramatists led by Ben Jonson and Shakespeare, had
ig-nored the unities whenever they wished to do so. Dryden had
acceptedto some extent the dictum of Corneille that the "Iron Rule"
of Aris-totle should be observed, but that there should be some
liberality inthe interpretation of it.30It was this view that Hume
adopted as his own.It proved to be one of the strongest bonds
between Hume and theFrench classical school. The essay "Of Tragedy"
is really too brief to be a compendium of allthe rules governing
tragedy; therefore, the writer found it necessary tolimit himself
to certain aspects which interested him most, and whichhad not been
dealt with completely by Aristotle and other prominentcritics. One
finds Hume, accordingly, dealing with various devices whicharouse
the curiosity and attention of the audience, such as novelty,31the
beauties allied with strangeness, and suspense.32The latter
artificehe considers to have been employed to perfection in
Othello. However,Hume does not include in any of his treatises such
matters as plot,peripety, spectacle, or the discovery; all of which
Aristotle expoundsadequately. Incidentally, the Scottish
philosopher and critic is carefulto indicate his acceptance of the
"five act rule" and other tenets of theSenecan group; but he
protests against excessively bloody and horriblescenes on the
stage, as in Rowes The Ambitious Stepmother.33 J. FREDERICKDOERING
Anderson College and TheologicalSeminary 27Lane Cooper,An
Aristotelian Theory Comedy of (New York, 1922), p. 174. 28See
Aristotle,op. cit., cap. 1448. 29Compare A with the attitude of
Piccolomini; J. E. Spingarn, Historyof Literary seeCriticism
theRenaissance in (New York, 1908), p. 12. 80 Hume, Essays,n,
21-22. 81 Cf. Kames,Elements Criticism, 68 ff. of p. 3 Hume,
Essays, I, 262. 83David Hume, Essays and Treatises Several on
(London,1772),I, 233. Subjects