Poetic and Legal Fiction in the Aristotelian Tradition

When Philip Sidney defends poetry by defending the methods used by poets and lawyers alike, he relies on the traditional association between fiction and legal procedure--an association that begins with Aristotle. In this study Kathy Eden offers a new understanding of this tradition, from its origins in Aristotle's Poetics and De Anima, through its development in the psychological and rhetorical theory of late antiquity and the Middle Ages, to its culmination in the literary theory of the Renaissance. Originally published in 1986. The **Princeton Legacy Library** uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905. Contents Acknowledgments Introduction One. Legal Proof and Tragic Recognition: The Aristotelian Grounds of Discovery Two. Poetry and Equity: Aristotle's Defense of Fiction Three. Rhetoric and Psychology: The Aristotelian Foundations of the Poetic Image Four. Image and Imitation: Aristotle's Contribution to a Christian Literary Theory Appendix. Hamlet and the Reaches of Aristotelian Tragedy Index