PRECIS: Plato gets a rebuttal in an "emotional" response by Aristotle

In the work we read by Plato, we were given a view of how Plato felt about art and imitation. Needless to say, Plato didn't place much stock in the representations and imitations found interwoven in art. Aristotle, in his Poetics, delivers a rebuttal to Plato's logical and emotionless world; the Poetics praises tragedies and comedies for the fact that they are imitations. Plays give people a chance to express and interact with their emotions evoked by the story unfolding on stage. Aristotle stresses the importance of plays being imitations because if the plays are representations of the world around us, the audience will find it easier to relate with the play. The audience will become engaged with the imitated lives being played out on the stage, whether it's from a death scene of one of the characters to a good ending for a hero. Representations in plays give people a chance to experiment with their emotions and learn the correct responses when real situations take place. In example, the feelings of anger can be learned and embraced while learning to control the emotions and respond in an appropriate manner. Though Plato's perfection might not be met, Aristotle states that imitation is natural and a part of learning, as long as one understands that it is imitation.