Locate the classical theory within the history of criticism.

Here is the solution to Question Two:

QUESTION TWO

2. Locate the classical theory within the history of criticism. (20 Marks)

Classical literary theory represents the foundational period of systematic literary criticism, emerging from ancient Greece (4th century BCE) and extending through ancient Rome. This era marks the beginning of formal inquiry into the nature, purpose, and effect of literature. Key figures like Plato, Aristotle, Horace, and Longinus established the initial frameworks for analyzing literary works. Plato questioned art's moral utility and its mimetic (imitative) nature, while Aristotle, in his Poetics, provided a detailed analysis of tragedy, introducing concepts such as catharsis and the dramatic unities. Roman critics like Horace emphasized decorum and the dual purpose of art to "delight and instruct," and Longinus explored the concept of the sublime. This era's ideas on mimesis, rhetoric, and the ethical function of art profoundly shaped subsequent critical traditions, serving as the bedrock for later movements like the Renaissance and Neoclassicism.