UNIT 1: What is criticism?
What is literary criticism?
Qualifications of a good critic
UNIT 2: The Poetics : its detailed reading with critical analysis
Aristotle’s contribution as a critic
Plot-character relation
The essentials of a good tragic plot
Characteristics of a tragic hero
UNIT 3: Theory of imitation
Theory of catharsis
Difference between Tragedy and Epic
UNIT 4: An Apology for Poetry : its detailed reading with critical analysis
Sidney as a Renaissance critic
Sidney’s arguments in defence of poetry
Philosophy, History and Poetry: difference among them
Four objections to poetry
UNIT 5: Sidney’s criticism of Elizabethan tragedy and comedy
Review of English poetry from Chaucer to his time
UNIT 6: Preface to Shakespeare: its detailed reading with critical analysis
Doctor Johnson as a critic
Merits and demerits of Shakespeare
Dr. Johnson’s arguments in defence of Shakespeare’s violation of three unities
UNIT 7: An Essay on Dramatic Poesy : its detailed reading with critical analysis
Literary criticism in the age of Dryden
Chief characteristics of Dryden as a critic
UNIT 8: The Essay on Dramatic Poesy: An Introduction
Eugenious, Crites, Lisideius and Neandre’s arguments in defence of dramatic art