Ideas on Literary Criticism of the Greeks

Abstract

Criteria for evaluating literature has been of controversy throughout the years even since it was first established and became a popular necessity. The numerous ideas pertaining to evaluation has been subject to change before the actual ideas took their form as ‘criteria’. The ‘criteria’ mainly depended on the changing values of the social context they were exercising. On the other hand, literature had been considerably established before its reception and appreciation. Then came to be the relationship between the creative artist and the recipient being guided by a third party. It is then literature ceased to be just ‘good’ or ‘bad’ mostly depending on its appeal. Greek literary theory has served as a foundation on which Western literary criticism had been built. The impact had been such it reverberates in the East of the modern day as well. Often people hark back to the critics of the distant past; quoting them even to the point of miss interpreting them. Refuting also weighs equally to appreciating as well as approving as it signifies its impact on thought. The reason to compile this volume in simple English with quotations to substantiate facts and arguments is to encourage readers to read further on the subject.