Poetics

by

Aristotle

Aeschylus Character Analysis

Aeschylus was an Ancient Greek playwright of tragedy who lived in the sixth and fifth centuries B.C.E. Aristotle briefly mentions Aeschylus and his Oresteia plays to make specific points and arguments in Poetics. Aeschylus is generally known for increasing the number of actors in a production from one to two. Prior to Aeschylus, only a single actor interacted with the chorus during plays.
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Aeschylus Character Timeline in Poetics

The timeline below shows where the character Aeschylus appears in Poetics. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3. The Anthropology and History of Poetry
Tragedy vs. Epic Poetry  Theme Icon
Component Parts and Balance  Theme Icon
...specifically from dithyrambic poetry. From there, tragedy was enhanced and transformed into its “natural state.” Aeschylus increased the number of actors to two, and Sophocles added a third actor and introduced... (full context)