When watching this action-filled film about a chubby warrior panda in his quest for dumplings and fulfilling his dream of becoming the 'Dragon Warrior', your first thought may not be about Aristotle. In fact, some of you may be asking, who even is Aristotle?
This man on the left is Aristotle. Born on the 19th June 384 BC, and as one of the most famous philosophers of both Classical Greece and the modern-day, he is the furthest thing from an animated panda you could imagine. However, Aristotle is extremely well known for his poetics, the earliest surviving work of dramatic theory, which has amazed many by its relevance even today. When analysing the influence of Aristotle's poetics, it seems logical to start with the basic plot. Aristotle himself states that 'Of all plots and actions, the episodic are the worst.' (the ones in which the acts succeed one another without probable or necessary sequence). Here, Kung Fu Panda follows this idea by having a neatly ordered chronological plot, with a distinct beginning, middle, and end. The start of the film, introduced by a modern-twist on a prologue manages to preserve the aim of an ancient Greek 'prologos' (an explanatory first act), with Po creating a fictitious version of himself becoming the Dragon warrior amongst the Famous Five, a revelation of both his passions, inspirations, and the plot or conquest the film will undertake. Despite the fact that in Ancient Greece, a successful play was expected to be of one particular genre, nowadays a modern audience would expect nothing less than a rollercoaster of emotions, which combines elements of both comedy and tragedy; this perhaps is due to the evolution of drama since it is not appealing now for a widerspread (including children) to experience katharsis, especially of fear and pity but rather the combination of these darker emotions with laughter and joy allow for a more well balanced, pleasing experience. Aristotle, in accordance with our point, reveals that:
'In the second rank comes the kind of tragedy which some place first. It is accounted the best because of the weakness of the spectators; for the poet is guided in what he writes by the wishes of his audience. The pleasure, however, thence derived is not the true tragic pleasure. It is proper rather to Comedy, where those who, in the piece, are the deadliest enemies quit the stage as friends at the close, and no one slays or is slain'.
Theatre has always been a form of escapism, but where a Greek audience would have had to make a bigger leap of imagination with an absence of lights, special effects, and even good vision, we are fortunate enough to be able to watch an incredibly well produced film at any time, anywhere. However a common theme in both the ancient world and modern day is that an audience do not like realistic, normal plays/ entertainment: They prefer something unrealistic, arguably quasi-mythological hence the strong presence of extravagant plots in most areas of theatre and now movies. Many producers or playwrights manage to interweave underlying messages about society or morals however not so obvious in the play, but more subtly. for example in Aristophanes ‘the Clouds’ he creates the character of an annoying, arrogant and stupid philosopher who is constantly asking questions and has no common sense- alluding to Socrates and shaping the public opinion without actually naming Socrates. Ergo, Kung Fu Panda’s talking animals and larger-than-life battles make sense and are more enjoyable to an audience.
There are four kinds of Tragedy as Aristotle states: the Complex, depending entirely on Reversal of the Situation and Recognition; the Pathetic (where the motive is passion)- Kung Fu Panda combines two of these, and although it is not a tragedy, as we have already debated a good movie must have elements of all genres and this includes tragedy. It uses the Complex through anagnorisis and peripeteia as we will explain, but also Pathetic as Po is motivated by his passion of the Furious Five and his idolisation of them. A Complex action is one in which the change is accompanied by such Reversal, or by Recognition, or by both. These last should arise from the internal structure of the plot, so that what follows should be the necessary or probable result of the preceding action. In Kung Fu Panda, the Recognition, for example, can be seen when Po re-opens the scroll and realises there is no secret inside, and that he is the ’Dragon Warrior’. Here, anagnorisis is demonstrated from Aristotle’s poetics, portrayed merely through a scene of this animated film. Furthermore, many other elements that originate from Aristotle are illuminated within, ‘Kung Fu Panda’, such as peripeteia. The change in Po’s fortune as he goes from working with his father in their noodle business, to fighting with the ’Furious Five’ and becoming the most elite warrior amongst them reinforces Aristotle’s ideologies of peripeteia, and typifies the relevance of his work to this day. Another common theme from Greek theatre was oracles and prophecies, seen in countless plays, drawing links to fate (strongly believed in at that time). For example, Tiresias was a commonly known blind prophet in the mythological world, appearing in ’Oedipus Rex’ to reveal the fate of Oedipus and thus the city of Thebes. Similarly, Master Oogway of ‘Kung Fu Panda’ tells the destiny of the village and is an omniscient prophet-like character, constantly unveiling truths within the film.
A perfect tragedy should, as we have seen, be arranged not on the simple but on the complex plan. It should, moreover, imitate actions which excite pity and fear, this being the distinctive mark of tragic imitation. This is how feelings are evoked from the audience throughout the movie.
Po also follows what a good protagonist in a play should be, especially in virtue. Po is neither extremely good nor bad; he is a normal, relatable character with good morals. And so, we can identify with him and when he has a change of fortune because he makes a mistake, the audience is not too upset or angry. As in the structure of the plot, so too in the portraiture of character, the poet should always aim either at the necessary or the probable. Thus a person of a given character should speak or act in a given way, by the rule either of necessity or of probability; just as this event should follow that by necessary or probable sequence. This is evident in how Po is motivated by dumplings as he if fat, fulfilling the probable character of his role.
Aristotle wrote;
‘It follows plainly, in the first place, that the change of fortune presented must not be the spectacle of a virtuous man brought from prosperity to adversity: for this moves neither pity nor fear; it merely shocks us. Nor, again, that of a bad man passing from adversity to prosperity: for nothing can be more alien to the spirit of Tragedy; it possesses no single tragic quality; it neither satisfies the moral sense nor calls forth pity or fear.’
And so, next time you go to put on ‘Kung Fu Panda’ or head out to watch it at the cinema, don’t forget to bring your pocket sized Aristotle’s Poetics. Here, we’ve done the first step for you:
Until next time!
Zoe and Viola