Crites begins defending the ancient Greek and Roman poets and dramatists by observing at the very outset that “it is our greatest praise to have imitated them well; for we do not only build upon their foundations, but by their models.” He goes on to say that “all the rules by which we practice the drama of this day were delivered to us from the observations which Aristotle made of those poets who either lived before him, or were his contemporaries.
Horace’s Ars Poetica is an excellent comment on the art of poetry which our poets follow and feel honoured. Aristotle also laid down the principles of the three dramatic unities—the Unities of Time, Place and Action. By the Unity of Time he meant that the action of a play should not exceed “the compass of a natural day.” If the action is limited within this compass, “it would be thought the nearest imitation of nature.” By the Unity of Place he meant that the scene ought to be continued in the same place from the beginning to the end for the stage is “but one and the same place.” It is unnatural to shift the action from one place to another, especially to distant places. This will give the greatest likelihood to untruth. By the unity of action he meant that there should be only one action, great and complete enough, to cover the whole plot. Two or more actions should not go side by side in the play. In this respect “both the best and the worst of the modern poets will equally instruct you to admire the ancients.”
