In this, the fullest, sustained interpretation of available in English, Stephen Halliwell demonstrates that the , despite its laconic brevity, is a coherent statement of a challenging theory of poetic art, and it hints towards a theory of mimetic art in general. Assessing this theory against the background of earlier Greek views on poetry and art, particularly Plato's, Halliwell goes further than any previous author in setting Aristotle's ideas in the wider context of his philosophical system. The core of the book is a fresh appraisal of Aristotle's view of tragic drama, in which Halliwell contends that at the heart of the lies a philosophical urge to instill a secularized understanding of Greek tragedy. "Essential reading not only for all serious students of the . . . but also for those--the great majority--who have prudently fought shy of it altogether."--B. R. Rees, "A splendid work of scholarship and analysis . . . a brilliant interpretation."--Alexander Nehamas,