The Philosophy of Fine Art, volume 4 (of 4): Hegel's Aesthetik
Georg Hegel · en
view, however, that which in the first instance had merely the force of
an assistant and accompaniment, becomes an object on its own account,
and receives the appearance in its own domain of an essentially
independent beauty. Declamation passes into song, action into the mimic
of the dance, and scenery in its splendour and pictorial fascination
itself puts forward a claim to artistic perfection.
In contrasting, then, a contrast frequently insisted upon, and more
particularly in recent times, poetry in its simplicity with the
external dramatic execution such as we have above described, we
may continue the course of our review under the following heads of
discussion.
_First,_ there is the dramatic poetry, whose object is to restrict
itself to the ordinary ground of poetry, and consequently does not
contemplate the theatrical representation of its productions.
_Secondly_, we have the genuine art of the theatre, to the extent that
is in which it is limited to recitation, play of pose and action, under
the modes in which the language of the poet is able throughout to
remain the definitive and decisive factor.
_Lastly_, there is that type of reproduction, which admits the
employment of every means of scenery, music and dance, and suffers the
same to assert an independent position as against the dramatic language.
(_a_) _The Reading and Recitation of Dramatical Compositions._
The true sensuous medium or instrument of dramatic poetry is, as we
have seen, not only the human voice and the spoken word, but the entire
man, who not merely expresses emotions, ideas, and thoughts, but, as
vitally absorbed in a concrete action, in virtue of all that he is
influences the ideas, designs, the action and behaviour of others,
experiences similar effects on himself, or maintains his independent
opposition to them.