mimesis
Sign in to saveMimesis (; , mīmēsis) is a term used in literary criticism and philosophy that carries a wide range of meanings, including imitatio, imitation, similarity, receptivity, representation, mimicry, the act of expression, the act of resembling, and the presentation of the self.
Article
22 sectionsContents
- Classical definitions
- Plato
- Aristotle
- Contrast to diegesis
- Dionysian ''imitatio''
- Modern usage
- In art
- In postcolonial theory
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge
- Erich Auerbach
- Walter Benjamin
- Luce Irigaray
- Michael Taussig
- René Girard
- Roberto Calasso
- Nidesh Lawtoo
- See also
- References
- Classical sources
- Citations
- Bibliography
- External links
Mimesis (; , mīmēsis) is a term used in literary criticism and philosophy that carries a wide range of meanings, including imitatio, imitation, similarity, receptivity, representation, mimicry, the act of expression, the act of resembling, and the presentation of the self.
The original Ancient Greek term mīmēsis () derives from mīmeisthai (, 'to imitate'), itself coming from mimos (μῖμος, 'imitator, actor'). In ancient Greece, mīmēsis was an idea that governed the creation of works of art, in particular, with correspondence to the physical world understood as a model for beauty, truth, and the good. Plato contrasted mimesis, or imitation, with diegesis, or narrative. After Plato, the meaning of mimesis eventually shifted toward a specifically literary function in ancient Greek society.