Michelle Ward- Storytelling as Art

In Plato’s Republic and Aristotle’s The Poetics storytelling is expressed as art. Storytelling is creating art because narrative is art. The creation of plot, characters and scene creates imagery for the audience. Storytelling has played a significant role in different cultures. Storytelling has been a form of entertainment, education and a tool for survival. In terms of storytelling as survival, I am referring to the frame story of "One Thousand and One Nights". In this compilation of Middle Eastern tales, Scheherazade is trying to seduce the king with the language and stories that she tells in order to save her life. The king has been killing the women he marries, so in order to save her life, Scheherazade utilizes the literary device of the “cliff hanger” so that he will have to spare her life one more day to hear the end of the story. Storytelling can be a sensual experience shared between individuals. In order to view storytelling as art one must understand the complexity that creates a captivating narrative. Aristotle states that plot structures are key to storytelling and the creation of narratives. Plot structures can employ a simple structure or complex structure. Whether storytelling is in the form of poetry, blank verse, prose or sonnets art is produced.