What did Thomas Rymer mean by 'poetic justice'?

1. A. The distribution of earthly rewards and punishments in proportion to virtue or vice
2. B. That a literary work should be governed by decorum and morality
3. C. That a literary work should reflect the random outcomes of everyday life
4. D. The metaphysical nature of poetic experience
5. E. Justifying poetry as part of the ideal republic

1. AA and B only
2. BB and C only
3. CC and D only
4. DD and E only

Pick an option to check yourself, or open the answer below.

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Correct answer: A. A and B only

Explanation

Rymer coined the phrase in The Tragedies of the Last Age (1678). It demands that drama reward virtue and punish vice according to decorum, which is why he condemned Othello in A Short View of Tragedy (1693).