An Arab scholar, Averroes, studies the works of Aristotle. While reading Poetics, he comes across two unfamiliar words: comedy and tragedy. Efforts to find the meaning of these words are fruitless. The majority of the remainder of the story simply transcribes the religious discussion between Averroes and a couple other Muslims. At the end, Averroes disappears. At the very end of the story, Borges reveals that the entire story was a symbol; a symbol of defeat. He explains that trying to create a story from just a couple minute sources are as silly as a man unfamiliar with the theater trying to discover the meaning of tragedy and comedy. Borges also explains that Averroes himself was a symbol of Borges as he wrote this story. Therefore, in order for the story to exist, the character must exist; in order for the character to exist, the story must exist, ad infinitum. Of course, when Borges stops believing in Averroes, he simply disappears.
Other Stories With Theme of Meaningful Dreams
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(Summary)
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The Library Of Babel (Full Text)
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The Theologians (Summary)
Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius (Summary)
Criticism With Reference to this Story
Mary Kinzic
Recursive Prose