ARISTOTLE’S DEFINITION OF TRAGEDY: “Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in the language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not of narrative; through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation-catharsis of these and similar emotions.” (Poetics, P.10)
EXPLANATION OF ARISTOTLE’S DEFINITION OF TRAGEDY: The definition is compact. Every word of it is pregnant with meaning. Each word of the above definition can be elaborated into a separate essay.
All art is a representation (imitation) of life, but none can represent life in its totality. Therefore, an artist has to be selective in representation. He must aim at representing or imitating an aspect of life or a fragment of life.
Action comprises all human activities including deeds, thoughts, and feelings. Therefore, we find soliloquies, choruses, etc. in tragedy. The writer of ‘tragedy’ seeks to imitate the serious side of life just as a writer of ‘comedy’ seeks to imitate only the shallow and superficial side. The tragic section presented on the stage in a drama should be complete or self-contained with a proper beginning, proper middle, and proper end.
SIX PARTS OF AN ARISTOTLIAN TRAGEDY: After discussing the definition of tragedy, Aristotle explores various important parts of tragedy. He asserts that any tragedy can be divided into six constituent parts. They are Plot, Character, Thought, Diction, Song, and Spectacle.
The Plot is the most important part of a tragedy. The plot means ‘the arrangement of the incidents’. Normally the plot is divided into five acts, and each Act is further divided into several scenes. The dramatist’s main skill lies in dividing the plot into Acts and Scenes in such a way that they may produce the maximum scenic effect in a natural development.
Characters are men and women who act. The hero and the heroine are two important figures among the characters.
Thought means what the characters think or feel during their career in the development of the plot. The thought is expressed through their speeches and dialogues.
QUESTION: According to Aristotle, what are the 6 parts of a tragedy? List and define the 6 parts in your own words.
Sample Solution
