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Aristotle’s Concept of Tragedy
Introduction
“Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain
magnitude; in 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 of these emotions
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The Formative Elements of Tragedy
According to Aristotle, tragedy has six formative elements: plot, character, diction, thought,
spectacle (scenic effect), and song (music), of which the first two are primary
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Plot: Aristotle defines plot as the soul of tragedy and emphasizes much on its unity
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He treats it as a unified artistic
whole directed toward the intended effect, that is, the pleasure of pity and fear and
catharsis of such human emotions
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There are two types of plots: simple and complex
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Complex plot
involve changes arising out of Peripety and Anagnorisis
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The hamartia or a severe tragic flaw
of the protagonist leads to the complication and a sudden revelation, or anagnorisis,
of this flaw intensifies the complication and it, in turn, anticipates the tragic end of the
character, or catastrophe after a sudden reversal in the fortune of the character, that is,
peripeteia
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2
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Aristotle says that goodness should be the quality of the character of
the tragedy
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He must behave according to the designation assigned to him
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He must be true to life in
order to depict action in the tragic play
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The characters must be
consistent in their dealings a person should behave particularly according to the role
assigned to him during the course of the tragic play
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Thought: It is a way of saying what is appropriate to a given circumstance or
situation
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Thought is the power of saying and expressing something in the tragic play
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Diction: Diction is the use of language in the tragic play
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It
includes technical devices such as metaphor, rare words, etc
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The langue used in the tragedy must be clear and must represent the thought, feelings,
and sentiments of the characters
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Embellishments/Song: Aristotle means verse and song by the term „embellishments‟
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Chorus speaks in song; it includes analysis of major events

of past, present, and what will occur in the future that intensify the dramatic effects
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6
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It has more to do with stage effects
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This is the sole work of a stage machinist or
manager to set the scene as described by the dramatist
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Catharsis
In criticism, catharsis is a metaphor used by Aristotle in Poetics to describe the effects of true
tragedy on the spectator
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The use is derived from the medical term katharsis (Greek:
“purgation” or “purification”)
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Limitations
Aristotle was only writing about Greek tragedy
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He does not give enough importance to the outside forces that interact with human
forces in a play
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Conclusion
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The main features of Aristotle‟s conception cannot be ignored easily
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His conception is based on Greek tragedy alone
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