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Intellectual Background:
Each element within this hierarchical order had its proper place,
function, and purpose.
Aristotle asserts that all the various modes of poetry and music are
imitations.
language,
represented
melody),
(human
in
beings),
the
and
kinds
in
the
of
objects
manner
of
For Aristotle, all arts imitate men involved in action (Poetics, II).
Art imitates human action; but human action must have as its
ultimate purpose the Supreme Good.
out.
V.
For Aristotle, plot is the first principle and the soul of tragedy
The story (praxis) of a man begins with his birth and ends with his
death and includes all the various incidents that occur in between.
the scenes in a story (praxis) follows each other post hoc (Latin for
after this) while in the plot (mythos), follow propter hoc (Latin
for because of this)
Aristotle points out that one cannot have a tragedy without action,
but a tragedy without character is quite possible
VIII.
5. Aristotle also advises that the hero be taken from one of the
great tragic houses of ancient Greece (i.e., he should not be a
commoner).
4. Both within the framework of the play and throughout his offstage life, Oedipus is supremely, and consistently, the solver
of riddles.
This good hero should yet possess a flaw (in Greek, hamartia).
The best tragedies show a good man who, on account of this error,
moves from good to bad fortune; such a movement elicits the
proper pity and fear.
disgust.
5. Pity
us toward the hero; fear drives us away.
draws