Aristotle on Tragedy
The Nature of Tragedy:

•	In the century after Sophocles, the philosopher Aristotle analyzed tragedy. 
•	His definition: Tragedy 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; pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of emotions.

•	Aristotle identified six basic elements: (1) plot; (2) character; (3) diction (the choice of style, imagery, etc.); (4) thought (the character's thoughts and the author's meaning); (5) spectacle (all the visual effects; Aristotle considered this to be the least important element); (6) song.

•	According to Aristotle, the central character of a tragedy must not be so virtuous that instead of feeling pity or fear at his or her downfall, we are simply outraged. The character should be famous or prosperous, like Oedipus or Medea. 
•	The character cannot be so evil that we desire his misfortune. 
•	Instead, best is someone"who is neither outstanding in virtue and righteousness; nor is it through badness or villainy of his own that he falls into misfortune, but rather through some flaw [hamartia]". 

•	What Aristotle meant by hamartia cannot be established. (1) A hamartia may be simply an intellectual mistake or an error in judgement. For example when a character has the facts wrong or doesn't know when to stop trying to get dangerous information. (2) Hamartia may be a moral weakness, especially hubris, as when a character is moral in every way except for being prideful enough to insult a god. 

•	The word tragedy can be applied to a genre of literature.
•	It can mean 'any serious and dignified drama that describes a conflict between the hero (protagonist) and a superior force (destiny, chance, society, god) and reaches a sorrowful conclusion that arouses pity or fear in the audience.'

•	From this genre comes the concept of tragedy, a concept which is based on the possibility that a person may be destroyed precisely because of attempting to be good and is much better than most people, but not perfect.
•	(Irony is essential and it is not surprising that dramatic irony, which can so neatly emphasize irony, is common in tragedies.) 

•	Tragedy implies a conflict between human goodness and reality. 
•	If in the end each person gets what he or she deserves, tragedy is impossible. 
•	Tragedy assumes that this universe is rotten or askew.

•	Tragic literature is not intended to make people sad. It may arouse pity and fear for the suffering protagonist, or for all humanity, especially ourselves. But usually it also is intended to inspire admiration for the central character, and by analogy for all mankind. 
•	In the tragic hero's fall there is the glory in his or her misfortune; there is the joy which only virtue can supply. 

•	Aristotle's Poetics: Basic Concepts
•	a. Tragedies should not be episodic. That is, the episodes in the plot must have a clearly probable or inevitable connection with each other. This connection is best when it is believable but unexpected.

•	b. Complex plots are better than simple plots. Complex plots have recognitions and reversals. A recognition is a change from ignorance to knowledge.
•	 'Recognition' (anagnorisis) is any self-knowledge the hero gains as well as to insight to the whole nature or condition of mankind, provided that that knowledge is associated with the hero's 'reversal of fortune' (Greek: peripeteia). A reversal is a change of a situation to its opposite. Recognitions are also supposed to be clearly connected with all the rest of the action of the plot.

•	c. Suffering (some fatal or painful action) is also to be included in a tragic plot which, preferably, should end unhappily.
•	d. The pity and fear which a tragedy evokes, should come from the events, the action, not from the mere sight of something on stage.
•	e. Catharsis ('purification' or 'purgation') of pity and fear was a part of Aristotle's definition of tragedy. The meaning of this phrase is debatable. 

•	1) Purification of the audience's feelings of pity and fear so that in real life we understand better whether we should feel them.
•	2) Purgation of our pity and fear so that we can face life with less of these emotions or more control over them.
•	3) Purification of the events of the plot, so that the central character's errors or transgressions become 'cleansed' by his or her recognitions and suffering.

•	Consider Oedipus at the beginning and end of Oedipus the King. Also consider in that play how a man comes to free Oedipus of his fear about his mother, but actually does the opposite.