Aristotle's Theory of Tragic Plot Structure

Evoking Emotions in a Tragedy

• A plot should have a reversal of fortune (from good to bad) to evoke strong emotions in the reader.
• A simple plot is one that does not involve Reversal of the Situation or Recognition.

Essential Elements of a Tragic Plot

• Gravity is essential for achieving a tragic plot, and it can be achieved through the use of powerful and dignified language.
• In a tragic plot, actions should include those that are painful, destructive, or violent, and are often accompanied by physical violence or death.

The Role of the Poet

• The primary duty of a poet is to create feelings of fear and pity in the audience.

Plot Structures

• A complex plot involves Reversal of the Situation and Recognition.
• Simple plots do not involve these elements.

Evoking Fear and Pity

• Feelings of fear and pity arise in the audience when they are able to relate to the characters and their situations.
• The key to creating these feelings is to make the characters' situations believable and to create a sense of identification between the audience and the characters.

Handling Tragic Situations

• Tragic situations should be handled skillfully by making the characters' actions and the consequences of those actions believable and consistent.
• An example of handling a tragic situation skillfully is when the characters' actions are motivated by their own flaws or errors.

Believable Actions

• For actions in a tragedy to be believable, they must be consistent with the characters' personalities and motivations.

Plot Terms

• The term "peripeteia" is used to describe when the plot flips around to the opposite of its initial trajectory.
• The "pathos" part of the plot portrays destruction or pain, such as physical violence or death.
• The combination of reversal and recognition usually inspires a sense of sorrow or regret in the audience.

Avoiding Emotional Manipulation

• A tragedy should avoid evoking emotion in the audience through artificial or manipulative means, such as by using sentimentality or melodrama.

Character Development

• In a true tragedy, the character who experiences a shift from good to bad fortune should be a virtuous and noble person who suffers a downfall due to their own flaws or errors.

Comedy and Tragedy

• Chapter 4 defines "reversal of situation" and "recognition" in the context of comedy.