Aristotle notes there are six parts to Tragedy, excluding nothing in its essence, they determine the quality of the art. In order of importance, Aristotle denotes the following:
First and foremost is the Spectacle, how the audience perceives the overall visual presentation of the Tragedy through stage and actors. Second is the Characters, the people who make up the actions in the story. Thirdly is the Plot, which is the chronology and events in the Tragedy. Fourth is the Diction, the syntax, composition and word choice of the poet, sets the tone of the Tragedy through language. Fifthly lies Song, which may be described as the embellishments and flourishes of the Tragedy. And finally sixth is the Thought of the poem, which is the intellectual and philosophical depth within the Tragedy. Combined, these aspects of Tragedy reflect a very similar approach to theatre even today.
How helpful do you find Aristotle's 6 parts of Tragedy? Do you think The Oresteia meets this criteria? Is there anything that is missing?
ReplyDeleteFrom a contemporary perspective, do you think this framework is relevant to movie scripts? What elements might you add to describe a successful intense screen drama?