Aristotle outlines the seven parts of ideal Tragedy as he attempts to cut down even literary terms to their essential definitions. He outlines them according to what he considers the most important of them in order from greatest to least.
Plot, he states, is the most important of the elements of tragedy. He says that it must have a beginning, middle, and end for structure, with events leading into each other. It must be whole in action, having complete events, and "of a certain magnitude", meaning that it needs to have length and be universally significant. Also a plot can be simple or complex. Simple plots have a catastrophe, whereas complex plots also have a catastrophe in addition to a transversal.
Characters are the second most important. Characters should be morally good, be true to their type, character, and themselves. They should also necessary or probable as they relate to a logical response and they should possess some idealised traits. When one comes across the tragic hero, pity or fear should be evoked as a mode of pathos. The hero should also possess a tragic flaw (hamartia) that determines the fate of the character.
Third most important is the themes of the play. These should be able to be proved through the actions in the play and acts a thesis in the play.
Fourth is the syntax, vocabulary, and lingual presentation of the play.
Fifth is the song, melody or general musical presentation of the chorus in the play.
Sixth is the spectacle of the play, or the degree to which the play is presented and how it is visually done so.
The last part of the play includes a cleansing (katharsis) of the emotions produced by the tragic hero. In this part of the play, the presentation must relate these emotions back to the intention and message of the play.
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