ABSTRACT
Tragedy is the imitation of an action; and an action implies personal agents who necessarily possess certain distinctive qualities both of character and thought. Every Tragedy, therefore, must have six parts, which parts determine its quality— namely, Plot, Characters, Diction, Thought, Spectacle, Melody. Most important of all is the structure of the incidents. Tragedy is an imitation, not of men, but of action and of life, and life consists in action, and its end is a mode of action, not a quality. The Plot, is the first principle and, as it were, the soul of a tragedy; Character holds the second place. A similar fact is seen in painting. The most beautiful colours, laid on confusedly, will not give as much pleasure as the chalk outline of a portrait. The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic and connected least with the art of poetry.
