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In the celebrated 'Poetics' Aristotle has provided the famous definition of tragedy. He says - "Tragedy is an imitation of an action which is serious, complete in it self, incorporating various incidence having a certain kind of length or arousing pity and fear and magnitude where which to accomplish the 'Catharsis' of such emotions".
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| Aristotelian tragedy |
In the first place the Aristotelian description of tragedy prescribes the nature of tragedy. Tragedy is a representation or a imitation of an action of a human action. Secondly the action of any tragedy is highly serious this implies that tragedy deals with some highly idealistic and grave matters of human life. In Oedipus Tyrannus, Macbeth, Samson Agonistes, and many other Greek tragedy the action is extremely serious. Thirdly, the action of tragedy as stated by Aristotle should be complete. This implies that tragedy has a beginning, a middle and an end. Fourthly, any tragedy must possess certain limited length or a proper magnitude having unities of time, place and action. Fifthly, Aristotle also provides the chief aim of a tragedy and according to him any tragic performance should produce the emotions of pity and fear on the minds of the spectators. And finally, there is the cathartic effect produced by tragedy which implies the purgation of the sense of pity and fear from the minds of the viewers.