Aristotles Idealistic Analysis of Tragic Plays - Essay Example

Based on Aristotle’s idealistic analysis of tragic plays, the plot should be single with complications and not double, with opposing endings like in comedies where it is good and bad.
The plot represents the core of the play and it can be split into three elements.

The second principal part of the plot according to Aristotle is the recognition also known as the anagnorisis. It is at this point of the play that a character learns about certain facts, which prompt him to hate or love another character. For instance, Oedipus unknowingly kills the king of Thebes only to learn later that he is his real father.  The third element of a tragic play is the final suffering or pathos. This is a destructive act that leaves the hero of the tragedy in pain. In Oedipus Rex, the protagonist removes his eyes; a rather painful process.  There are other elements of the plot like the two stages, that is, the unraveling and the complication. The latter encompasses every aspect of the play up to the point where the main character encounters positive or negative fortune. In contrast, the unraveling takes place from the turning point to the play’s conclusion.