Aristotle says, "Tragedy is the imitation of an action; and an action implies personal agents, who necessarily possess certain distinctive qualities; for it is by these that we qualify actions themselves, and these, courage and foresight, are the two natural causes from which actions spring, and on actions again all success or failure depends."

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Aristotle does indeed discuss tragedy as an imitation of an action in his work "Poetics," but the specific quote provided does not accurately represent his views. Aristotle focuses on the importance of plot, character, and other elements in tragedy, rather than attributing actions primarily to courage and foresight as the quote suggests.

Aristotle Says, "Tragedy Is the Imitation of an Action; and an Action