Aristotle's The Poetics

In Aristotle's The Poetics, tragedy is stated as being "an imitation not only of a complete action but, also of incidents arousing pity and fear (137)." As Agamemnon, one of the works of Aeschylus, begins, pity is immediately brought into play. Although the audience does not see it, Agamemnon makes a difficult decision. He is a great leader and must make a sacrifice to please the Gods in order for them to produce the wind he …

…says that tragedy invokes fear and pity in the reader (137). From the examples given in this paper, it is proven that tragedy does arouse fear and pity in the reader. Works Cited Aeschylus. Agamemnon. Trans. Richmond Lattimore. Greek Tragedies, Vol. 1. Ed. David Grene and Richmond Lattimore. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1969. 1-60. Aristotle. "From the Poetics." Trans. Ingram Bywater. Tragedy: Plays, Theory and Criticism. Ed. Richard Levin. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., 1960. 131-144.