verse。
  As；　in　the　serious　style；　Homer　is　pre…eminent　among　poets；　for　he
  alone　combined　dramatic　form　with　excellence　of　imitation　so　he　too
  first　laid　down　the　main　lines　of　comedy；　by　dramatizing　the　ludicrous
  instead　of　writing　personal　satire。　His　Margites　bears　the　same
  relation　to　comedy　that　the　Iliad　and　Odyssey　do　to　tragedy。　But
  when　Tragedy　and　Comedy　came　to　light；　the　two　classes　of　poets
  still　followed　their　natural　bent：　the　lampooners　became　writers　of
  Comedy；　and　the　Epic　poets　were　succeeded　by　Tragedians；　since　the
  drama　was　a　larger　and　higher　form　of　art。
  Whether　Tragedy　has　as　yet　perfected　its　proper　types　or　not；　and
  whether　it　is　to　be　judged　in　itself；　or　in　relation　also　to　the
  audience…　this　raises　another　question。　Be　that　as　it　may；　Tragedy…　as
  also　Comedy…　was　at　first　mere　improvisation。　The　one　originated
  with　the　authors　of　the　Dithyramb；　the　other　with　those　of　the　phallic
  songs；　which　are　still　in　use　in　many　of　our　cities。　Tragedy
  advanced　by　slow　degrees；　each　new　element　that　showed　itself　was　in
  turn　developed。　Having　passed　through　many　changes；　it　found　its
  natural　form；　and　there　it　stopped。
  Aeschylus　first　introduced　a　second　actor；　he　diminished　the
  importance　of　the　Chorus；　and　assigned　the　leading　part　to　the
  dialogue。　　Sophocles　raised　the　number　of　actors　to　three；　and　added
  scene…painting。　Moreover；　it　was　not　till　late　that　the　short　plot　was
  discarded　for　one　of　greater　compass；　and　the　grotesque　diction　of　the
  earlier　satyric　form　for　the　stately　manner　of　Tragedy。　The　iambic
  measure　then　replaced　the　trochaic　tetrameter；　which　was　originally
  employed　when　the　poetry　was　of　the　satyric　order；　and　had　greater
  with　dancing。　Once　dialogue　had　come　in；　Nature　herself　discovered　the
  appropriate　measure。　For　the　iambic　is；　of　all　measures；　the　most
  colloquial　we　see　it　in　the　fact　that　conversational　speech　runs
  into　iambic　lines　more　frequently　than　into　any　other　kind　of　verse；
  rarely　into　hexameters；　and　only　when　we　drop　the　colloquial
  intonation。　The　additions　to　the　number　of　'episodes'　or　acts；　and　the
  other　accessories　of　which　tradition　tells；　must　be　taken　as　already
  described；　for　to　discuss　them　in　detail　would；　doubtless；　be　a
  large　undertaking。
  POETICS｜5
  V
  Comedy　is；　as　we　have　said；　an　imitation　of　characters　of　a　lower
  type…　not；　however；　in　the　full　sense　of　the　word　bad；　the　ludicrous
  being　merely　a　subdivision　of　the　ugly。　It　consists　in　some　defect
  or　ugliness　which　is　not　painful　or　destructive。　To　take　an　obvious
  example；　the　comic　mask　is　ugly　and　distorted；　but　does　not　imply
  pain。
  The　successive　changes　through　which　Tragedy　passed；　and　the　authors
  of　these　changes；　are　well　known；　whereas　Comedy　has　had　no　history；
  because　it　was　not　at　first　treated　seriously。　It　was　late　before
  the　Archon　granted　a　comic　chorus　to　a　poet；　the　performers　were
  till　then　voluntary。　Comedy　had　already　taken　definite　shape　when
  comic　poets；　distinctively　so　called；　are　heard　of。　Who　furnished　it
  with　masks；　or　prologues；　or　increased　the　number　of　actors…　these　and
  other　similar　details　remain　unknown。　As　for　the　plot；　it　came
  originally　from　Sicily；　but　of　Athenian　writers　Crates　was　the　first
  who　abandoning　the　'iambic'　or　lampooning　form；　generalized　his　themes
  and　plots。
  Epic　poetry　agrees　with　Tragedy　in　so　far　as　it　is　an　imitation　in
  verse　of　characters　of　a　higher　type。　They　differ　in　that　Epic
  poetry　admits　but　one　kind　of　meter　and　is　narrative　in　form。　They
  differ；　again；　in　their　length：　for　Tragedy　endeavors；　as　far　as
  possible；　to　confine　itself　to　a　single　revolution　of　the　sun；　or
  but　slightly　to　exceed　this　limit；　whereas　the　Epic　action　has　no
  limits　of　time。　This；　then；　is　a　second　point　of　difference；　though　at
  first　the　same　freedom　was　admitted　in　Tragedy　as　in　Epic　poetry。
  Of　their　constituent　parts　some　are　common　to　both；　some　peculiar　to
  Tragedy：　whoever；　therefore　knows　what　is　good　or　bad　Tragedy；　knows
  also　about　Epic　poetry。　All　the　elements　of　an　Epic　poem　are　found
  in　Tragedy；　but　the　elements　of　a　Tragedy　are　not　all　found　in　the
  Epic　poem。
  POETICS｜6
  VI
  Of　the　poetry　which　imitates　in　hexameter　verse；　and　of　Comedy；　we
  will　speak　hereafter。　Let　us　now　discuss　Tragedy；　resuming　its
  formal　definition；　as　resulting　from　what　has　been　already　said。
  Tragedy；　then；　is　an　imitation　of　an　action　that　is　serious；
  complete；　and　of　a　certain　magnitude；　in　language　embellished　with
  each　kind　of　artistic　ornament；　the　several　kinds　being　found　in
  separate　parts　of　the　play；　in　the　form　of　action；　not　of　narrative；
  through　pity　and　fear　effecting　the　proper　purgation　of　these
  emotions。　By　'language　embellished；'　I　mean　language　into　which
  rhythm；　'harmony'　and　song　enter。　By　'the　several　kinds　in　separate
  parts；'　I　mean；　that　some　parts　are　rendered　through　the　medium　of
  verse　alone；　others　again　with　the　aid　of　song。
  Now　as　tragic　imitation　implies　persons　acting；　it　necessarily
  follows　in　the　first　place；　that　Spectacular　equipment　will　be　a
  part　of　Tragedy。　Next；　Song　and　Diction；　for　these　are　the　media　of
  imitation。　By　'Diction'　I　mean　the　mere　metrical　arrangement　of　the
  words：　as　for　'Song；'　it　is　a　term　whose　sense　every　one　understands。
  Again；　Tragedy　is　the　imitation　of　an　action；　and　an　action
  implies　personal　agents；　who　necessarily　possess　certain　distinctive
  qualities　both　of　character　and　thought；　for　it　is　by　these　that　we
  qualify　actions　themselves；　and　these…　thought　and　character…　are
  the　two　natural　causes　from　which　actions　spring；　and　on　actions　again
  all　success　or　failure　depends。　Hence；　the　Plot　is　the　imitation　of
  the　action…　for　by　plot　I　here　mean　the　arrangement　of　the
  incidents。　By　Character　I　mean　that　in　virtue　of　which　we　ascribe
  certain　qualities　to　the　agents。　Thought　is　required　wherever　a
  statement　is　proved；　or；　it　may　be；　a　general　truth　enunciated。
  Every　Tragedy；　therefore；　must　have　six　parts；　which　parts　determine
  its　quality…　namely；　Plot；　Character；　Diction；　Thought；　Spectacle；
  Song。　Two　of　the　parts　constitute　the　medium　of　imitation；　one　the
  manner；　and　three　the　objects　of　imitation。　And　these　complete　the
  fist。　These　elements　have　been　employed；　we　may　say；　by　the　poets　to　a
  man；　in　fact；　every　play　contains　Spectacular　elements　as　well　as
  Character；　Plot；　Diction；　Song；　and　Thought。
  But　most　important　of　all　is　the　structure　of　the　incidents。　For
  Tragedy　is　an　imitation；　not　of　men；　but　of　an　action　and　of　life；　and
  life　consists　in　action；　and　its　end　is　a　mode　of　action；　not　a
  quality。　Now　character　determines　men's　qualities；　but　it　is　by
  their　actions　that　they　are　happy　or　the　reverse。　Dramatic　action；
  therefore；　is　not　with　a　view　to　the　representation　of　character：
  character　comes　in　as　subsidiary　to　the　actions。　Hence　the　incidents
  and　the　plot　are　the　end　of　a　tragedy；　and　the　end　is　the　chief
  thing　of　all。　Again；　without　action　there　cannot　be　a　tragedy；　there
  may　be　without　character。　The　tragedies　of　most　of　our　modern　poets
  fail　in　the　rendering　of　character；　and　of　poets　in　general　this　is
  often　true。　It　is　the　same　in　painting；　and　here　lies　the　difference
  between　Zeuxis　and　Polygnotus。　Polygnotus　delineates　character　well；
  the　style　of　Zeuxis　is　devoid　of　ethical　quality。　Again；　if　you　string
  together　a　set　of　speeches　expressive　of　character；　and　well
  finished　in　point　of　diction　and　thought；　you　will　not　produce　the
  essential　tragic　effect　nearly　so　well　as　with　a　play　which；　however
  deficient　in　these　respects；　yet　has　a　plot　and　artistically
  constructed　incidents。　Besides　which；　the　most　powerful　elements　of
  emotional　interest　in　Tragedy…　Peripeteia　or　Reversal　of　the
  Situation；　and　Recognition　scenes…　are　parts　of　the　plot。　A　further
  proof　is；　that　novices　in　the　art　attain　to　finish　of　diction　and
  precision　of　portraiture　before　they　can　construct　the　plot。　It　is　the
  same　with　almost　all　the　early　poets。
  The　plot；　then；　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　colors；　laid　on　confusedly；　will　not　give
  as　much　pleasure　as　the　chalk　outline　of　a　portrait。　Thus　Tragedy　is
  the　imitation　of　an　action；　and　of　the　agents　mainly　with　a　view　to
  the　action。
  Third　in　order　is　Thought…　that　is；　the　faculty　of　saying　what　is
  possible　and　pertinent　in　given　circumstances。　In　the　case　of　oratory；
  this　is　the　function　of　the　political　art　and　of　the　art　of
  rhetoric：　and　so　indeed　the　older　poets　make　their　characters　speak
  the　language　of　civic　life；　the　poets　of　our　time；　the　lan