id adherence to the traditional stories
on which tragedies are based. It would be absurd, in fact, to do so,
as even the known stories are only known to a few, though they are a
delight none the less to all.

It is evident from the above that, the poet must be more the poet of his
stories or Plots than of his verses, inasmuch as he is a poet by
virtue of the imitative element in his work, and it is actions that he
imitates. And if he should come to take a subject from actual history,
he is none the less a poet for that; since some historic occurrences may
very well be in the probable and possible order of things; and it is in
that aspect of them that he is their poet.

Of simple Plots and actions the episodic are the worst. I call a Plot
episodic when there is neither probability nor necessity in the sequence
of episodes. Actions of this sort bad poets construct through their
own fault, and good ones on account of the players. His work being for
public performance, a good poet often stretches out a Plot beyond its
capabilities, and is thus obliged to twist the sequence of incident.

Tragedy, however, is an imitation not only of a complete action, but
also of incidents arousing pity and fear. Such incidents have the very
greatest effect on the mind when they occur unexpectedly and at the same
time in consequence of one another; there is more of the marvellous in
them then than if they happened of themselves or by mere chance. Even
matters of chance seem most marvellous if there is an appearance of
design as it were in them; as for instance the statue of Mitys at
Argos killed the author of Mitys' death by falling down on him when a
looker-on at a public spectacle; for incidents like that we think to be
not without a meaning. A Plot, therefore, of this sort is necessarily
finer than others.

10

Plots are either simple or complex, since the actions they represent are
naturally of this twofold description. The action, proceeding in the way
defined, as one continuous whole, I call simple, when the change in the
hero's fortunes takes place without Peripety or Discovery; and complex,
when it involves one or the other, or both. These should each of
them arise out of the structure of the Plot itself, so as to be the
consequence, necessary or probable, of the antecedents. There is a great
difference between a thing happening _propter hoc_ and _post hoc_.

11

A Peripety is the change from one state of thin