Hamlet Analyzed in Terms of Aristotle's Poetics

Aristotle’s Poetics is considered the guide to a well written tragedy; his methods have been used for centuries. In Aristotle’s opinion, plot is the most important aspect of the tragedy, all other parts such as character, diction, and thought stem from the plot. Aristotle defines a tragedy as “…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”(p. 22). Shakespeare’s Hamlet follows this definition for the most part, and even though it is not always in agreement with Aristotle’s guidelines, it is still a great and effective tragedy.