The Idea of the Tragic

Abstract

For tragedy is a representation, not of man, but of actions and of life; the good or evil condition of men lies in action; and the telos is an action, not a characteristic. “The way people are” means their makeup; whether they are good or happy or the opposite means what they do. It is not in order to represent the human characteristics that performances are put on: characteristics, rather, are what are assumed in the dramatic performance of actions; since the deeds or story is the telos of tragedy, the telor being the most important thing. Copyright © 1983, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved