Abstract：

The Poetics is Aristotle's work on aesthetics, reflecting his materialistic ideas on literature and art. The extant Poetics mainly explores the content related to tragedy, and plot is the core of Aristotle's theory of tragedy. Starting from the definition of tragedy in the Poetics and the six elements of tragedy, this paper systematically discusses and explains the problem of the unity of plot, the importance of the “sudden turn” and “discovery” in the complex plot, and how to arouse the feelings of pity and fear through the perfect layout.

Key Words：

poetics; tragic plot; unity; “discovery” and “sudden turn”