1. Mimesis: Aristotle defines poetry as a form of imitation, or mimesis1.
2. Tragedy: He focuses his discussion on tragedy, which uses dramatic form and deals with agents who are better than ourselves1.
3. Catharsis: Tragedy serves to arouse the emotions of pity and fear and to effect a catharsis of these emotions1.
4. Parts of Tragedy: Aristotle divides tragedy into six different parts: plot (mythos), character, thought, diction, melody, and spectacle1.
5. Unity of Plot: The first essential to creating a good tragedy is that it should maintain unity of plot1.
6. Peripeteia and Anagnorisis: The plot can be enhanced by an intelligent use of peripeteia (reversal) and anagnorisis (recognition)1.
7. Tragic Hero: A plot should consist of a hero going from happiness to misery1.
8. Hamartia: The misery should be the result of some hamartia, or error, on the part of the hero1.
9. Tragic Deed: A tragic plot must always involve some sort of tragic deed1.
10. Thought and Diction: Aristotle discusses thought and diction1.
11. Epic Poetry: He addresses epic poetry, which is similar to tragedy but generally longer, more fantastic, and deals with a greater scope of action1.
12. Superiority of Tragedy: Aristotle argues that tragedy is superior to epic poetry1.

Qoutes from Oedipus

"Your country calls you savior now for your zeal your action years ago. Never let us remember of your reign: you helped us stand, only to fall once more."1 This quote highlights the respect felt for Oedipus prior to his family’s tragic downfall. He had saved Thebes from ruin, but now a plague has struck the city again1.

"Apollo commands us—he was quite clear—‘Drive the corruption from the land, don’t harbor it any longer, past all cure, don’t nurse it in your soil—root it out!’"1 This quote reveals the irony that Oedipus, the man who once saved Thebes, is the cause of the city’s curse1.

**"Now my curse on the murderer. Whoever he is, a long man unknown in his crime or one among many, let that man drag out his life in agony, step by painful step."**1 This is possibly the most tragic and ironic of any lines in the play. As Oedipus curses the murderer, he curses himself1.

**"I can hear him cry, ‘You are fated to couple with your mother you will bring a breed of children into the light no man can bear to see—you will kill your father, the one who gave you life!’"**1 Here, Oedipus recalls for his wife/mother Jocasta what the Oracle at Delphi said to him years ago1.

**"Dark, horror of darkness, my darkness, drowning, swirling around me crashing wave on wave—unspeakable, irresistible headwind, fatal harbor! Oh again, the misery, all at once, over and over the stabbing dagger, stab of memory raking me insane."**1 Oedipus addresses the Chorus after blinding himself in “Oedipus the King”. Here, he stands completely exposed in front of his people in the fullness of his agony and shame1.