The six elements and principles of tragedy as defined by Aristotle can be applied to the play The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. According to Aristotle, every play should have six elements - plot, character, thought, diction, melody and spectacle. These elements are present in Tennessee Williams play and the play can be analyzed by drawing relevant parallels to Aristotle's terms. These principles of tragedy and analysis of the ideal form of the tragic play became a guideline for later playwrights in Western civilization. Aristotle defines tragedy as "the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself; in appropriate and pleasurable language;...in a dramatic rather than narrative form; with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish a catharsis of these emotions." What Aristotle means by this statement is that a good tragedy deals with one issue that is very serious and is not trivial, using language that is easy to listen to and has good rhythm. The story must be dramatized or acted out and the events or episodes in the play should lead the audience to feel very sorry for the main character – the tragic hero. The audience should also feel afraid for the hero as he moves toward a destructive end. Lastly, as the play moves along, the events should build up the emotions of pity and fear. A catharsis is a purging, or cleansing of the emotions – a release of tension. In a tragedy, this is often a moment of revelation when the tragic hero meets his downfall and the audience can release their tension.
             Aristotle felt that the action of the play or plot was the most important of the six elements. There must be unity of plot in which the events must be necessary to the main issue and must also be probable or believable. Aristotle also concluded that the best tragedy centers on a basically good man who changes from happiness to misery because...