general manner. The actions of the characters determine the outcome of the play, so each character should act in a particular way to ensure smoothness in the unraveling of the plot. Skillful word handling is also very important to the quality of the play. The arrangement of words into a given meter and the choice of words used greatly effects the interest of the play. Through the diction of the play, the playwright shows his true ability to actually create poetry or write in prose. Song is another medium that can be used in the place of regular verse or prose, but the use of diction in song is equally important as it is in regular dialogue. Physical presentation of the play, while appealing to the eye, is the least of all the factors of a play. The scenery and costumes of the actors do add interest to the play but are not actually required, as the given tragedy can be performed just as successfully without it. As stated before, spectacle merely adds a superficial touch to the play, as the poet himself may or may not have any bearing over its handling. A good example of the use of the guidelines of Aristotle in more recent times is manifested in the writings of William Shakespeare. The tragedies of Shakespeare are always well thought out, and contain skillfully crafted plots. Each tragedy contains a tragic hero. Some of his more famous tragic heroes include Othello, Hamlet, and Lear. Shakespeare was also a master of the English language and skillfully worded his poetry in iambic form, the form suggested by Aristotle himself. To further illustrate his conformity to the writings of Aristotle, Shakespeare뭩 own Hamlet, Prince of Denmark will be used. First of all, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark contains a well thought out plot, which is an absolute necessity for a tragedy in the style of Aristotle. The play begins at a castle in Denmark, with no preceding event directly causing its beginning. The actions of Hamlet and the other characters ...
