In Aristotle's Poetics, he describes the formula of tragedy. This formula has come to be understood as the truly defining element of a drama as a tragedy. He explains that a tragedy is made up of essentially 5 partsùthat is, the exposition, the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the conclusion.
This formula has been used to understand the work of Shakespeare and other dramatists. When Aristotle developed it, however, he was using the work of Sophoclesùparticularly, the Oedipus plays, and specifically, Oedipus Rex.
Oedipus is, to be certain, the quintessential tragedy, and thus, is best understood in this light. The following is a summary of the main elements of the play as they relate to these 5 elements of the tragedy.
In the beginning of the play, the audience learns that the city of Thebes has been struck by a plague, and Oedipus has sent his brother Creon to the Delphic oracle in order to find out how this plague might be stopped. Creon returns with the information that the murderer of Laiusùthe king of Thebes before Oedipus, is in Thebes, and must be banished from the city before the plague will end. Oedipus announces to the Chorus that he will end the plague himself, and sets out in search of Laius' murderer.
Oedipus begs Tiresias the prophet to tell him who murdered Laius. Tiresias knows who caused the curse, but doesn't want to say. With further prodding from Oedipus, however, Tiresias explains that Oedipus himself has caused the plague. Oedipus doesn't believe him, of course, and Tiresias goes on to cryptically explain to Oedipus that he doesn't know who his parents are, and that he has, in fact, killed his father, and fallen in love with his own mother. Oedipus believes none of this, and instead, thinks that Creon and Tiresias are conspiring to overthrow him.
Jocasta enters, and begs Oedipus not to have Creon killed, while at the
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