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GREEK ART AND POETRY.
301
tially; but wrought out by virtue of the veritable action of all the factors, intrinsic human quality and extrinsic circumstances, in mutual interaction and inevitable issue.[1]
We notice finally that Aristotle's definition of tragedy includes no mention of the beautiful as a tragic or artistic end. This is simply Greek. All things of weight and perfect excellence were beautiful, as of course; else lacked they excellence.
- ↑ The element of the terrible must not be lacking to a tragedy; hence a "happy ending" is not a proper tragic ending. And Aristotle commends Euripides for the unhappy ending of his plays. Such plays presented on the stage produce the most tragic effect, and in this respect, that is in the tragically moving ending of his plays, Euripides shows himself most tragic of poets, faultily as he manages other matters.—Poetics, xiii, 6.
