Importance of Plot and Character

Plot is a term comes from literary and described as the actions that make up a story, predominantly as they narrate to one another in a prototype, through cause and effect, in a sequence, simply by coincidence or how the reader views the story. One is usually concerned in how glowing this prototype of actions accomplishes some emotional effect or artistic effect. A complex, difficult plot is known as an imbroglio; however the simplest proclamation of plot may comprise numerous conclusions, as in conventional ballads.

According to Aristotle ‘Plot’ is the most important element in tragedy. He compares plot with action. Aristotle considered plot the most significant part of drama, more pivotal than character, for instance, A plot must have, according to Aristotle a beginning, a middle, and an end, and the proceedings of the plot must causally narrate to one another as being either apparent or compulsory.

Plot is the soul of tragedy

In tragedy, the plot involves the change in fortunes. It leads the life of man from happiness to misery. It involves an arrangement of incidents in a sequence which projects a sense of inevitability.

Character comes next to plot

Plot is more important than character, because the character is revealed through his actions. Aristotle says that there can be a tragedy without character but none without plot. He does not mean ‘character’ a dramatic personage, for that would make his statement absurd. Aristotle wants to say that the aim of dramatic action is to represent the incident not the character or nature of human being. It is, therefore, the characterization is not as important as plot.

The modern critics view is that every action demands agents to be done. In this sense, they believe, Aristotle is depressing the value of character to that of plot. But, Aristotle says, “Tragedy is an imitation, not of man, but of an action and of life, and life consists of action, and its end is a mode actions not a quality. Now character determines man’s qualities, but it is by their action that they are happy or the reverse. Dramatic action is therefore, not with a view to the representation of character, and character comes in as subsidiary to the actions”.

If a person does well, he is known as ‘virtuous’; and if he does badly, he is known as ‘vicious’. It means, tendency of doing good or bad is realized through actions, and it is only through the past actions that one forms an idea of the character’s character.  

The character is thus subordinate to plot or actions. Aristotle says that it is the plot which gives to the play its inner meaning and reality, as the soul does to the body. It is the action through which character is ‘actualized’ and the intention of tragedy is realized.