Final answer:
The assertion that tragedies include all elements of an epic plus music and are live is partly true; both share certain elements but also have distinct differences such as the length and mode of storytelling.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that tragedies have every element of an epic plus music and are live is partially true. While tragedy and epic poetry do share common elements such as the imitation of characters of a higher type and certain structural components, they are distinct forms. Tragedies are performed live with music, and the use of spectacle, and are typically of a length that can be consumed in a single sitting. Yet, it's not accurate to say that a tragedy contains every element of an epic; for instance, tragedies rely on a more condensed timeframe, often confine themselves to a single setting, and represent action through performance rather than narrative form.
Epic poetry, in contrast, often spans a much longer duration in terms of both the timeline within the story and the act of consuming the poetry itself. Epics utilize narrative form and typically maintain a consistent meter across the entire poem. While a tragedy could be enhanced by musical elements and is conveyed through performance, the inclusion or exclusion of music does not fundamentally alter the shared and differing elements of these two literary forms.