Final answer:
Aristotle believed that the action of a tragedy should be 'whole' and logical, ensuring that its structure has a beginning, middle, and end that follow a coherent and necessary sequence. The logical plot construction evokes pity and fear, resulting in the audience's catharsis.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Aristotle, the action of a tragedy should be 'whole' (complete) and logical. This means that the tragedy must have a cohesive and coherent plot that follows a logical sequence of events, starting with a beginning that doesn't follow anything by necessity, a middle that follows something while leading to something else, and an end that follows by necessity or as a rule and has nothing following it. Aristotle emphasized that a well-constructed plot in any tragedy should neither begin nor end at random but should adhere to these logical structures.
Aristotle broke tragedy down into six parts: Plot, Character, Diction, Thought, Spectacle, and Song. He argued that the imitation of an action must be serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude to evoke pity and fear, leading to the catharsis of these emotions. While discussing these elements, he also recognized the importance of spectacle and the concept of characters of noble birth dealing with subjects relevant to the greater community, as seen in classic examples like Oedipus and Hamlet.