--- title: "6 Imitation Quotes By Aristotle" description: "6 Imitation quotes by Aristotle. Plus more from Aristotle and more Imitation sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/941/aristotle-78_accomplish_a-tragedy-is-the-imitation-of-an-action_55642.png" --- > [A tragedy is the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself . . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/a-tragedy-is-the-imitation-of-an-action-that-is-serious-and-also-as/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/941/aristotle-78_accomplish_a-tragedy-is-the-imitation-of-an-action_55642.png) > [“The truth is that, just as in the other imitative arts one imitation is always of one thing, so in poetry the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-truth-is-that-just-as-in-the-other-imitative-arts-one-imitation/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ba/aristotle-78_art_the-truth-is-that-just-as-in-the-other-i_456256.png) > [Tragedy is an imitation not of men but of a life, an action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/tragedy-is-an-imitation-not-of-men-but-of-a-life-an-action/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/887/aristotle-78_action_tragedy-is-an-imitation-not-of-men-but-o_561338.png) > [For imitation is natural to man from his infancy. Man differs from other animals particularly in this, that he is imitative, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/for-imitation-is-natural-to-man-from-his-infancy-man-differs-from/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f4/aristotle-78_acquire_for-imitation-is-natural-to-man-from-his_2820195.jpg) > [Tragedy is an imitation not only of a complete action, but of events inspiring fear and pity. Such an effect is best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/tragedy-is-an-imitation-not-only-of-a-complete-action-but-of-events/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/aristotle-78_accidents_tragedy-is-an-imitation-not-only-of-a-co_2826972.png) > [Tragedy is an imitation of a whole and complete action of some amplitude...Now a whole is that which has a beginning, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/tragedy-is-an-imitation-of-a-whole-and-complete-action-of-some/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/275/aristotle-78_imitation_tragedy-is-an-imitation-of-a-whole-and-c_3049244.png) ## Other authors on Imitation ## More by Aristotle > [The knowledge of the soul admittedly contributes greatly to the advance of truth in general, and, above all, to our understanding of Nature, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-knowledge-of-the-soul-admittedly-contributes-greatly-to-the/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Young men have strong passions and tend to gratify them indiscriminately. Of the bodily desires, it is the sexual by which they are most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/young-men-have-strong-passions-and-tend-to-gratify-them/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The body is at its best between the ages of thirty and thirty-five; the mind is at its best about the age of forty-nine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-body-is-at-its-best-between-the-ages-of-thirty-and-thirty-five/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The ensouled is distinguished from the unsouled by its being alive. Now since being alive is spoken of in many ways, even if only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-ensouled-is-distinguished-from-the-unsouled-by-its-being-alive/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Although it may be difficult in theory to know what is just and equal, the practical difficulty of inducing those to forbear who can,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/although-it-may-be-difficult-in-theory-to-know-what-is-just-and-equal/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The true forms of government, therefore, are those in which the one, or the few, or the many, govern with a view to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-true-forms-of-government-therefore-are-those-in-which-the-one-or/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [All men by nature desire to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/all-men-by-nature-desire-to-know/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [All persons ought to endeavor to follow what is right, and not what is established.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/all-persons-ought-to-endeavor-to-follow-what-is-right-and-not-what-is/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Give a man a poisoned fish, you feed him for the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/give-a-man-a-fish-you-feed-him-for-a-day-give-a-man-a-poisoned-fish/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The man who confers a favour would rather not be repaid in the same coin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-man-who-confers-a-favour-would-rather-not-be-repaid-in-the-same/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The mother of revolution and crime is poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-mother-of-revolution-and-crime-is-poverty/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Obstinate people can be divided into the opinionated, the ignorant, and the boorish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/obstinate-people-can-be-divided-into-the-opinionated-the-ignorant-and/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Happiness does not consist in pastimes and amusements but in virtuous activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/happiness-does-not-consist-in-pastimes-and-amusements-but-in-virtuous/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [To learn is a natural pleasure, not confined to philosophers, but common to all men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/to-learn-is-a-natural-pleasure-not-confined-to-philosophers-but/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Every virtue is a mean between two extremes, each of which is a vice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/every-virtue-is-a-mean-between-two-extremes-each-of-which-is-a-vice/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imitation/aristotle/#itemlist", "name": "6 Imitation Quotes By Aristotle", "numberOfItems": 6, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A tragedy is the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself . . . with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish its catharsis of such emotions.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aristotle" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/a-tragedy-is-the-imitation-of-an-action-that-is-serious-and-also-as/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/941/aristotle-78_accomplish_a-tragedy-is-the-imitation-of-an-action_55642.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/941/aristotle-78_accomplish_a-tragedy-is-the-imitation-of-an-action_55642.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/941/aristotle-78_accomplish_a-tragedy-is-the-imitation-of-an-action_55642.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A tragedy is the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself…” — Aristotle", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The truth is that, just as in the other imitative arts one imitation is always of one thing, so in poetry the story, as an imitation of action, must represent one action, a complete whole, with its several incidents so closely connected that the transposal or withdrawal of any one of them will disjoin and dislocate the whole. 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