--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The plot, then, is the first principle…" description: "\"“The plot, then, is the first principle, and, as it were, the soul of a tragedy; Character holds the second place.”\" — Aristotle" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96c/aristotle-78_character_the-plot-then-is-the-first-principle-and_197097.png" --- # The plot, then, is the first principle, and, as it were… ![“The plot, then, is the first principle, and, as it were, the soul of a tragedy; Character holds the second place.” quote by Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96c/aristotle-78_character_the-plot-then-is-the-first-principle-and_197097.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96c/aristotle-78_character_the-plot-then-is-the-first-principle-and_197097.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96c/aristotle-78_character_the-plot-then-is-the-first-principle-and_197097.png) > ““The plot, then, is the first principle, and, as it were, the soul of a tragedy; Character holds the second place.”” [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The essential structure of a tragedy is its plot, which drives the emotional impact, while character supports it. **In simple terms:** Plot is the core; character is secondary. Key Takeaway Focus on strong narrative foundations. Themes drama structure literature Mood reflective analytical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - playwriting - screenwriting - theatre production - literary analysis Key Concepts Aristotelian theory narrative hierarchy Questions to Reflect On - How does plot shape audience emotion? - Can character ever outweigh plot? A Different Perspective A great plot cannot compensate for weak characters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Second place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/second-place/) ## Related quotes > [What matters in a character is not whether one holds this or that opinion: what matters is how proudly one upholds it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-de-stael/what-matters-in-a-character-is-not-whether-one-holds-this-or-that/) [Madame de Stael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-de-stael/) > [Your character holds the key to your trustworthiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gitomer/your-character-holds-the-key-to-your-trustworthiness/) [Jeffrey Gitomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gitomer/) > [She's a very charismatic character, and she holds the whole play together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-tennant/she-s-a-very-charismatic-character-and-she-holds-the-whole-play/) [Neil Tennant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-tennant/) > [In the first place, then, men should guard against the beginning of change, and in the second place they should not rely upon the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/in-the-first-place-then-men-should-guard-against-the-beginning-of/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Neither should men study war with a view to the enslavement of those who do not deserve to be enslaved; but first of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/neither-should-men-study-war-with-a-view-to-the-enslavement-of-those/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [“We maintain, therefore, that the first essential, the life and soul, so to speak, of Tragedy is the Plot; and that the Characters come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/we-maintain-therefore-that-the-first-essential-the-life-and-soul-so/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [“The truth is that, just as in the other imitative arts one imitation is always of one thing, so in poetry the story, as…](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/) > [PLOT is CHARACTER revealed by ACTION.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/plot-is-character-revealed-by-action/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The more desires you have, the more misery you will create for yourself. 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