Aristotle's Poetics Lesson Plan

Do you think plot is more important than character, or is character more important than plot? Why? What does it even mean for one element of story to be more "important" than another?

Students should consider Aristotle's idea—that tragedy is not an imitation of "men," but rather of action and life—as well as their own: do you care about what happens in a story if you don't care about the characters? Can you care about imaginary people without being interested in the story of what happens to them? What is plot without character, and what is character without plot? Students should draw in both textual evidence and evidence from their own experience as creators and consumers of...