Aristotle's Poetics discusses the six essential components of tragedy: the plot (mythos), character (ethos), thought (dianoia), diction (lexis), melody/song (melos), and spectacle (opsis). The plot refers to the arrangement of events, character to the people involved, thought to the ideas expressed, diction to word choice, melody/song to any music or lyrics, and spectacle to visual elements like scenery and costumes.