"But bear in mind what we already know: that for Aristotle tragedy imitates the actions of man's rational soul (habitual passions) as he searches for happiness, which consists in virtuous behavior." —Chapter 1, Aristotle's Coercive System of Tragedy, And What is Virtue?, p. 16.

"We conclude, therefore, that pity and fear are the minimal specific form linking the spectator and the character. But these emotions are in no way the object of purification (purgation)." —Chapter 1, Aristotle's Coercive System of Tragedy, The Ultimate Aim of Tragedy, p. 30.

"Aristotle formulated a very powerful purgative system, the objective of which is to eliminate all that is not commonly accepted, including the revolution, before it takes place." —Chapter 1, Aristotle's Coercive System of Tragedy, Conclusion, p. 47.

"The entire body of Shakespeare's dramatic work serves as documentary evidence of the coming of the individualized man in the theater." —Chapter 2, Machiavelli and the...