For Tragedy is an imitation, not of men, but of an action and of life, and life consists in action, and its end is a mode of action, not a quality.
 Aristotle, Poetics (c. 335 BC). copy citation

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Author Aristotle
Source Poetics
Topic imitation action
Date c. 335 BC
Language English
Reference
Note Translated by S. H. Butcher
Weblink http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1974/1974-h/1974-h.htm

Context

“These elements have been employed, we may say, by the poets to a man; in fact, every play contains Spectacular elements as well as Character, Plot, Diction, Song, and Thought. But most important of all is the structure of the incidents. For Tragedy is an imitation, not of men, but of an action and of life, and life consists in action, and its end is a mode of action, not a quality. Now character determines men's qualities, but it is by their actions that they are happy or the reverse. Dramatic action, therefore, is not with a view to the representation of character: character comes in as subsidiary to the actions.” source