What different theories have been advanced to explain aristotle's conception of tragic catharsis?Which of them is considered to be the most suitable and why?
Answers
Catharsis (from Greek κάθαρσις katharsis meaning "purification" or "cleansing") is the purification and purgation of emotions—particularly pity and fear—through art[1] or any extreme change in emotion that results in renewal and restoration.[2][3] It is a metaphor originally used by Aristotle in the Poetics, comparing the effects of tragedy on the mind of a spectator to the effect of a cathartic on the body.[4][5]
Contents
1 Dramatic uses
1.1 Purgation and purification
1.2 Intellectual clarification
1.3 Literary analysis of catharsis
1.4 Attempts to subvert catharsis
2 "Catharsis" before tragedy
3 Therapeutic uses
4 Social catharsis
4.1 Stages
4.2 Motives
4.3 The grapevine effect
4.4 Collective catharsis
4.5 Effect on emotional recovery
5 See also
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links