Theory of catharsis and example of catharsis.

1. Theory of Catharsis :
 Name : Pina K. Gondaliya
 Sem : 1
 Roll No. : 25
 Enrollment No : 2069108420200012
 Email ID : pinagondaliya09@gmail.com
 Paper No : 3 Literary Criticism
 Submitted to Department of English MKB University

2. What is catharsis?
 Catharsis is element of tragedy
 Catharsis is a Greek word
meaning “Cleansing”.
 In literature, it is used for the
Cleansing of emotions of the
Characters.
 It can also be any other
radical change that leads to
emotional rejuvenation of a
person.

3.  catharsis is an emotional discharge through which
one can achieve a state of moral or spiritual renewal,
or achieve a state of liberation from anxiety and
stress.
 Catharsis refers to an emotional release for the
characters in a literary work, or an emotional release
for the audience of the work.
 The emotional release that characters or the audience
experience during the catharsis can lead to a sense of
forgiveness and renewal.
 Catharsis is purgation of emotions and feelings.
 Purgation is purification.

4.  Dramatic uses.
 In dramatic art, the term Catharsis explains the impact of
tragedy, comedy or any other form of the art on the audience and
in some cases even on the performers themselves.
 Aristotle did not elaborate on the meaning of Catharsis, and the
way he used in a defining tragedy in poetic.
 Lucas identifies that there is a chance that Catharsis may have
some aspect of meaning like, Purgation, intellectual clarification
and purification.

5.  Aristotle used the concept of
catharsis in both the medical and
psychological sense.
In Aristotle's POETICS, it meant the
emotional release and cleansing that
spectators experience during and
after watching a tragedy which has a
corrective and healing effect.

6.  Aristotle believed that catharsis helped to moderate
passion and strong emotions, therefore restoring the
balance in one’s heart
 Originally, the term catharsis was used as a metaphor
in Poetics by Aristotle, to explain the impact of
tragedy on the audiences.
 He believed that catharsis was the ultimate end of
tragic artistic work and it marked it quality.

8.  Pity :
 Aristotle said in order to create Pity for the Pity in audience for the
character make the character suffer and undeserved misfortune.
 Pity means empathy we feel feeling of empathy that you are feeling
sympathetic about that character who suffer in critical situation.
 Pity means your audience need to feel some kind of connection to the
character of your story.
 Fear :
• A conflict of some sort is needed.
• Fear may be also arise out recognition of guilt or outer guilt.
• Aristotle told that Pity is occasioned by understand misfortune and
Fear by take of life ourselves.

9. Example of catharsis:
Romeo and Juliet :
 Romeo and Juliet is a great
example of a tragedy, might be
explained by the idea of catharsis.
 In the end, the young lover
end up dead because they made
mistake of following their
Childish passions instead of being
rational and patient.
 We feel sympathy and pity
for Romeo and Juliet.

10. Othello :
Othello’s anagnorisis in
the play is also the
moment of catharsis.
Whe Othello realizes
that he has been wronged
and that he killed his
Innocent wife, we feel
more pity for than
hatred of him.

11. Hamlet :
 Hamlet’s character reveals flaws and
instance of emotional purging.
 Catharsis and hamartia are some of the
elements of tragedy that he definitely
expresses in Hamlet.
 We also feel catharsis when Ophelia goes
mad.