The document discusses Aristotle's concept of catharsis from his work Poetics. Catharsis refers to the purging of emotions, especially fear and pity, that occurs when watching a tragedy. While Aristotle did not provide a specific definition, catharsis is generally thought to be the healthy and humanizing effect experienced by spectators through feeling fear vicariously in a controlled setting of a tragic story. The document provides examples of catharsis in Shakespeare's plays Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet.

1. Catharsis
Aristotle

2. Catharsis in the Poetics:
Catharsis is a metaphor used by Aristotle in the Poetics to describe
the effects of true tragedy on the spectator.
 According to Aristotle the purpose of tragedy is to arouse “Fear
and pity” and catharsis of these emotions.
 The exact meaning has been the subject of critical debate over the
centuries as Aristotle never specified the meaning.
Origin of the Term:
The term derived from the Greek term Katharsis meaning
“purgation” or “purification” or “cleansing”

3. What is Catharsis?
The exact meaning is debated as Aristotle never clarified it.
 The interpretation generally accepted is that;
“Through experiencing fear vicariously in a controlled situation, the
spectator’s own anxieties are directed outward, and, through
sympathetic identification with the tragic protagonist, his insight and
outlook are enlarged.”
 Tragedy then has a healthful and humanizing effect on the spectator or
reader.
 Catharsis is the purification or purgation of the emotions (especially pity
and fear) primarily through art.
 A Catharsis is an emotional discharge through which one can achieve a
state of liberation from anxiety and stress.

4.  Examples of Catharsis in Literature
1. Macbeth (By William Shakespeare)
2. Romeo and Juliet (By William Shakespeare)