Catharsis was first linked to drama , especially to tragedy , by the Greek philosopher Aristotle. The theory was that, through viewing tragedy, people learned to display emotions at a proper amount and lessen excessive outbursts of emotion in daily life. We experience catharsis in many different ways in our everyday lives. For example, if you ever go to a movie that you know is going to make you cry and you go for the experience of crying, this is catharsis.
Here are other common examples of catharsis in daily life:. There are two ways in which catharsis is significant in literature. The first is the classical definition of catharsis in which reading a particular work of literature, such as a tragedy, allows the reader to experience intense emotions in an indirect way i.
An author also may choose to show a character going through a cathartic event of his or her own. When a character goes through catharsis, we may expect that character to act differently afterwards or experience an intellectual clarifying. Catharsis in either case asks the reader to identify strongly with the main character s and experience those strong emotions at a safe distance.
The horror of darkness, like a shroud, Wraps me and bears me on through mist and cloud. Ah me, ah me! What spasms athwart me shoot, What pangs of agonizing memory? It is one of the key plays that Aristotle was considering when he created his theory of catharsis. And indeed, the end of Oedipus Rex brings the audience a catharsis example because here Oedipus is overcome with memories, which we as the audience can only imagine as being those prophecies he did not pay enough attention to.
Nothing extenuate, Nor set down aught in malice. Then must you speak Of one that loved not wisely, but too well. Of one not easily jealous, but being wrought, Perplexed in the extreme.
Of one whose hand, Like the base Indian, threw a pearl away Richer than all his tribe. In the ancient world, the two types of stories were comedy and tragedy. In the modern world, we separate our movies and TV into comedies and dramas. Dramas typically evoke themes like sadness, anger, or betrayal, so in this way they are similar to tragedies. Nonetheless, a drama can still produce catharsis — just not as effectively, Aristotle would say, as a tragedy.
List of Terms Action. Ad Hominem. Alter Ego. APA Citation. Comic Relief. Deus ex machina. Double Entendre. Dramatic irony. Extended Metaphor. Fairy Tale. Figures of Speech. Literary Device. Pathetic Fallacy. Plot Twist.
Point of View. Red Herring. Rhetorical Device. It may be argued that had Martin allowed him to live a little longer the catharsis would be greater, but nonetheless, the reader is shocked and moved to tears. While A Song Of Ice And Fire may be set in a fantasy land, it can be said it is reflective of our current day political climate- warring political parties grappling for control of our nations, friends-turned-foes, social activists, and martyrs.
A reader can identify with a character like Stark, and go through their own catharsis while he goes through his. Consider Me Booked! As a young boy, Nirbhay had the annoying habit of waking up at 5 a.
Since television was a big no-no, he had no choice but to read to entertain himself and that is how his love affair with books began. Nirbhay is the co-founder and publisher of The Curious Reader. You can read his articles, here. Hello Sir, I am thankful to you from the bottom of my heart because Catharsis is something I had read and learnt long back during my graduation and now during my PhD I had forgotten its main function.
M so happy and glad as your article refreshed it and your examples made it more simpler to understand. I studied catharsis too in college and the concept has stayed with me forever. The best literary content from around the web delivered straight to your inbox, every Sunday.
Nirbhay Kanoria. March 29, C atharsis is an important element in many pieces of tragic literature today. It comes from the Greek word katharos which means pure. Katharos evolved into kathairein which meant cleanse.
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