Aristotle's theory of tragic drama was that it assisted order in the social body by enabling the purging (catharsis) of unhealthy emotions, especially by evoking the emotions of pity and fear.
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Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Catharsis". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 November 2001 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=170, accessed 09 June 2026.]
