Catharsis

(31 words)
  • Editors

Short Note This is a short note

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. "Catharsis". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 November 2001
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=170, accessed 19 June 2013.]