Catharsis
Etymology of “Catharsis”
 derived from the infinitive Ancient Greek: καθαίρειν
transliterated as kathairein "to purify, purge," and adjective
Ancient Greek: καθαρός katharos "pure or clean.“
 In medical terms, it means literally to purge the body of
menstrual fluid or other reproductive material
Defined
 “Catharsis” in drama refers to a sudden emotional climax that
evokes overwhelming feelings of great sorrow, pity, laughter or
any other extreme change in emotion, resulting in
restoration, renewal and revitalization in members of the
audience.
Purpose of Catharsis
 To purge extreme emotions. "It is the human soul that is
purged of its excessive passions.” -Aristotle, Poetics
 In dramatic theory, catharsis provided a means for people to
live vicariously through the actors on the stage; they were the
hero conquering the villain, or the mother losing her son.
Purpose of Catharsis
 Catharsis extends to all genres of art
 The best protagonists in literature are those that we most
closely identify with, and most profoundly feel for.
Five Primary Types of Catharsis
 Happiness
 Sorrow
 Hate or anger
 Fear
 Disgust

Based upon the five primary emotions as discussed by Paul Ekman
Happiness
 Happiness is achieved through the attainment of a goal; its
physical manifestation is laughter
 Since the primary goal of humanity is to procreate, love is a
theme central to happiness
Love
 Platonic
-the love felt between close friends
 Paternal
-the love felt between a parent and child
 Romantic
-Romeo and Juliet;
 Erotic
-purely physical love; lust
 Agape
-purely spiritual love
Sorrow
 Usually inspired by a profound loss
 Often connected with love
 Inspires fear; it is the potential for sorrow that makes us
afraid
Hate or Anger
Hate or anger can arise from many sources:
 Sense of injustice
 Perception of bias
 Jealousy
 Infliction of injury
 Being hated
 Pity is the result of empathic anger
Fear
 Fear is inspired by sorrow; when the potential for sorrow
exists, we are afraid
 Fear is caused by uncertainty; we are comfortable in the
world we know, but are afraid when the potential exists for
that world to be lost
 How do we overcome fear?
 Pity may result from empathic fear.
Disgust
 All people have an innate understanding of how they and
others should be treated; this defines humanity
 Reaction to inhumanity
 Effective tool of satire (i.e. “A Modest Proposal”)
 Disgust is the physical manifestation of pity; it often creates a
feeling of nausea.
Describing Catharsis
 Catharsis is essentially what the text makes people feel
 The emotions of the self (reader)
 The emotions of others (characters; representations of society)
 The relationships, both literal and expressed, between the two