Catharsis

In the fourth century B.C., a theorist of drama, named Aristotle, devised a definition for what he considered a tragic hero. He described a tragic hero as someone who was of noble statue, of good character, but possessed human-like flaws. Aristotle also stated that a tragic hero’s downfall was due to his or her own mistakes through free choice, not fate. The tragic hero was also described to have great misfortune that was not entirely deserved, ending in a fall, but not total destruction…

character which should be related to Aristotle’s concept of catharsis. The cathartic nature of tragedy that Aristotle writes of in the Poetics states that the action of a play should use characters and plot to invoke pity and fear within the audience. There are varying definitions that have been drawn from his use of catharsis, but the act itself is irrelevant if the…

tragic hero described by Aristotle must have certain qualities and evoke emotions throughout a dramatic tragedy: Catharsis, Hamartia, Hubris, Peripeteia, and Nemesis. The fatal flaw known as Hamartia, contributes to the characters demise or downfall, which ultimately ends in their death. In Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, Captain Ahab who also serves as captain of the Pequod, demonstrates Catharsis, Hubris, and Hamartia- all the characteristics a tragic hero obtains. The Captain evokes emotions of…

In Ancient Greece, tragedies were seen as the best form of drama and were admired throughout Greece. Tragic heroes were the stars of these tragedies and were the key to an amazing ending that left the audience into a state of catharsis. Aristotle, a famous philosopher, created a guideline that a protagonist in a story MUST follow in order for the protagonist to be considered as a tragic hero. This hero is defined as an Aristotelian hero and must follow the five characteristics;…

storyline of each play meaningful to me. It reminded me of children being prepared for the future with silly stories. In one play it showed what highschool is like, Four Stalls, and in another it shows what a simple mistake could do to a person, Catharsis, and last but not least a hell, The Devils are Here. All these plays have a connection to life, which had an effect on me. It was perfect first experience due to it being mainly about…

Willy Lohman’s Dilemma Nobody lives an easy going life, everyone has to cope with different challenges as they age. The theory of Maslow’s law has eight different steps ranging from physiological needs to self-transcendence. These different levels can be applied and related to one’s own life. In the play Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller uses Willy Lohman to demonstrate how he did not reach self-actualization because he prevents himself from advancing psychologically by using defense mechanisms…

Christopher J. Ferguson and Stephanie M. Rueda regarding developmental issues arisen from violent video games. The article The Hitman Study: Violent Video Game Exposure Effects of Aggressive focuses on the concept of the social learning theory and the catharsis in order to explain the result of this study. Throughout this article, it will also describe the study’s relevance to real life applications. Summary The article The Hitman Study: Violent Video Game Exposure Effects on Aggressive…

excessive love for Romeo has made her sole purpose of living Romeo. Therefore, when Romeo is found dead she kills herself with a dagger which is the downfall of her excessive love. Catharsis which means purgation is the emotional release that is relieving the emotions build from the characters of a tragedy. Catharsis gives emotional pleasure to the audiences. In Romeo and Juliet, most of the characters such as Romeo, Juliet, Tybalt and Mercutio die which builds up the dominant emotion of pity…

displays hubris by challenging authority. Human suffering, constantly portrayed in tragedies, leads to a catharsis, meaning that a “tragedy arouses fear and pity, and brings about the purgation of such emotions” (Guendouzi 1). Aristotle defines the concept of purgation or catharsis as the “basic principle… of the tragic plot and the conception of the tragic hero” (1). The feeling of catharsis arises when reading The Crucible because it showcases numerous examples of human suffering due to…

consider Agamemnon a tragic hero. A catharsis has three separate parts to it. The first part of it is the purification phase, where every emotion other than pity and fear are removed. The the next phase, distillation, is when the emotions of pity and fear are strengthened. Finally, the last phase of the catharsis process is purging, when the emotions of pity and fear are forcefully removed. According to Aristotle, as he wrote in the Poetics, the purpose of a catharsis is to purge people of…