aristotle said the function of tragedy is to produce the katharsis of pity and fear.
aristotle said the function of tragedy is to produce the katharsis of pity and fear.
who said the function of tragedy is to produce the katharsis of pity and fear?
aristotle
as already mentioned, aristotle wrote the first critical study of the tragedy: the "poetics". he uses the concepts of "mimesis" (, "imitation"), and "catharsis" or "katharsis" (, "cleansing") to explain the function of tragedy. he writes: "tragedy is, therefore, an imitation ("mimēsis") of a noble and complete action [...] which through compassion and fear produces purification of the passions." whereas "mimēsis" implies an imitation of human affairs, "catharsis" means a certain emotional cleansing of the spectator. what exactly is meant by "emotional cleansing" (κάθαρσις των παθήματων) however, remains unclear throughout the work. although many scholars have attempted to define this element vital to the understanding of aristotle's "poetics", they remain divided on the subject.
greek tragedy
katharsis, on this reading, will denote the overall ethical benefit that accrues from such an intense yet fulfillingly integrated experience. exempt from the stresses that accompany pity and fear in social life, the audience of tragedy can allow these emotions an uninhibited flow that ... is satisfyingly attuned to its contemplation of the rich human significance of a well-plotted play. a "katharsis" of this kind is not reducible to either ‘‘purgation’’ or ‘‘purification.’’









































lear
greek tragedy