concept
Greek
also: Philosophy & Psychology
Catharsis
lit. “cleansing, purging”
Emotional release through experiencing art — especially tragedy.
Origin
Aristotle described it in the Poetics as the function of tragedy: by stirring pity and fear in the audience, drama purges those emotions and leaves the viewer settled.
Modern usage
Used in criticism, therapy, and casual speech for any cleansing emotional release — a good cry at a movie, ranting to a friend, finally finishing a hard project.
In the wild
The final episode delivered a genuine catharsis.— TV criticism
Tags
emotion
art
release