A-Z: General definitions
- Carib
- Caricature
- Carl Jung
- Carmelites
- Carol
- Carpe diem
- Carthage
- Carthusian
- Casement
- Cassandra
- Cassiopeia
- Cassock
- Castor
- Casualties
- Catacombs
- Catalectic
- Catalyst
- Cataphoric
- Catastrophe
- Catechised
- Catechism
- Catechumens
- catharsis
- Cathedral
- Catholic
- Catholic church
- Catholic confessional
- Catholicism
- Caucasus
- Cavalier
- Cavalier poet
- Celestial
- Celibate
- Cell
- Celtic
- Celtic church
- Celtic revival
- Censer
- Centaur
- Centaurs
- Cepheus
- Cerberus
- Ceres
- Cervantes
- Ceryneian
- Chaff
- Chain of Being
- Chalice
- Chance
- Chancel
A-Z: General definitions: catharsis
Definition
In drama, a purifying or figurative cleansing of the emotions, especially pity and fear, that restores or refreshes the spirit of the audience by releasing emotional tension. A theory of the Classical Greek tragedian Aristotle.
Together with Plato, he was the leading Greek philosopher, whose works on literature and science have had an enormous influence on Western culture
