Plural of catharsis; instances of emotional or psychological purification, often achieved through drama, art, or confession.
From Greek katharsis (purification), plural form. The word comes from katharos (pure) and originally described cleansing in both literal and metaphorical senses.
Aristotle defined catharsis as the key purpose of tragic drama—the audience feels pity and fear, which then gets 'purged' by the end, leaving them emotionally cleansed and better able to handle real tragedy.
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