24 January 2018
Catharsis – what type do we seek/need? Where do we find it?
The type of catharsis that I relate most to is tragic catharsis because it’s so easy to see common flaws that I (may) have with other characters. I think it’s important to me to find these characters in dramatic literature because it helps me relate to them more and to centralize my own life in the context of these shows. If someone else is struggling with something that I am, I am much more likely to enjoy that show/movie/play because I can say “hey, I’ve been there, too” along with those characters. I need the blatant pointing out of tragic flaws that often happens in tragedies because it makes me feel as though it’s okay to struggle (albeit these characters struggle [usually] way more than I do) with personality/character flaws. The definition of tragic catharsis that I follow is something along the lines of me being able to struggle along with and pity whichever character I relate to in a piece of dramatic literature. I often find that type of catharsis in romance movies, documentaries, historical dramas, and Shakespeare’s tragedies.
