Write a brief note on Aristotle's theory of purgation.
Catharsis is a medical metaphor. It may allude to rites of religion, in which case it means ' purification or it may allude to theories of medicine, in which case it means ' purgation '. It is not easy to see exactly what is meant by ' purifying ' pity and fear. For it seems certain that purification was not what he meant by catharsis.
But, if he meant ' purgation ', it would be quite enough to refer to catharsis as the mere rousing of these emotions. In Greek medicine, an organism could be purged of any undesirable product by the administration, in judicious doses, of something similar as in modern homeopathy like cures like '. Excess of any kind was unwholesome.
Health could be secured by purgation of anything which tended to be present in excess. This seems to be what Aristotle meant by catharsis. Tragedy affects the purgation of pity and fear, by its administration of these very emotions. was desirable that these emotions should be discharged, either because they were unwholesome in themselves, or because they tended to excess.
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