Catharsis is an experience that helps us to release or purify emotions through art. In literary criticism, Aristotle uses the term in his work, Poetics, to describe the impact of a tragedy. The term originated from the Greek medical term, katharsis, which means purgation, purification, or cleansing.
There is no commonly accepted definition available now. Different critics defined the term in different ways because Aristotle did not define and explain the term clearly. Therefore, catharsis became a subject of controversy among critics.
According to Aristotle, the ultimate end of a tragedy is catharsis. When spectators or audience see the misfortune that followed the death of a hero, they feel pity for him. By seeing the hardship and death of a hero, spectators or readers feel pity and fear, and they forget their imbalanced emotions. This process of cleansing of emotions of spectators or readers is known as catharsis.