Abstract This seven-page paper presents an in-depth and detailed discussion about the use of Catharsis in the play Oedipus The King. Various points of proof are offered backing the idea that Catharsis is indeed an integral part of the play. An annotated bibliography is also provided.
Abstract In this article, the writer goes into detail about the three main components that affect children concerning violence on television. The writer notes that these effects can last a lifetime and greatly impact society as a whole. The paper then discusses the catharsis theory,which claims that televised violence does not have negative effects as other researcher have claimed. The writer concludes that the accumulated experimental findings on the effects of TV violence do not support the catharsis theory and its conclusions.
Outline:
Aggressive Attitudes and Behaviors
Becoming Desensitized to Real World Violence
Developing a Fear of Being Victimized by Violence
Conclusion
The Catharsis Theory
From the Paper "The first step in learning aggressive attitudes and behaviors is accepting violence as a way to solve problems. On television, violence is the attractive, effective, and preferred solution to most conflicts. Violence is usually portrayed as justified, that is, the good guys win and the bad guys lose. Problems are usually solved rapidly and violently, and violent or other anti-social behaviors go unpunished. The good guys are very often no more appropriate role models for young children than the villains themselves. The result is that many American children are more familiar with violent, aggressive, and anti-social approaches to solving problems. For some, television at its worst, is a terrible influence on a child's mind, an influence that upsets moral balance and makes a child likely to have aggressive behavior as it warps his or her perception of the real world. Some psychologists and psychiatrists feel that continued exposure to such violence might unnaturally speed up the impact of the adult world on the child. This can force the child into a kind of premature maturity. As the child matures into an adult, he can become bewildered; have a greater distrust towards others, a superficial approach to adult problems, and even an unwillingness to become an adult."
Abstract An analysis of Aristotle's main elements in "Poetics" that applies these concepts to the epic by Homer, the Iliad. The paper discusses catharsis, tragic drama, the function of art and attributes of the Hero of the drama.
From the Paper "Poetics and The Iliad: Introduction. Aristotle's "Poetics" is considered to be one of the most useful critical works of classical antiquity. It is also one of the best depictions of the mode and aims of Greek art generally. In "Poetics" Aristotle affirms the capacity of human beings to imitate nature and life as a unique ability. His views on this issue are explicated in a discussion of various forms of epic poetry usually expressed as drama or other forms of theater in the Hellenistic world."
Abstract This paper discusses how studying and analyzing the classical play "Oedipus the King" in terms of character, plot, and theme confirms that these elements are mainly presented through carefully crafted dramatic dialogue and speeches, and developed through the use of literary devices such as hamartia, hubris, and catharsis. It also examines how this type of dramatic approach enabled ancient Greek playwrights like Sophocles to stage their plays in a convincing manner while meeting the immediate challenge of entertaining their audiences.
From the Paper "Oedipus the King also demonstrates that it is valuable to characterize by comparing and contrasting one character with another, since, like most of the complex symbolism this play, the characters are made to embody certain antithetical qualities that inevitably come into conflict. This helps develop the theme that human flaws such as ambition or daring can and often do lead to tragedy. These flaws have grievous consequences for many characters in Greek drama, who are oblivious to the fatal effect some of their intentions and actions will have. (Kirszner and Mandell1657-1699) "
A look at how death in this play can alleviate the audience of the pain that the evil characters inflict on innocent ones through catharsis and confuse and raise questions in the audience's minds making them wonder why the character died.
1,302 words (approx. 5.2 pages), 1 source, 2000, $ 43.95
From the Paper "Death is the quintessential element for evoking thoughts, feelings and raising questions about Shakespeare's profound play, King Lear. It can alleviate the audience of the pain that the evil characters inflict on innocent ones though catharsis; it can confuse and raise questions in the audience's minds making them wonder why the character died; it can conclude one's life: a natural, benign death. Death is not just a tool for killing off characters, rather it shows us about the lives of characters and how the audience perceived those lives. Shakespeare wanted the audience to leave the play having them questioning themselves and their moral beliefs. "
Abstract Ralph Ellison's use of "dark" and "light" motifs are explored in the construction of this tour-de force novel. The publisher argues that Ellison often inverts our traditional notions of dark and light, or black and white to help blur the line between right and wrong. The essay intends to examine the many different passages that deal with direct contrasts between the symbolic meanings of black and white (good vs. evil, or vice versa) and the passages indicating fundamental differences between literal and figurative blindness.
From the Paper "In this novel, there is a sense of good-men and bad-men, and the central journey of the novel is the narrator?s, as he tries to find both goodness, and self. In a sense, the Invisible Man is searching for the basic human goodness that he understands lies in all men. The novel portrays certain characters as these so-called good-men that must bear the ?white man's burden.? Such a burden is usually taken to mean the subordination of black men at the hands of the whites, but groups who appear on the surface to help the blacks often disguise its meaning."
"It must be noted that not all of man's darker side is repulsive to Ellison, because he often refers to certain good emotions that spring from this darker well of the human psyche. However, man does seem to have a darker side that is totally evil, a side that he tries to hide with rationalizing and conjecture."
Tags: black, catharsis, ellison, equal, literature, race, ralph, rights
Abstract This paper explores Freud's interpretation of the play according to his analysis of the working of the human mind which involved discoveries of unconscious mind, the conscious mind, infantile sexuality, and what he called the Oedipus Complex, the nature of dreams, the etiology of the neuroses, and the origin and meaning of religion, morality, etc., among others. Aristotle's interpretation involves examining the incidents in the tragedy as arousing feelings of pity and fear which should lead to a catharsis.
From the Paper ?In the play by Sophocles, Oedipus the King, Oedipus killed his father and married his mother. The second point was that he had a clear preference for his daughters over his sons, though the reason that he gives for this is quite logical: ?. . . for my sons, be not concerned for them: they can, being men, fend for themselves, wherever they may be: But my unhappy daughters, my two girls,? whose chairs were always set beside my own at table - they who shared in every dish That was prepared for me - oh Creon! these Do I commend to you. And grant me this: To take them in my arms, and weep for them. My lord! most noble Creon! could I now But hold them in my arms, then I should think I had them as I had when I could see them. Ah! what is this? Ah Heaven! do I not hear my dear ones, sobbing? Has Creon, in his pity, sent to me My darling children? Has he? Is it true??
Abstract This paper describes that both Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath were victims of the 1950 middle-class woman's assumed passivity; both of these women reveal in their work the inner-turmoil of being choked by a masculine world. The paper states that Sexton and Plath are classified as confessional poets because their writings detail with honesty the journey from discontent to mental instability with few societal constraints impacting their works. The author believes that the poetry of both Sexton and Plath is a catharsis of their Electra complexes and reflects their struggles to accept their womanhood amid worlds dominated by their fathers.
From the Paper "Plath's experiences as a masculine sacrifice are conveyed in her writings with much more hostility than are Sexton?s, her involvement with the father-daughter relationship of the Electra complex a deeply-rooted emotional disturbance that affected her marriage as well. Consumed by an overwhelming guilt, Plath resents anyone who has power over her, at the same time despising herself for her vulnerability. Unlike Sexton, Plath is neither able to laugh about her role in the Electra complex nor tease about the sexuality of it, for the emotions bombarding her are too complicated, especially since, as her poetry indicates, she loathes her cold, stern, dark father."
Abstract This paper discusses how Freud has been regarded as one of the most influential figures of the twentieth century and how his published works and theories still remain as a major source of inspiration and contention for modern day psychiatrists and psychotherapists and continue to be widely discussed and queried by scholars and practitioners. It looks at how his ideas and theories have filtered into the mainstream and become an accepted part of modern psychology. It also discusses how he reached his beliefs, how his predecessors and contemporaries influenced him and how his theories became so widespread.
From the Paper "He further proposed that infants enter the world as fully sexualised beings without inhibition (the incarnation of the id) and then, as they go through the growing up process, defined in the psychodynamic stages of development, slowly become educated into repressing these desires and become a civilised member of society. These stages all correspond to an erogenous zone, which the child needs to satisfy and repress before moving to the next phase in order to maintain a functional personality. According to Freud, incomplete repression at any stage of these desires will result in either perversion (a term used by Freud to include homosexuality and masochism), hysteria, or unhappiness. These people become trapped by their infantile appetites, fixated at a particular stage, unable to move forward until they have dealt with these feelings through psychoanalysis by rationally condemning them."
Abstract William Shakespeare's most beloved plays are his tragedies. If one were to list his best and most popular plays, "Othello", "Romeo and Juliet", "Hamlet", "King Lear" ,and so forth, one would find the list comprised almost entirely of tragedies. The paper states, therefore, that it would not be amiss to say that much of the modern literary conception of theatrical tragedy is shaped and influenced by Shakespeare. At the same time, the paper shows that the definitions of the tragic form ,as understood at the roots of theatrical history in Greco-Roman times, continue to be part and parcel of the official comprehension of tragedy. The paper shows that many critics have sought to force Shakespeare into the mold of tragedy as defined in Aristotle's "Poetica", and many others have rightfully protested that he was not cast from that mold, and that, in fact, he owes little to it.
From the Paper "On the other hand, there is a startling number of criteria discusses by Aristotle that Yanni never mentions, and which Shakespeare either fulfills or denies to some degree. For example, Aristotle suggests that the proper metre for drama is "The iambic" the proof is that in talking to each other we most often use iambic lines.? (Aristotle) The majority of Shakespeare's tragedies, of course, use iambic lines. Likewise, Aristotle claims that ?Necessarily then every tragedy has six constituent parts, and on these its quality depends. These are plot, character, diction, thought, spectacle, and song.? Shakespeare is well known for his focus on diction, spectacle, and even song. In these categories one could make any number of parallels between Aristotle's dramatic suggestions and the original staged forms of Shakespeare's work."
Abstract This paper explores how, in "Hamlet", William Shakespeare initially portrays Hamlet as a spiteful, indecisive, angry madman. It looks at how he also effectively characterizes Hamlet as a traumatized individual, suffering depression as a result of his father's murder and his mother's incestuous re-marriage. It shows how the reader experiences catharsis as a result of Hamlet's threatening instability and remorseful depression, which causes Hamlet to emerge as both the minister and scourge of the play. It also discusses how, although, at first glance, Hamlet seems irresolute, wrathful, and insane, through Hamlet's characterization Shakespeare creates a feeling of sympathy in the reader.
From the Paper "One may call Hamlet a sinister individual because he plans to kill his uncle, King Claudius of Denmark. However, Hamlet's ghost-father, the former king, reveals that his brother Claudius, who ?now wears his crown,? is the "serpent" who ?stung [him]? while he slept in his orchard. Shakespeare's comparison of Claudius to the serpent in the Garden of Eden evokes pity by revealing an underhanded predator who preys on the vulnerable and disrupts Prince Hamlet's orderly world. Claudius, the primary source of evil in the play, emerges as a powerful, fearful force as opposed to the weak and unstable Prince. Hamlet rejects his first opportunity for retribution, convincing himself not to avenge his father's death while Claudius defenselessly kneels in prayer."
Abstract In his classic work, "Poetics", Aristotle describes the elements of a tragedy. One of the most important elements is the tragic hero. The major characteristic of the tragic hero is a fatal flaw that results in their demise. Other common elements of a tragedy include the use of irony, the inclusion of an anagnorisis, and the catharsis that the audience experiences. These elements of the tragedy are all observed in "Oedipus Rex". Each of these elements are described in this paper.
From the Paper "The first element present is the tragic hero, with King Oedipus taking on this role. King Oedipus's decline is based partly on his fate, where he is fated to kill his father and then marry his own mother. Importantly, it is not just this fate that results in his decline. If this were true, then it would not be his fatal flaw leading to the downfall. The fatal flaw, which Aristotle referred to as Hamartia, is Oedipus's ego and pride. His excessive pride and his strong ego results in Oedipus ignoring the fate, which represents the will of the Gods, and believing that he can overcome his fate. This results in King Oedipus leaving what he thinks is his own homeland and travelling to his real homeland where he kills his father and then marries his mother. This illustrates how his fatal flaw results in Oedipus causing his fate to become a reality."
Abstract This paper examines how memory, both the storing of it and its erasure, plays a pivotal role in eighteenth century slave narratives and in contemporary literary texts about slavery. It argues whether or not it is important to remember slavery and looks at issues such as history and genocide, trauma, identity and catharsis through storytelling. It focuses on both slave narratives and contemporary fiction about slavery and is based around Toni Morrison's comment in "Beloved" ' that the story of slavery should not be "passed on."
From the Paper "The structure of The Longest Memory helps to recreate the theme of trauma and recurring memory. It is cyclical and repetitive with a non-sequential plot; events are described repeatedly from the viewpoints of several different narrators, expressing the idea that memories repeat themselves again and again in the mind of the individual. The narrative is non-chronological and does not follow an organized structure, instead it jumps back and forth in time, describing events as they enter the mind of each narrator, in the same way as thoughts and memories assault the mind of the individual."
Abstract This paper discusses Othello's soliloquy from William Shakespeare's "The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice". This soliloquy is critical for framing the dramatic center of the play. Using the play as the primary text and beginning with a brief summary of what has happened up to this point, the paper presents a discussion of the critical third scene soliloquy of Othello. An analysis of the characters of both Othello and Iago follows logically into an explanation of Artistotle's catharsis, the emotional roots of the play.
From the Paper "We find that Iago, who has been scheming from the first Act of the work, turns his full powers upon Othello. From line thirty-four and following, we see Iago directly attack Othello's emotions, both to suggest that Cassio is up to no good with Othello's wife, and that she herself is succumbing to his charms as seducer. "Ha! I like not that!" Iago proclaims when he and Othello come upon Desdemona and Cassio speaking together (III.iii.34). The timing of events is very important in Act III. Iago anticipates and manipulates the other characters so skillfully that they seem to be acting simultaneously of their own free will and as Iago's puppets."
Abstract This paper explains that, in "Mrs. Dalloway", which is considered the
most schizophrenic of English novels, Virginia Woolf creates the character Septimus as the protagonist Clarissa's doppelganger to mirror Woolf's struggle with mental illness; stream of consciousness inexorably binds together Septimus, Clarissa and Woolf. The author points out that, as Woolf's multi-layered consciousness building becomes increasingly complex, so do her revelations about her characters, which are each a study in contrasts. The paper relates that all of Woolf's characters are broken souls and Woolf is quite evolved in understanding that misery is ultimately about self-absorption; therefore, it is understandable that, by focusing on the theme of madness, "Mrs. Dalloway" explores the enforced development of a society of outsiders.
From the Paper "Clarissa Dalloway's character is drawn from Woolf's mother, who she described as an angel. She is aware that she is "an 'animated mirror' of the shallow world she reflects." Woolf shows us her thoughts about herself: "Nothing else had she of the slightest importance; could not think, write, even play the piano. She...loved success; hated discomfort...talked oceans of nonsense..." In this passage, we can hear Woolf stepping back to pass judgment, but still presenting the thought as Clarissa's: "How much she wanted it--that people should look pleased as she came in...""
