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
This paper discusses how Shakespeare's tragedy "Hamlet" is, first and foremost, a revenge play--the entire plot revolves around Prince Hamlet's desire to exact revenge for his father's death. In particular, the paper discusses how like most revenge plays, the actual act is not achieved until the very end due to a series of unexpected delays in an effort to delay the momentum of the play. Through an analysis of the play, the paper attempts to theorize that Hamlet's delay is due to several points such as the ghost's origins giving him dubious reasons to follow its advice and Hamlet's nature which does not allow him to act in a manner without engaging all aspects of his emotional state. The paper also looks at how Hamlet's delay is simply because he wishes to wreak utter havoc upon the Danish court in order to achieve ultimate catharsis for himself.

From the Paper
"Readers have also argued that it is Hamlet's very nature that disallows him to exact revenge. It is true that Hamlet is a compulsive talker. It is also true that he is unlike anyone else in that bright, corrupt court--his education, physical distance, and introspective nature coincide to make him an alien in his native land. Hamlet uses words to protect, and to protest himself. While many readers assert that this is a symbol of Hamlet's innate profundity, it seems too that he speaks in order to delay action. He is not a coward--his later decisive actions belie this. It is, perhaps, his tragic flaw to be intelligent enough to know that he cannot act yet unable to stop himself from analyzing every aspect of his revenge plot (Johnston 15)."

Tags:ghost, revenge, Claudius

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."

Tags:Iago, Oedipus, Rex, Elizabethan

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...""

Tags:mother, narrator, schizophrenic, contrast, self-absorption

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. "

Tags:and, goneril, regan

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."

Tags:research, Catharsis, desensitized, victim, aggresion, violence

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) "

Tags:Hamartia, Hubris, Catharsis

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."

Tags:hamartia, revenge, gods, tragic flaw, harmony, catharsis, plot, climax, reversal of fortune, drama, poetry, Hellenistic society, Greeks, Achilles, Hector, Helen, Trojans, Achaeans

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."

Tags:mental, confessional, instability, father, daughter

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?"

Tags:Aristotle, tragedy, Poetics, imitation, action, serious, magnitude, dramatic, narrative, form, greek