Catharsis

(Greek: κάθαρσις) The emotional purging — of pity, fear, or both — that Aristotle believed great tragedy produced in its audience. Scholars have debated for centuries whether catharsis is medical (a literal cleansing of disturbing emotions), moral (a clarification of ethical feeling), or aesthetic (a pleasurable release of tension). In practice, Oedipus Rex tends to produce catharsis through overwhelming pity; Macbeth through a mixture of dread and moral satisfaction.