Gulliver's Travels as a menippean satire

Assignment

M.K. Bhavnagar University

Name: Tadha Vanita P.

Class: M.A.-1

Semester: 1

Roll No.  : 31

Paper: 2[Neo-Classical Literature]

Topic: Gulliver's Travels as a menippean satire

Submitted to: Department of English

Guided by: Heena Mam

Batch2014-16

Year: 2014-15

Gulliver’s Travels as a menippean satire

The genre of menippean satire is a form of satire, usually in prose, which has a length and structure similar to a novel and is characterised by attacking mental attitudes instead of specific individuals.
The term is used by classical grammars and by philologist mostly to refer to stories in prose.
A menippean satire is a work that uses fictional elements to satirize mental attitudes instead of peoples or things. By using the structure of a fictional story, the writer is able to demonstrate satire without preach or lecture, instead allowing the reader to understand the satire through fictional events and places. Gulliver’s travels is an excellent example of a menippean satire, placing the everyman Gulliver in to increasingly strange situations and having him try to explain his own hearing stories of positive light. After hearing stories of England the king of Brobdingnag comments:

“… I cannot but conclude the bulk
Of your natives to be the most
Pernicious race of little odious
Vermin that nature ever suffered earth.”

Gulliver gives normal explanation as the author’s commentary through surrogates. Those who speak with Gulliver often think themselves superior, either in society or in manners, and since Gulliver only speaks the simple truth about his society. The reader is at pains to disagree. The social attitudes of each society are strange, but they seem to function far better than the book; Swifts attacks lazy from better sides, leaving the Houyhnhnms society the only one with which Gulliver is entirely enamored.

We find menippean satire in each part

1)     A Voyage to Lilliput
2)     A Voyage to Brobdingnag
3)     A Voyage to Laputa
4)     A Voyage to Houyhnhnms and Yahoo

1)   A Voyage to Lilliput

           Once in Gulliver’s journey he meets with storm and suddenly his spin break and few members escape from them. Gulliver is one of them. He know swim so he reach near beach but in faint situation. When he wake up he found his self on an island and he want to get up but he couldn’t. He feels that he tied with a rope. All around him was the hum of little voice- but I could see nothing except the empty sky. He knew there were people around him, but as far as his eyes could reach there was no one to see.
         Suddenly he feels that large insect moving on his body so he try to see and he found that there was a little man  who walk on his body his height is not more than six inch. There were also fourth little men who marched up on his body. Six inch little man indicate there physical and mental power it means they have not strength to do any work that is the menippean satire. One official man come near Gulliver and he feel hungers but he doesn’t know about Lilliputians official man understanding and call few people and take some food for this man. They bring some basket of fruit and vegetables their all things are look like Gulliver’s county thing but all are tiny than thumb it indicate less development of the country.

          For the indirect satire Swift uses tiny things like vegetables, food and also the people who belonged to that island. Lilliputian thinks that Gulliver keeps in capital so they call engineer to make cart so many engineer come for make cart it suggest that so many people equal not enough strength.
Finally Gulliver keeps in to capital of Lilliput. There is a king who watched him from tower and he comes near Gulliver. King’s behavior is friendly with Gulliver and next day so many people come from village to see him. some of them say that Gulliver will use his strength and destroyed Lilliput so it is necessary to think about him that he has to alive or kill it means they have thought like us first they check like the person is good or not than they take decision king and all people behave with me as he is a friend of them they are always ready for Gulliver’s help like give him food, cloth, water and all kind of help Gulliver think that Lilliputians believe that Gulliver is guest for them
In short we find menippean satire in first part of Gulliver’s travels. Lilliputians are not taller than six inch and their things are also too small.
   For ex
Ø  Glass of water
Ø  Animals
Ø  Sheep, Camel
Ø  Food
Once they make cart for Gulliver because they want to take him in their capital so five hundred people are busy to make cart it means it is too hard for them.

                  2] A voyage to Brobdingnag

          This is second voyage for Gulliver and it is absolutely opposite by first voyage. There is Gulliver is smaller than all people. They all are using Gulliver as an entertainment weapon whenever they want to enjoy.
          They are very tall so Gulliver every time afraid by them but he feels happy because there is no chance to limit because he has no power to rule over this world due to his smallness.
Once he afraid from taller therefore he run away from that place to another place (direction). It indicates that they have not physical and mind power. Gulliver want to go back but there is no chance to go back because his companion go far and so now he decide to take some rest because now he tired. He claimed on a hill from which he could see more of the country. Beyond this hill he saw that the ground was cultivated and properly farmed. But this was not the farmland of his home. The grass itself was twenty feet high and other crops were even higher in short they and their things are higher but they have not knowledge.
          In this land all things are taller it shows that this land is more cultivate or developed than first. The people are look like giant so he is trying to find some hole in the fence through which he could go. Here we also find satire that their voice like thunder high above him.
          In short they all are surprise by me because they first time see me. It shows that they were all watching him closely look off his hat and made a low to the farmer. Then he falls on their knees, raised his hands towards me and spoke a few wards as loudly as he could. He knew that they could not understand me. But he has hoped that his manner would shows that he was asking them not to harm me.May be they understand Gulliver’s language and feelings so they start to behave as friend. It means Gulliver always set himself whenever he goes.

      3)   A Voyage to Laputa

          This is the fourth world which Gulliver visits. This is a floating island it suggest the motion of the people. There is too much different between government and common people. Governments are always busy in their life.
For ex

 When there is any work of king at that time people use for wake up them. If he does not wake up by call, then someone touch and then wake up. 

            This island is full of mystery. The people have power and they same look like Gulliver and they have all things but they are busy in their life. Female are also used here for some weapon.The king concern for the people below but he never comes below to meet people. The king is flappers. Servants are with flappers sanding besides their master. Thinker and scientist are busy in their day dreams. Flutier attempt of educate people. They are so called educated. It is not for the betterment of society. Human should be taxed according to his/her skill or status. There is gap between authority and common people. There is also we find satire on culture.

                                          “Everything is done by individuals
                                           Everything is destroyed by society.”

         There is no stability that we see on island and it is full of corruptions. Gulliver tries to improve his position in hierarchy and is denied to do so. He has self-conscious narrator and his position is limited. This island also indicates society is not flat and life is not stable. In short we have to struggle and not stop till the still the goal reach.

4)   The land of Houyhnhnms and yahoo

          In this land Gulliver meets to horse and he find that animals are far better than human beings. Houyhnhnms and yahoo use for contrasting nature both are extremely different by nature and whole things. Houyhnhnms has a sense so he always ready for Gulliver’s help .One horse moving around him and he wants to be a friend of horse.
          By this part we find transformation in Gulliver. Now he starts to hate human society and he has no longer care for human society. He quickly learns the language of Houyhnhnms. Gulliver tells them about his country where human beings rules and horse are trained to work them. Houyhnhnms are not ready to believe in Gulliver’s view. Here animals are rational and cultured. The shocking part of this part is the revolution of yahoos and their identity is human beings. No family planning orphan degradation.
         In short here we fiend satire that animals are far better than human beings because they have sense so always ready for Gulliver’s help and Gulliver learn their language so it is helpful for him. Europeans described as yahoos greed and selfishness in human nature. Gulliver thinks of his people as Europeans yahoos and his prefer to live with barbarians than with his own people. Swift is challenging the traditional idea that humans are rational animals.

Conclusion

             Thus, we can say that voice is controlled by upper people others are also tormented by the social hierarchy. Everybody has to obey to king. Gulliver tries to improve his position in hierarchy and is denied to do and he is a self-conscious narrator his position is limited and his concept was to earn money, to get position. But at the end he gets nothing except good behavior of Houyhnhnms.

The Renaissance in India by Aurobindo

Assignment

M.K.BhavnagarUniversity

Name: Tadha Vanita P.

Class: M.A.-1

Semester: 1

Roll No. : 31

Paper: 4[Indian Writing in English]

Topic: The Renaissance in India by Sri Aurobindo

Submitted to: Department of English

Guided by: Heena Mam

Year: 2014-15

Sri Aurobindo Ghosh

Sri Aurobindo is Indian Hindu nationalist, philosopher, scholar, poet, evolutionary, yogi and guru. After a short political career in which he become one of leader of the early movement for the freedom of India from British rule, Sri Aurobindo turned to the development and practical of a new spiritual path which he called the “integral yoga”, the aim of which was further the evolution of life on Earth by establishing a high level of spiritual consciousness which he called the super mind that would represent a divine life.

Sri Aurobindo wrote prolifically in English on his spiritual philosophy and practice, on Indian culture including extensive Indian scriptures, on literature and poetry including the writing of much spiritual poetry.

Critically Analysis of ‘The Renaissance in India’ by Sri Aurobindo Ghosh.      

Introduction

In the19th century, India had lords of superstition blind faith, ignorance, evil customs, and the class system. People were narrow minded and conservative. The condition women was worst the evil customs like female infant, sati ban on widow, remarriage etc. stared. This reforms bought culture and religion awareness and as a result, this event may be considered as Indian renaissance. It is believed that Raja Rammohan Roy has started it.

   The influence of new education

          In the period of 1835-1855 considered as Indian people influence by English education.  The period when the British influenced the Indian in a large context this period is called as the period of Lord Macaulay who introduced as vogue (fashion) day by day this period is also cooperated with the Elizabethan period in England that time new literature is born and Indian people start speaking and learning English. They soon start writing as well as.

         The new education system brought rapid changes among people make them similar to western. This is how people were highly affected to foreign language. The moved towards new language that is why Devendranath Tagore concern for native language. He went home to home and requested them not to change their vernacular language in craze of foreign language.

This period are called:

1.  Lord Macaulay and

2.  Elizabethans

How renaissance began in India

The Indian Renaissance begins with the Modern period. In addition, the modern period starts with the British domination in India. The British rule brought political unity to India, which she was lacking for centuries. It also brought with it a new and expanding religion, a different culture and civilisation, which has had enormous impact the life and mind of the people of India.

The British Impact [negative aspect]

The important fact to be note is that with its roots in a materialistic view of the universe and self-unsteadiness as well the western civilisation was incapable of reviving the spiritual culture of ancient India directly onto the floor. It will be too much to hold that a civilization. Which exaggerates bodily and mental life could directly lead to the discovery of the inner spirit of man and its immense possibilities. At best, it could give rise to condition under which the dormant creative faculty the Indian spirit could be revived.

     “This was the first time perhaps that the Indian mind was thrown off its balance. Even the devastating Muslim invasion and conquests had not produced a result of this kind.”

The British Impact (positive side)

Every “no-moon” has its positive side to show at some or others time. In addition, the impact of western thought is no exception. It gave momentum to the renaissance movement in India. English education enable Indian mind for the first time to have a closer view of western culture. Because of which the mental outlook of the educated Indian mid was broadened. Indian people now could understand and appreciate the ideological force that was the living force for the west. They also felt the direct impact of a great industrial, scientific and technical civilization, which was in a process; to change the shape of the critical and reflective attitude, and they become more conscious of the shortcomings of their own society. Moreover, they could be conscious of evils that had entered Indian society through the ages and had almost deprived it of its dynamism and creative vigour.

The Renaissance in India with defence of Indian culture

1.  Essay on the volume of Indian civilisation and culture.

2.  This volume consists of three series of essay and one single essay.

 1“The renaissance in India”

 2 “Indian Culture and External Influence

 3 “Is India Civilised?” and “defence of Indian Culture”. 

                

They were first published in the monthly review Array between 1918 and 1921 and 1913 and, they appeared a book under the title. The Foundations of Indian Culture.

The Renaissance in India

The renaissance was a new birth in India. It is the Fact must become a thing of immense importance both to herself and the world to herself because of all that is meant for reassign of a force that is in many respects unlike any other its genius very different from the mentality the modern idea in mankind, although not so far away perhaps from that which is preparing to govern the future.

                There is a first question whether at all there is really a renaissance in India that depends a good deal on mane by the world;

It depends also on the future for the thing itself is only in its infancy and it is too early to say to what it may lead. The shaping for itself of a new body of new philosophical, artistic, literary, cultural, political, social forms by the same soul juvenescent will, I should think, be the type of the Indian renascence,- forms not contradictory of the truths of life which the old expressed, but rather expressive of those truths restated, cured of defect completed.

Sri Aurobindo on Indian Culture

Sri Aurobondo, the hared of India, is unique in interpreting Indian culture he has distinctly advanced the thought of the age on the subject. The meaning of India’s cultural history is depended and widened in the fluent ideas and thoughts imbued in his Stung by the ignorant foreign criticism against Indian culture, Sri Aurobindo has given a new scope to the hitherto unknown world of thought. The image of Indian culture is tarnished indeed in later times but not wholly invisible, nor wholly without its power of inspiration.

       Sri Aurobindo gave as the panorama of India’s past culture history in stimulating and enlightening manner. The political westernisation was followed by a social turn of the same kind, brought consequently all Indian had been vulgarise, and anglicised in its aesthetic nations by English education and influence. The velocity of these rapid, inevitable changes did leave no time for the growth of a sound though and spiritual reflection. Nevertheless, thanks to Sri Aurobindo have forewarned effort in his writings.

      What then was the true meaning of this ancient Indian culture as elicited By Sri Aurobindo? He unfolded the mine of this culture layer so that we can recapture the essence of it. He held a mirror up to. India’s scriptures, religions, literature, social, political and cultural history reflects a comprehensive image of the tree of Indian culture.

      Right from the beginning of Vedas, Indian literature is the mental activity of so great a creative people. The early mind of Indian in its growth is represented by the four supreme productions of her genizus –

     i.          The Vedas

  ii.          The Upanishads and

Psychological seeds of Indian culture and the Upanishads the true expression of the highest spiritual knowledge and experience. The pure literature of the period is exposing though the two great Epics – Ramayana and Mahabharata. There was an equally opulent and richly coloured decline. Nevertheless, the decline is not to death, for it is followed by certain rejuvenation as was shown by the extraordinary flourish of Bharturihari, Kalidasa and others.

              The cloudy sky of Indian culture is silver lined by Sri Aurobindo’ promising thought. Indian will be the leader in a new would phase. The spiritual and intellectual gulf between East and west if not filled up, will at deist be bridged.  There was already the influence of Geeta and Upanishads and great intellects like Schopenhauer and Remer son. The aim of Indian culture was a lasting organisation that would minimise or even eliminate the principal of struggled.

Collected plays and stories:-

All original dramatic work and work of prose are fictions.

Volume1.                 A] The Vizier of Bassora

                 B] Rodogune

                 C] Peruse

Volume2.                 A] Eric

                 B] Vasavadtta

Lets we see in detail:-

A] The Vizier of Bassora

              This play is pure romance. The slave girl Ance-al-joles and nurrddence. The Vizier was Alfazzal’s son. They fall in love with each other. This play present the rebel between two Vizier because love problem of Anise and Nureddence.

                 The play presents the story of Bagdad.

B] Rodogune   

             

          It was published in 1958. It is poet imaginative location. This play located in Syria. At the death of her second husband, she has two sons. 1. Antiochus and 2.Timoclus both are comes from Egypt for properties and live with his uncle. Rodogune is a servant who works in Cleopatra’s house Antiochus and Rodogun each other fall in love and his brother Timoclus also love with her. Once Cleopatra rejects Antiochus, therefore he takes revenge with mother. The court people give bed ideas to Timoclus therefore he take death on his brother Antiochus and Timoclous tell to  Redogun that to marry with me but she reject him and at the end of the play Rodogun also follow her lover and Timoclus regret for death of his brother.

This play is imaginative plotting and good. Antiochus is hero and Rodogun is heroin of this play.

 C]. Peruses 

          This play is also located in Syria. In this story, the centre character is not the hero but heroin Andromeda. Andromeda is passive character peruses is a miracle magician.Perseus save Andromeda from sea monster.

There is second controversy story.

          Andromeda is an active character. She is a very bereave therefore Andromeda fight with Polaydaon. Nevertheless, Andromeda Carriage by Peruses they both are united to take revenge and their life become full of adventure. There are contras between new ethic and old ethic. The new ethic must prevalent.

Second Volume

A]. Eric

         This story is similar kind of play ‘Peruses’ Eric is the elected king of Nervy. Swegan’s wife Hertha. They two are comes to Eric court dress as dancing girls. There Eric destroys aim but Eric falls in love with Aslung she too is drown towards him. This play presents their love with lover’s heart.

B]. Vasavadatta

         This play is like Rodogun. The strong publication appears in 1957. The story of this play is full of romance thus close to Rodogun. This story finds in Somdeva’s “Kthasaritsagar” and there is the dramatic version by Bhasa in his “Svapnavasavadata”. Nevertheless, Aurobindo gave dramatic intensity.

The hero of play is Udayana. He is a young king of Cowsambi. In this play, he is actually passive figures. He is the political rebel of king Avanti.

This all play presents the need of love and goodness, evil and all kind of power.

The worlds some of the writer followed the Elizabethan tradition of writing.

Conclusion

Sri Aurobindo Ashram and auroville as experiments of international communities as embodying the social context of the integral yoga. It is useful to ponder these possible in the ideal and life of the Sri Aurobindo ashram, whose population increased hugely during the 1940s and began to be dominated by increasing religious devotionals. In 1968, the mother took the idea of the spiritual community a step closer to the world at large with the creation of God, and international city with the aim of fostering world unity through spiritual growth in understanding and oneness. Among other things, the mother may have respond to some of the shadows of the Ashram idea in setting up this alternate social field for the practice of the same yoga. This pessimistic though realistic scenario is not, however, without its silver lining-both the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and Oroville continue to harbour personalities and possibilities capable of giving a positive expression to the social experiment that Sri Aurobindo conceived as part of his “dialogic Orientalism” and articulated in his texts and practices partner by the mother. It remains to be seen how the unstable force in these two habitation, whether in fulfilment or failure of their promise, they are able to manifest.

The Theory of Catharsis by Aristotle

Assignment

Theory of Catharsis by Aristotle

Name: Tadha Vanita P.

Class: M.A.-1

Semester: 1

Roll No. : 31

Paper: 3[The Literary Theory and Criticism]

Topic:  The Theory of Catharsis by Aristotle

Submitted to: Department of English

Guided by: Dr Dilip Barad

Batch: 2014-16

Year: 2014-15

Theory of Catharsis by Aristotle

As the exact meaning and concept of Catharsis, there has been a lot of controversy among scholars and critics down the centuries. Therefore deserved separate treatment. Let us consider it in detail.

Definition of Catharsis

A Catharsis is an emotional and discharge through which one can achieve astute of moral or spiritual renewal or achieve a stases of libration from anxiety and stress. Catharsis is a Greece word and it means cleansing. In literature it is used for the cleansing of emotional of the characters. It can also be any other radical change that leads to emotional rejuvenation of a person.

John Morley has rightly said;

“The immense controversy carried on in books, pamphlets, sheets and flying article, mostly German, as to what is was that Aristotle really meant by the famous words in the sixth chapter of the poetics, about tragedy accomplishing the purification of our moods of pity and disgrace of the human intelligence, a grotesque of the monument of sterility”.

Function of Catharsis: Dramatic uses

In dramatic art the term Catharsis the impact of tragedy, comedy or any other form of art on the audience and in some cases even on the performer himself or herself.  Aristotle did not elaborate on the meaning of “Catharsis” and the way he used it in defining tragedy in the poetics.

According to G.F.Else, the conventional and the most prevalent explanation of Catharsis as “purgation” or “cleansing” does not have a basic in the poetics. It has rather stemmed from other non- Aristolian and Aristolian contexts. Such confusing regarding the origin of the term has led to assorted interpretation of its meaning.

“Pity, fear and Catharsis”, are the different shades of meaning and aspects inherent in the interpretation of the word.

The most common interpretation of the term purgation and purification, are still widely used. The most recent interpretation of the term Catharsis is “intellectual clarification”.

Aristotle’s Conception of tragic catharsis in poetics:-

1.   The term ‘Catharsis’ is a controversial term

The ‘Catharsis’ is used only once in the course of Aristotle’s in the fourth chapter. It has many different interpretations and controversial. The fact that Aristotle does not define or explain the term… perhaps, he did so in the second book of the poetics, which is lost. The term has been explained by critics in the light of it use in Aristotle’s other works, such as his Poetics and Ethics. It has also been noted that the term ‘Catharsis’ has three meaning

[1] “Purgation”

[2] “Purification” OR

[3] “Clarification”

Only one thing has been agreed upon - that tragedy should arouse pity and fear.

2. The place of Catharsis is the definition of Tragedy.

Tragedy then is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in the language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being Found in separate parts of the play in the form of action, not of narrative; through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation catharsis of these and similar emotions.

 3.   The place of pity and fear in Catharsis

The terms ‘pity’ and ‘fear’ are closely connected in Aristotelian theory. There are different types of fear. Fear can be centered on an individual, in the form of some vague feeling of insecurity and anxiety. It could possibly derive from a feeling for others, even for society or the state. Fear may also arise out of feelings of guilt in ourselves, when we see it portrayed in someome else.

Pity, we are told by Aristotle is occasioned by undeserved misfortune and fear by that of one like ourselves. In the Rhetoric, fear is defined as “a kind of pain or disturbance due to a mental picture of some destructive or painful evils in the future”.

4.   ‘Catharsis’ taken as a Medical Term: purgation theory

In Medical terms purgation meant the partial removal of excess “humors”. The health of the body depended on a true balance of the humors. Thu purgation of the emotions, of pity and fear does not mean the removal of these emotions, but that the passion on emotions is reduced to a healthy, balanced proportion.

F.L.Lucas in his tragedy: Serious drama in relation to Aristotle’s poetics asks three pertinent questions, and answers very illuminatingly. The question is:

A] What was really Aristotle’s view?

B] How far is it true?

C] What let him to adopt it?

Let us consider the answers one by one.

1.   The meaning of Catharsis

According to F.L.Lucas

“First, there has been age-long controversy by about Aristotle’s meaning through it has almost always been accepted that whatever he meant was profoundly catharsis as  Purification’, ‘correction or refinement’, ‘Ringing’, or the like. It has been suggested’ in the theater by becoming disinterested’ timid, It is bad to be selfishly sentimental, timid, and querulous; but it is good to pity Othello or to fear for Hamlet. Our selfish emotion has been sublimated. All this is most edifying; but it does not appear to what Aristotle intended”.

Only specific kinds of fear are to be moderated. Aristotle does not seem to have in mind the fears of horrors on the stage which as Lucas suggest are “supposed to have made women miscarry with terror in the theater”, Aristotle specifically mentions ‘sympathetic fear for the characters’. “And by allowing free vent to this in the theater, men are to lessen in facing life therefore, their own fear of… the general dread of destiny.”

There are besides fear and pity the allied impulses which also are to be moderated. “Grief, weakness, contempt, blame - these I taken to be the story of thing that Aristotle meant by ‘feeling of that sort’.

2.   How far is Aristotle’s view of Catharsis true?

We may feel after witnessing a tragedy that certain tension in course of the hour’s traffic upon the stage are built up and relaxed. We may feel release when certain emotions are worked up in the mind and are rinsed out as it were at the end which is more or less positive by implication, for death or calamity is explained and accounted for as arising from certain avoidable weakness or miscalculation of the hero. This sort of relaxation or release after a prolonged lesion that is built up and maintained during the drama, through a welcome feeling, is not a purgation or moderation but fulfillment or satisfaction with the conclusion which is not only logical but also reasonable, which is not outrageously pessimistic but sadly positive and corrective of tragic error to the spectators. Certain moral ends of catharsis might be incidentally achieved. But it is not the chief end of tragedy.

F.L.Lucas observes:

“One could of course, argue that these good folks were instinctively craving a catharsis. But I should have thought they were suffering in their daily lives, not from excess of emotion, but from deficiency; that they wanted’ not to be ‘purge’, but to be fed - that they were hungry and thirsty for emotions that the dull round of their days denied.”

And again, he observes

“Aristotle stands in the position of a person arguing with a fanatical puritan about wine or dancing. The advocate of moderate indulgence is naturally driven to plead that wine is good medicinally and dancing as exercise; but, in fact, man do not usually drink wine as medicine, and only Socrates dances alone in his house for exercise.”

3.   What led Aristotle to adopt this theory?

“Poetry, said Plato, makes men cowardly by its picture of the afterworld. N, replies Aristotle, it can purge men’s fears. Poetry, said Plato, encourages men to be historical and uncontrolled. On the contrary, answers his pupil, it makes then less, not more, emotional by giving a periodic healthy outlet to their feelings. In short, Aristotle’s definition of tragedy is half a defense.”

But it is only half a defense. That is to say that the other half of the theory is possibly the result of a serious,  analytical inquiry of Aristotle’s in to the nature of tragic delight and its psychological effects. His catharsis forms the most important port of his concept of tragedy as a positive, not pessimistic, drama which leaves wholesome effect, not mere disturbance, in the minds of the spectators.

Catharsis established tragedy as a drama of balance. Sorrow alone would be ugly and repulsive. Beauty pure world be imaginative and mistrial. These together constitute what may be called tragic beauty

Pity alone would be sentimentality. Fear alone would make us cowards, But pity and fear, sympathy and terror together constitute the tragic feeling which is most delightful through it is tearfully delightful.

Such tragic beauty and tragic feeling which is evokes constitutes the aesthetic of balance as propounded for the first time by Aristotle in his theory of catharsis. Therefore, we feel, reverence which Aristotle has enjoyed through ages has not gone to him undeserved. His insight has rightly earned it.

Examples of Catharsis

A] “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare

This play presents a great example of catharsis. The audience and readers of Macbeth usually pity and tragic central figure of the play because he was blind by his destructive preoccupation with ambition.

In act 1he is made the thane of Cawdor by king Duncan, which makes him a prodigy, well-regarded for his valor and talent. However, the era of his doom starts when he like most people, gets carried away by ambition and the supernatural world as well. Subsequently, he loses his wife his veracity and eventually his life. The temptation of ambition robes him of the essence of his existence as a human being and leaves behind nothing but discontent and a worthless life. In act 5, Macbeth gathers this idea in his soliloquy. He says while speaking of his life.

“…a poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage

And then is heard no more. It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing”

B]. “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare

“Here to my love! (Drinks) O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die. (Falls)”

In “Romeo and Juliet”, Romeo commits suicide by drinking the poison that he erroneously thinks Juliet had tasted too. The audience usually finds themselves crying at this particular moment for several reasons Primarily because losing a loved  one is a feeling that all of us share. Watching or reading such a scene riggers the memories of someone we have lost (either by death or by mere separation) and because we are able tonrelate to it, we suddenly release the emotions that we have been repressing.

“…pity and fear, artificially stirred the latent pity and fear which we bring with us from real life.”

In the Neo-Classical era, catharsis was taken to be an allopathic treatment with the unlike curing unlike. The arousing of pity and fear was supposed to bring about the purgation or ‘evacuation’ of other emotions, like anger, pried etc. As Thomas Taylor holds;

“We learn from the terrible fates of evil men to avoid the vices they manifest.”

F.L.Lucas rejects the idea that catharsis is a medical metaphor, and says that:

“The theater is not a hospital.”

Both Lucas and Herbert regard it as a kind of safety valve. Pity and fear are aroused; we give free play to these emotions which is followed by emotional relief.

According to the purification’ theory catharsis implies that our emotions are reduced to intermediate state, trained and directed towards the right objects at the right time. The spectator learns the proper use of pity, fear and similar emotions by witnessing tragedy. Butcher writes.

“The tragic Catharsis involves not only the idea of emotional relief, but the further idea of purifying the emotions so relieved.”

Conclusion

Aristotle is a great critic, and what he said centuries ago will continue to influence thinking as it has done all this time. It is unfortunate that he has not explained some of the terms which seem so very significant to his central thesis. The term ‘catharsis’, for instance, has been interpreted so variously that it is difficult to come to an agreement as to what Aristotle really meant of the theories advanced to explain catharsis, the clarification theory appears to be the most acceptable, perhaps, for it tends to relate catharsis to the psychology of the audience. And, after all Aristotle was writing on the art of poetry. All the same, the last word on catharsis has not yet been said.