The History of Literature cover image

374 Ancient Plays and Contemporary Theater - A New Version of Sophocles' Oedipus Trilogy (with Bryan Doerries)

The History of Literature

00:00

The Utility of Greek Tragedies

Aristotle used the term catharsis to describe empathy. The utility of greek tragedy is that it actually makes us supremely uncomfortable, he says. "To stay in the room is actually an act of solidarity on the part of the audience"

Play episode at 45:34
Transcript

The AI-powered Podcast Player

Save insights by tapping your headphones, chat with episodes, discover the best highlights - and more!
App store bannerPlay store banner
Get the app