Question

many of us (perhaps all) thrive on stories. a good story will have a start, a middle, and an end. a good story will also have characters we care about, a conflict, and a resolution. a good story will make us feel something—happy, sad, angry, scared, or a combination of these emotions.

aristotle knew a thing or two about stories. he said that a good story (which he called a \tragedy\) should have a \beginning, a middle, and an end.\ he also said that a good story should make the audience feel \pity and fear.\ by feeling these emotions, the audience would experience a kind of emotional release, which aristotle called \catharsis.\

1. shakespeare also knew a thing or two about stories. in his play romeo and juliet, he tells the story of two young lovers who are from feuding families. the story has a beginning (the meeting of romeo and juliet), a middle (the development of their relationship and the conflict with their families), and an end (the tragic death of the two lovers). in this story, we feel pity for romeo and juliet, and we fear for their safety. we also feel anger at their families for keeping them apart. by the end of the play, we have experienced a kind of catharsis—we feel relieved that the story is over, but we also feel a sense of loss.

1. what is the appeal of a tragedy? why do we like to watch stories that make us feel sad or scared? the answer, according to aristotle, is catharsis. by feeling these emotions, we are able to release them in a safe way. we dont actually have to experience the events of the story, but we can feel the emotions that the characters feel. this is why we like to watch horror movies or read scary books—we can feel the fear without actually being in danger.

1. a more technical explanation of catharsis is the relief of tension or anxiety through emotional discharge. from the emotional expression, the audience is supposed to achieve a kind of cleansing or purging of the emotions that they have been feeling. not only are we letting go of the anxiety caused by the story, but we also release some of the tension that we feel in our own lives. in essence, these characters give us a means of feeling pity and fear, and then letting go of these emotions. in science, this is known as the

elief theory\ of catharsis. the idea is that watching a tragedy allows us to release our own pent-up emotions in a safe way.

1. so, the next time you watch a sad movie or read a scary book, think about catharsis. think about how the story makes you feel, and how that feeling is a form of emotional release. you might find that you enjoy the story even more because of it.

Explanation:

Paragraph 5 defines catharsis first as "the relief of tension or anxiety through emotional discharge", then rephrases it as "a kind of cleansing or renewal". "Cleansing" is directly stated as a synonym for the emotional renewal/relief described.

Answer:

C. cleansing