Different approaches to the concept of "Catharsis" in theater: Affirmation / negation

The concept of catharsis, which was defined by Aristotle for the first time, has been a concept mentioned in many areas. In this study, the handling of the concept of catharsis in the field of theater and its change and development in the field are examined. For this purpose, etymological and medical definition of catharsis is made in the first part and its equivalents in the field of philosophy and psychology are emphasized. Then, starting from the field of philosophy, positive and negative approaches to the concept were examined. In addition, in this section, the views of Jacob Levy Moreno, who carries catharsis in the sense of psychology through psychodrama and Spontaneity Theater, are mentioned. In the last chapter, the theaters of four theater theorists (Aristotle, Antonin Artaud, Bertolt Brecht and Augusto Boal) who focused on catharsis were examined comparatively under the titles of affirmation and negation of catharsis. Key Words: Theatre, Psychology, Catharsis, Audience