ABSTRACT
Aristotle's remarks on catharsis became a well-known crux in the early stages of the reception of the text. This chapter foreshadows Shakespeare's treatment of dramatic resolution in the late plays and focuses on the medical contexts of purgation in the period. The doctors of the late plays – Cornelius and Cerimon – are figured as important agents of dramatic resolution. The connection between catharsis and the rite of confession seems removed from the medical-therapeutic contexts. But in Catholic cultures of the sixteenth century, confession was also seen as a therapeutic process, since in Catholic theology, the sacrament of penance is one of the Church's two sacraments of healing. While it is hard to claim with any certainty what Aristotle means in his discussion of catharsis, most contemporary critics would agree that it should be understood as an effect experienced by the audience in response to tragedy.
