A cura pela palavra na tragédia segundo Aristóteles

Abstract

This article investigates the therapeutic power of the word in Classical Antiquity, with emphasis on Aristotle’s conception of tragedy as a means of healing. It first examines the use of language in Homeric epics, in Plato’s thought, and in Hippocratic medicine, highlighting its symbolic and relational value in the care of body and soul. Practices such as enchantment and the culture of guilt, which linked word, health, and illness, are considered. The analysis then turns to Aristotle’s Poetics, where tragedy is understood as the imitation of human actions that arouse fear and pity, leading to catharsis. More than a linguistic resource, the tragic word emerges as an instrument of inner transformation and emotional purification. It is concluded that ancient tradition acknowledged the therapeutic scope of the word in physical, psychic, social, and spiritual dimensions, anticipating reflections later consolidated in practices of care and psychotherapy.

Keywords: Aristotle; tragedy; word; catharsis; psychotherapy.