Theatre of the Oppressed

This term refers to one of three elements of Aristotle’s construction of tragedy for catharsis. Anagnorisis represents the moment in which the protagonist recognizes their flaws through reasoning. By accepting the progatonist’s error on stage, spectators can internalize the lesson of the hero.

In Aristotle’s tragedy, the catastrophe is the moment during which the consequences of the protagonist’s misguided actions reach a climax, and the happy ending of the story is subverted. The function of the catastrophe is to solidify for spectators the ramifications of vice and unlawful action.

For Aristotle’s construction to work, Boal explains that empathy for the tragic hero must be present in the spectator. In this explanation, empathy requires more than merely understanding the experiences of the protagonist. Instead, spectators must live vicariously through the hero on the stage.