Исследуется воспитательный потенциал античного театра через призму аристотелевского понятия «катарсис». Сначала выделяются базовые интерпретации трагического катарсиса: религиозно-медицинская, этическая, структурная и интеллектуа-листская. Затем производится оценка педагогических возможностей античного театра в свете каждой из вышеназванных интерпретаций. Как выяснилось, наибольшим образом педагогическим задачам отвечает последняя интерпретация катарсиса как интеллектуального прояснения.

The paper is devoted to the investigation of the pedagogical potential of ancient theatre in the light of Aristotle’s notion of catharsis. The author defined the following basic interpretations of catharsis: religious-medical, ethical, structural and intellectual. The religious-medical interpretation means that the spectator’s soul is purged from its excessive passions by means of a theatrical performance that brings some healing to the spectator. The ethical interpretation is that the spectator’s empathy to the drama forms a proper disposition of the soul, brings the spectator back to the “virtuous and happy moderatism”. The adherents of the structural interpretation of catharsis suppose that it is the tragic performance that is purified. Thus, in order to make spectators empathize with the protagonist, the creator of the tragedy must show that the motives of the protagonist are not criminal. Catharsis as an intellectual clarification is the inferring from particular events on the stage to universal laws which spectators make. Further, the author of the paper estimated the pedagogical potential of ancient theatre in the light of each of the above interpretations. Since in Politics (1341a21-24) Aristotle contrasts KaBapotg and gaBROtg, the religious-medical interpretation of catharsis does not allow us to see pedagogical potential in ancient theatre. It is surprising, but even the ethical interpretation of catharsis does not solve the problem. The matter is that the emotional engagement of spectators in the theatrical action which entails changes in their souls is not voluntary because it does not contain npoaipsotg. Therefore, seeing a play cannot be an instrument for producing the virtuous disposition of the soul, for that disposition is produced by means of actions, i.e. by npoaipsotg. The structural sense of catharsis completely suppresses our attempts to place ancient theatre in the educational sphere, as it is entirely related to the internal logic of the tragedy. The latest interpretation of catharsis as an intellectual clarification is most suitable for pedagogical tasks (if they mean the formation of abstract thinking). In addition to the above interpretations the author offers a “stoic” version of the solution. According to this version seeing terrible events which occur with ordinary people on the stage, empathizing them, understanding their own vulnerability make spectators of the ancient tragedy true Stoics who are ready for any tests, and with due calmness of spirit they will withstand anything an unprepared person will be horrified by.