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The Times & The Sunday Times
The Times & The Sunday Times
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It’s a tragedy

The Times
The Times

Sir, There was no need for a study to determine whether people actually gain anything from watching films that make them cry (“Why those film tearjerkers make us happy”, Aug 25). This “mystery” was long ago solved by Aristotle, who identified tragedy’s power to cleanse and purify our most turbulent emotions: catharsis.

Helen Amos

Northampton