The term is often interpreted as a purgation of pity and terror, but an alternative understanding suggests a clarification of those feelings dramatists are bringing to a boil.
There is no redemption in this story, although there is heart-wrenching camaraderie and gut-wrenching courage, but certainly no catharsis, no purgation of the dark emotions.
In such times of profound disorientation and fear, catharsis--the purification and purgation of emotions through art--serves as a way to restore conceptual order.