Final answer:
Catharsis theory, attributed to Harvey Carr, suggests that plays serve as an outlet for emotions and can help individuals purge unhealthy emotions. By watching intense emotions and brutal acts on stage, the audience can vicariously experience these emotions and gain a better understanding of what is right and wrong.
Step-by-step explanation:
Catharsis theory is an early 20th-century idea that draws on ancient Greek concepts. It proposes that plays serve as an outlet for bottled-up emotions and can help individuals purge unhealthy emotions. This theory, attributed to Harvey Carr, is based on the belief that by watching intense emotions and brutal acts on stage, the audience can vicariously experience these emotions and then feel emotionally purged, gaining a better understanding of what is right and wrong.