Catastasis
[kə-TAS-tə-sis]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Greek, mid-17th century
1.
The third part of an ancient Greek drama, in which the action is heightened for the catastrophe.
Examples of Catastasis in a sentence
"The relationships between the characters in the play grew more complex as it reached its catastasis."
"Antoine announced, as though it was the catastasis of a Greek drama, that he planned to abstain from carbs for the entire month."
About Catastasis
“Catastasis” is taken from the ancient Greek “katástasis,” meaning “settling” or “appointment.”
Did you Know?
“Catastasis” can mean two things: In modern rhetoric, it refers to the part of a speech that lays out the subject and core argument. But in ancient Greek theater traditions, the term referred to the point in a drama when the action moves toward the catastrophe, the dramatic event through which the plot becomes resolved. In a play, the catastasis occurs toward the end, while in a speech it occurs first. In both cases, however, the catastasis determines the resolution.
