
And the key to any sort of catharsis in an audience member to any type of story is their identification with the situation, events, and especially the characters. To the degree, we resonate with the experience of the characters in a story, we connect with them, we understand and empathize with their emotions, passions, wants and needs, and in effect we participate in their experiences. That can lead to catharsis, a roiling of feelings and a release of those feelings when the story resolves.