catastasis
English edit
Etymology edit
From Ancient Greek κατάστασις (katástasis, “settling, appointment”).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
catastasis (countable and uncountable, plural catastases)
- In classical drama, the second and penultimate section, in which action is heightened for the catastrophe.
- 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses:
- It doubles itself in the middle of his life, reflects itself in another, repeats itself, protasis, epitasis, catastasis, catastrophe.
- 1965, John Fowles, The Magus:
- The object of the meta-theatre is precisely that – to allow the participants to see through their first roles in it. But that is only the catastasis.
- (rhetoric) The part of a speech that states the subject to be discussed.