CM 4 Anglais 25 mars 2024

 Drama therapy and psychodrama

Introduction « drama / therapists and theatre / catharsis)

Drama involves doing. The dramatic world is one of action, where participants enact and are active.
Drama therapy and psychodrama involve the use of action methods, ways of engaging participants in
action. This is in contrast to the verbal, non-action psychotherapies that have their origin in the work
of Freud.

Therapists look to theatre.

In his writing, Freud frequently refers to dramatic texts or invokes theatrical metaphors to elaborate
his thoughts on, and techniques for, what he describes as the "science" of psychoanalysis as it
advanced. In The Interpretation of Dreams he refers to Sophocles' ancient dramatic tragedy Oedipus
Rex to make observations on infantile sexuality [...]. Freud sees in Oedipus killing his father and
marrying his own mother not only a representation of psychic organisation and familial desire, but
also, in the slow, staged disclosure of this traumatic knowledge, an example of how the analytic
process should proceed. [...] Many of Shakespeare's plays came under examination at various stages
too, including The Merchant of Venice, Hamlet and Othello, to name a few.

In the paper "Psychopathic Characters on the Stage" (1942), Freud provides a detailed consideration
of the similarity he perceives between theatre and therapy. He begins by alluding to Aristotle's view,
as outlined in Poetics, that the purpose of drama is to arouse "terror and pity". Identifying with
characters on stage, Freud proposes, can "purge the emotions". This processing of feeling, achieved
by connecting with a character or dramatic narrative, is what Aristotle refers to as "catharsis" ,
translated from the Greek word kathairein, roughly meaning "to cleanse" or "to purify".

CATHARSIS
Catharsis, the purification or purgation of the emotions (especially pity and fear) primarily through
art. [Catharsis] is a metaphor used by Aristotle in the Poetics to describe the effects of true tragedy
on the spectator. The use is derived from the medical term katharsis (Greek: "purgation" or
"purification"). Aristotle states that the purpose of tragedy is to arouse "terror and pity" and thereby
effect the catharsis of these emotions. His exact meaning has been the subject of critical debate over
the centuries.
CM 4 Anglais 25 mars 2024

Drama Therapy.
Dundee Rep is : a theatre in Scotland
Listening activity: Introduction to Drama Therapy.

Psychodrama (Jacob Levy Moreno / A fictional example)

The focus of the psychodrama session is on the psychodramatic journey of one group member, the
protagonist, and one this person is identified, the roles taken by the other group members are largely
a reflection of the protagonist’s inner world. In dramatherapy the focus may come to rest on one
individual for most of a session, but it is more likely that the focus will move freely around the group.

WORKSHEET Jacob Levy Moreno, founder of psychodrama (1889-1974)

Physician Médecin
To Seek Chercher
To settle S’installer
Cathartic Cathartique
Purpose But, objectif
To be drawn to stgh Être attire par qqch
To spread S’étendre

Let’s have a look at the process of psychodrama in more detail using the example of a fictional
protagonist, Helen. Helen’s psychodrama

 Grammar.
“The more he works, the less tired he is” – Plus il travaille, moins il est fatigué.

On appele ça la variation parallèle.

On la retrouve dans les proverbes :

“The more, the merrier” Plus on est de fous, plus on rit.

“The sooner, the better” Le plus tôt sera le mieux.

La variation sous condition :

(all) the more / less. …. as / since / because / for

They felt (all) the more tired as / since they had lost the match.
 Ils se sentaient d’autant plus fatigues qu’ils avaient perdu le match.

The painting is (all) the less interesting as it is a copy : le tableau est d’autant moins intéressant que
c’est une copie.

La variation progressive :
It’s getting more and more difficul : ça deviant de plus en plus difficile.

It’s getting colder and colder : il fait de plus en plus froid.

CM 4 Anglais 25 mars 2024

Traduire les phrases suivants en utilisant les variations :

Progressive :

1. Il fume de moins en moins : he smokes less and less

2. De nos jours, de moins en moins d’étudiants apprennent l’allemand : Nowadays, fewer and
fewer students learn German.
3. Cela devient de plus en plus difficile de te parler : it becoming harder and harder difficult to
talk to you.

Parallèle :

4. Plus j’étudie, plus j’aime cela : The more I study, the more I like it.
5. Plus je le connais, plus je la trouve stupide : The better I know him, the better stupid I find
him.

Progressive :

6. L’histoire est d’autant plus extraordinaire qu’elle est vraie :

The story is all the more extraordinary as it is true / for being true.