define catharsis in the context of oedipus rex

In the play Oedipus Rex, catharsis is defined as an emotional release that leads to cleansing and healing. The catharsis in Oedipus Rex is the act of King Oedipus' self-blinding. After becoming aware that the prophesies he believed he'd avoided had come true and what their results had been, he was an emotional firecracker. He turned the experience into a healing process when he took away his own sight.