Aristotle was born in 384 B.C. in ancient Greece and was one of the greatest philosophers of all time. Among the many impacts he made on our understanding of human life was his interpretation of theater. Aristotle believed that theatre came from the human desire to imitate situations around us and looked at it as a recreation rather than an invention. He also believed that the purpose of theatre is to arouse feelings of pity and fear in the audience (called catharsis), which results in people becoming stronger emotionally.