The term ‘tragedy’ today has entirely negative connotations. In classical Athens, however, tragedy was thought to have a therapeutic and healing function. It enabled Athenians to confront and move beyond their deepest fears and hatred through a process of catharsis, a change of heart. Recovering this view could have important implications for Ukraine.

Two years after the violent insurrection around and inside the US Capitol building, the threat to the oldest democracy in modern Western history is far from over. A comparison of Hannah Arendt’s theory of revolutions and a miniseries about John Adams offers insights into the political challenges we are facing today.