What is the Difference Between Pathos and Bathos?

Pathos and bathos are both literary devices that evoke emotions, but they serve different purposes and have distinct effects on the audience. Here are the main differences between the two:

Pathos:

• Evokes pity, sadness, empathy, and other deep emotions in the audience.
• Used in fiction to inspire a depth of sentiment in the reader and in persuasive arguments to appeal to the listener.
• Aims to create a strong emotional connection between the characters and the reader.

Bathos:

• Refers to a sudden, often humorous drop in tone during an anticlimax.
• Describes a situation in which a serious, emotional, or sentimental scene is spoiled by the introduction of an absurd or laughable element.
• Can be used intentionally to allow the reader to find comedy in the most unlikely of places.
• Self-sabotages its own attempts to use pathos, whether deliberately or by accident.

In summary, pathos is used to create a strong emotional connection and evoke deep feelings in the audience, while bathos is a literary technique that undermines the emotional impact of a scene, often for comedic effect.

Comparative Table: Pathos vs Bathos

Here is a table comparing the differences between pathos and bathos:

In summary, pathos is used to evoke emotions and create an emotional connection with the audience, while bathos is used to create a humorous or dramatic effect by contrasting the sublime with the trivial, often resulting in a sudden change in tone during an anticlimax.