On Ugliness -

: What one era found monstrous, another might find fascinating or even "camp." For instance, ancient Greek tragedy used ugliness (like Oedipus's blinded face) to achieve catharsis , heightening the emotional impact of drama.

The book organizes its "lexicon of the repellent" into several recurring categories: On Ugliness

: Eco suggests that while we can observe beauty dispassionately, ugliness forces an immediate, visceral emotional response—typically disgust, fear, or repulsion . : What one era found monstrous, another might

: In Christian art, the suffering and lacerated body of Christ was depicted with gruesome detail to emphasize divinity through agony, transforming physical ugliness into a metaphysical grace . Key Themes in the Taxonomy : What one era found monstrous