Staged narrative : poetics and the messenger in Greek tragedy / James Barrett.

Format:

Book

Thesis/Dissertation

Author/Creator:

Barrett, James, 1953-

Series:

Joan Palevsky imprint in classical literature.

The Joan Palevsky imprint in classical literature

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Greek drama (Tragedy)--History and criticism.

Greek drama (Tragedy).

Messengers in literature.

Narration (Rhetoric).

Rhetoric, Ancient.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (277 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Berkeley : University of California Press, c2002.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The messenger who reports important action that has occurred offstage is a familiar inhabitant of Greek tragedy. A messenger informs us about the death of Jocasta and the blinding of Oedipus, the madness of Heracles, the slaughter of Aigisthos, and the death of Hippolytus, among other important events. Despite its prevalence, this conventional figure remains only little understood. Combining several critical approaches-narrative theory, genre study, and rhetorical analysis-this lucid study develops a synthetic view of the messenger of Greek tragedy, showing how this role illuminates some of the genre's most persistent concerns, especially those relating to language, knowledge, and the workings of tragic theater itself. James Barrett gives close readings of several plays including Aeschylus's Persians, Sophocles' Electra and Oedipus Tyrannus, and Euripides' Bacchae and Rhesos. He traces the literary ancestry of the tragic messenger, showing that the messenger's narrative constitutes an unexplored site of engagement with Homeric epic, and that the role illuminates fifth-century b.c. experimentation with modes of speech. Breaking new ground in the study of Athenian tragedy, Barrett deepens our understanding of many central texts and of a form of theater that highlights the fragility and limits of human knowledge, a theme explored by its use of the messenger.

Contents:

Introduction

Aeschylus' Persians: the messenger and epic narrative

The literary messenger, the tragic messenger

Euripides' Bacchae: the spectator in the text

Homer and the art of fiction in Sophocles' Electra

Rhesos and poetic tradition.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Based on author's thesis.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 225-238) and index.

Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.

ISBN:

9786612356582

9781282356580

1282356585

9780520927933

0520927931

9781597349161

159734916X

OCLC:

475927239