The play of character in Plato's Dialogues / Ruby Blondell.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Blondell, Ruby, 1954- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Plato. Dialogues.

Plato.

Characters and characteristics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xi, 452 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2002.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This book attempts to bridge the gulf that still exists between 'literary' and 'philosophical' interpreters of Plato by looking at his use of characterization. Characterization is intrinsic to dramatic form and a concern with human character in an ethical sense pervades the dialogues on the discursive level. Form and content are further reciprocally related through Plato's discursive preoccupation with literary characterization. Two opening chapters examine the methodological issues involved in reading Plato 'as drama' and a set of questions surrounding Greek 'character' words (especially ethos), including ancient Greek views about the influence of dramatic character on an audience. The figure of Sokrates qua Platonic 'hero' also receives preliminary discussion. The remaining chapters offer close readings of select dialogues, chosen to show the wide range of ways in which Plato uses his characters, with special emphasis on the kaleidoscopic figure of Sokrates and on Plato's own relationship to his 'dramatic' hero.

Contents:

Drama and dialogue

Reading Plato

Plato the "dramatist"

Why dialogue form?

The imitation of character

"Character"

The Platonic Sokrates

Mimetic pedagogy

The elenctic Sokrates at work: Hippias Minor

The elenctic Sokrates

Hippias and Homer

Sokrates and Hippias

Rewriting Homer

A changing cast of characters: Republic

Socratic testing: three responses

Playing devil's advocate

Sokrates and the sons of Ariston

Self-censorship

Learning by example

Reproducing Sokrates: Theaetetus

Sokrates and the philosopher prince

Likeness

Difference

Cutting the cord

Becoming Sokrates

Putting Sokrates in his place: Sophist and Statesman

Plato's triad

The Man with No Name

Homogenized, pasteurized respondents

The visitor's pedagogy

Assaulting the father

A place for everything, and everything in its place

A word is worth a thousand pictures

The visitor and Sokrates

Silencing Sokrates.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographical references (p. 397-427) and index.

ISBN:

1-107-12209-0

1-280-43298-5

0-511-17708-9

0-511-15797-5

0-511-32988-1

0-511-48247-7

0-511-04721-5

OCLC:

70757991