The Cast of Character

Style in Greek Literature

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, Ancient & Classical
Cover of the book The Cast of Character by Nancy  Worman, University of Texas Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Nancy Worman ISBN: 9780292774063
Publisher: University of Texas Press Publication: January 1, 2010
Imprint: University of Texas Press Language: English
Author: Nancy Worman
ISBN: 9780292774063
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Publication: January 1, 2010
Imprint: University of Texas Press
Language: English

Well before Aristotle's Rhetoric elucidated the elements of verbal style that give writing its persuasive power, Greek poets and prose authors understood the importance of style in creating compelling characters to engage an audience. And because their works were composed in predominantly oral settings, their sense of style included not only the characters' manner of speaking, but also their appearance and deportment. From Homeric epic to classical tragedy and oratory, verbal and visual cues work hand-in-hand to create distinctive styles for literary characters.In this book, Nancy Worman investigates the development and evolution of ideas about style in archaic and classical literature through a study of representations of Odysseus and Helen. She demonstrates that, as liars and imitators, pleasing storytellers, and adept users of costume, these two figures are especially skillful manipulators of style. In tracing the way literary representations of them changed through time—from Homer's positive portrayal of their subtle self-presentations to the sharply polarized portrayals of these same subtleties in classical tragedy and oratory—Worman also uncovers a nascent awareness among the Greek writers that style may be used not only to persuade but also to distract and deceive.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Well before Aristotle's Rhetoric elucidated the elements of verbal style that give writing its persuasive power, Greek poets and prose authors understood the importance of style in creating compelling characters to engage an audience. And because their works were composed in predominantly oral settings, their sense of style included not only the characters' manner of speaking, but also their appearance and deportment. From Homeric epic to classical tragedy and oratory, verbal and visual cues work hand-in-hand to create distinctive styles for literary characters.In this book, Nancy Worman investigates the development and evolution of ideas about style in archaic and classical literature through a study of representations of Odysseus and Helen. She demonstrates that, as liars and imitators, pleasing storytellers, and adept users of costume, these two figures are especially skillful manipulators of style. In tracing the way literary representations of them changed through time—from Homer's positive portrayal of their subtle self-presentations to the sharply polarized portrayals of these same subtleties in classical tragedy and oratory—Worman also uncovers a nascent awareness among the Greek writers that style may be used not only to persuade but also to distract and deceive.

More books from University of Texas Press

Cover of the book Satire in Colonial Spanish America by Nancy  Worman
Cover of the book The Social Production of Urban Space by Nancy  Worman
Cover of the book Dramatists in Revolt by Nancy  Worman
Cover of the book The Design of Protest by Nancy  Worman
Cover of the book Recollections of Early Texas by Nancy  Worman
Cover of the book Government and Society in Afghanistan by Nancy  Worman
Cover of the book Cycles of Time and Meaning in the Mexican Books of Fate by Nancy  Worman
Cover of the book The Mexican Outsiders by Nancy  Worman
Cover of the book Selected Poems of Rubén Darío by Nancy  Worman
Cover of the book The Rise and Fall of the Paraguayan Republic, 1800–1870 by Nancy  Worman
Cover of the book A Sniper in the Tower: The Charles Whitman Murders by Nancy  Worman
Cover of the book The Cardinal by Nancy  Worman
Cover of the book Captain Jack Helm by Nancy  Worman
Cover of the book Muslim Women Activists in North America by Nancy  Worman
Cover of the book Crafting Tradition by Nancy  Worman
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy