Agamemnon led a ten-year-long struggle at Troy only to return home
and die a pathetic death at his wife’s hands. Yet while
Agamemnon’s story exerts an outsize influence—rivalled by few
epic personalities—on the poetic narratives of the Iliad and
Odyssey, scholars have not adequately considered his full portrait.
What was Agamemnon like as a character for Homer and his audience?
More fundamentally, how should we approach the topic of
characterization itself, following the discoveries of Milman Parry,
Albert Lord, and their successors? Andrew Porter explains the
expression of characterization in Homer’s works, from an
oral-traditional point of view, and through the resonance of words,
themes, and “back stories” from both the past and future. He
analyzes Agamemnon’s character traits in the Iliad, including his
qualities as a leader, against events such as his tragic homecoming
narrative in the Odyssey. Porter’s findings demonstrate that
there is a traditional depth of characterization embedded in the
written pages of these once-oral epics, providing a shared
connection between the ancient singer and his listeners.
General
Imprint: |
Harvard University Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Series: |
Hellenic Studies Series, 78 |
Release date: |
December 2019 |
Authors: |
Andrew Porter
|
Dimensions: |
152 x 229mm (L x W) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
275 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-674-98445-5 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
0-674-98445-5 |
Barcode: |
9780674984455 |
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