Overview

Anonymous characters appear in almost every extant Greek Tragedy, yet they have long been overlooked in critical scholarship. This book argues that the creation and use of anonymous figures is an important tool in the transformation of traditional mythological heroes into unique dramatic characters. Through close reading of the passages in which nameless characters appear, this study demonstrates the significant impact of their speech, actions, and identity on the characterization of the particular named heroes to whom they are attached. Exploring the boundaries between anonymity and naming in mythico-historical drama, the book draws attention to an important but neglected aspect of the genre, suggesting a new perspective from which to read, perform, and appreciate Greek Tragedy.

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9789004229037

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Reviews

""This user-friendly book gains our confidence through its sensitive close readings of a range of Greek tragedies. [...] Yoon’s book will be of value to students of Greek tragedy. Those interested in narratological matters will benefit as well. [...] [the] book intersects with the study of minor characters and, therefore, the study of characters and characterization more broadly in fields beyond Classics. Yet, this intersection is accidental. The implied reader of this book is a classicist: Greek passages are not translated into English, and there is scarcely any engagement with scholarship on character or characterization that is not by classicists. I fear that this useful book will not receive the wide readership outside Classics that it deserves. We can resolve to spread the word."" Jonathan L. Ready in BMCR, (7 May 2013)

This user-friendly book gains our confidence through its sensitive close readings of a range of Greek tragedies. [...] Yoon's book will be of value to students of Greek tragedy. Those interested in narratological matters will benefit as well. [...] [the] book intersects with the study of minor characters and, therefore, the study of characters and characterization more broadly in fields beyond Classics. Yet, this intersection is accidental. The implied reader of this book is a classicist: Greek passages are not translated into English, and there is scarcely any engagement with scholarship on character or characterization that is not by classicists. I fear that this useful book will not receive the wide readership outside Classics that it deserves. We can resolve to spread the word. Jonathan L. Ready in BMCR, (7 May 2013)

Author Information

Florence Yoon, D.Phil. (2008) in Classics, University of Oxford, is Assistant Professor in Greek Language and Literature at the University of British Columbia.

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