Shakespeare's Mutes and What They Tell Us

Abstract Both named and unnamed characters appear in Shakespeare's plays. The names may be seen as one of two general means of reference. If we focus on the act of reference, we see that names of characters and the types of reference sometimes change. These changes generally reflect changes in...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Grant Smith
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University Library System, University of Pittsburgh 1993-12-01
Series:Names
Online Access:http://ans-names.pitt.edu/ans/article/view/1382
Description
Summary:Abstract Both named and unnamed characters appear in Shakespeare's plays. The names may be seen as one of two general means of reference. If we focus on the act of reference, we see that names of characters and the types of reference sometimes change. These changes generally reflect changes in authorial intention and artistic concept, and can be seen more frequently in the cases of minor than of major characters. The mute characters comprise a small group with simple dramatic functions.
ISSN:0027-7738
1756-2279