Generalization and characterization in Sophocles' Trachiniae and Antigone
This article examines the use of general statements by characters in Sophocles’ Trachiniae and Antigone. After a discussion of proverbs and gnomic statements more broadly as speech acts closely linked to the presentation of authority, I examine the particular reliance on generalization exhibited by...
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Chicago Press
2020
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| Summary: | This article examines the use of general statements by characters in Sophocles’ Trachiniae and Antigone. After a discussion of proverbs and gnomic statements more broadly as speech acts closely linked to the presentation of authority, I examine the particular reliance on generalization exhibited by Deianeira and Creon in their respective plays. I argue that gnomic statements allow both Creon and Deianeira to build and maintain a level of authority, and that the circumstances under which they generalize and the ways in which their generalizations are received are indicative of their ability to function within the social world of the play. |
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