Character, Narrator, and Simile in the Iliad
Journal Data
| Type | SOURCE_BOOK |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (US) |
| ISBN-13 | 9780511760969 |
| Open Library | OL20283435W |
| Total publications | 5 |
| Coverage period | 2011 - 2011 |
| Language | EN |
Jonathan L. Ready offers the first comprehensive examination of Homer's similes in the Iliad as arenas of heroic competition. This study concentrates primarily on similes spoken by Homeric characters. The first to offer a sustained exploration of such similes, Ready shows how characters are made to contest through and over simile not only with one another but also with the narrator. Ready investigates the narrator's similes as well. He demonstrates that Homer amplifies the feat of a successful warrior by providing a competitive orientation to sequences of similes used to describe battles. He also offers a new interpretation of Homer's extended similes as a means for the poet to imagine his characters as competitors for his attention. Throughout this study, Ready makes innovative use of approaches from both Homeric studies and narratology that have not yet been applied to the analysis of Homer's similes.
Similes in the Narrator-Text
the results of the previous chapters urge an exploration of the Iliad 's narrator-text itself and a search for the competitive dynamics of similes therein. I begin this chapter with a brief examination of the sequential arrangement of one pair and one series of similes in the narrator-text. At such moments, the poet gives a competitive orientation to the similes describing the heroes' martial contests. This arrangement amplifies the successful wa…
Similes and Likenesses in the Character-Text
scholars have observed how characters in the odyssey can rely on similes. Helene Foley notes that Odysseus' figuring of Penelope as a prosperous ruler ( Od . 19.108–14) “poses a question to Penelope” (1978: 11): is she working to preserve Odysseus' kingship? Emily Anhalt examines the thematic richness of Penelope's simile in which she describes herself as a nightingale ( Od . 19.518–24) (2001–2). Following in the footsteps of these critics, I beg…
The Simile and the Homeric Comparative Spectrum
a study of the homeric simile can begin by defining its terms. I propose to accomplish this preliminary task by looking at the larger question of statements in the shape “A (is) like B” in the Homeric poems. Glaukos' famous contention that men resemble leaves is a good place to start: οἵη περ φύλλων γενεή, τοίη δὲ καὶ ἀνδρῶν. φύλλα τὰ μέν τ' ἄνεμος χαμάδις χέει, ἄλλα δέ θ' ὕλη τηλεθόωσα φύει, ἔαρος δ' ἐπιγίγνεται ὥρη· ὣς ἀνδρῶν γενεὴ ἡ μὲν φύει ἡ…
Conclusion
in many ways, homeric similes stand apart from their surroundings: “because of its characteristic everyday content the Homeric simile for a moment unites narrator and audience in their world, not that of the heroes, as together they marvel at the mighty deeds of the past.” At the same time, scholarship continues to demonstrate that this distance does not stop similes from making vital thematic contributions to the epics. In the spirit of such inq…
Character, Narrator, and Simile in the Iliad
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Character, Narrator, and Simile in the Iliad
Similes in the Narrator-Text
the results of the previous chapters urge an exploration of the Iliad 's narrator-text itself and a search for the competitive dynamics of similes therein. I begin this chapter with a brief examination of the sequential arrangement of one pair and one series of similes in the narrator-text. At such moments, the poet gives a competitive orientation to the similes describing the heroes' martial contests. This arrangement amplifies the successful wa…
Similes and Likenesses in the Character-Text
scholars have observed how characters in the odyssey can rely on similes. Helene Foley notes that Odysseus' figuring of Penelope as a prosperous ruler ( Od . 19.108–14) “poses a question to Penelope” (1978: 11): is she working to preserve Odysseus' kingship? Emily Anhalt examines the thematic richness of Penelope's simile in which she describes herself as a nightingale ( Od . 19.518–24) (2001–2). Following in the footsteps of these critics, I beg…
The Simile and the Homeric Comparative Spectrum
a study of the homeric simile can begin by defining its terms. I propose to accomplish this preliminary task by looking at the larger question of statements in the shape “A (is) like B” in the Homeric poems. Glaukos' famous contention that men resemble leaves is a good place to start: οἵη περ φύλλων γενεή, τοίη δὲ καὶ ἀνδρῶν. φύλλα τὰ μέν τ' ἄνεμος χαμάδις χέει, ἄλλα δέ θ' ὕλη τηλεθόωσα φύει, ἔαρος δ' ἐπιγίγνεται ὥρη· ὣς ἀνδρῶν γενεὴ ἡ μὲν φύει ἡ…
Conclusion
in many ways, homeric similes stand apart from their surroundings: “because of its characteristic everyday content the Homeric simile for a moment unites narrator and audience in their world, not that of the heroes, as together they marvel at the mighty deeds of the past.” At the same time, scholarship continues to demonstrate that this distance does not stop similes from making vital thematic contributions to the epics. In the spirit of such inq…