Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Minor Characters in Greek Tragedy

Minor Characters in Greek Tragedy

Kyriakou, Poulheria

Hardcover

Series: Untersuchungen Zur Antiken Literatur Und Geschichte, Book 167

Literary Criticism

PREORDER - Expected ship date December 28, 2026

ISBN10: 3112263111
ISBN13: 9783112263112
Publisher: de Gruyter
Published: Dec 28 2026
Pages: 450
Language: English

This is the first study of named and anonymous minor characters in Greek tragedy. The introduction discusses fictional characters and characterization, the controversy about tragic characterization, and the definition of the concept of minor character. Four main criteria may be used for this purpose, mythological/literary (no place in the mythological and/or literary tradition), social (low status, coupled with anonymity), quantitative (brief speaking part, usually in one scene), and dramatic (small or no part in the development and/or the outcome of the plot). When a character meets all of them, s/he is a minor, but such instances are relatively rare. The dramatic criterion is the most helpful, as this is the playwrights' crucial choice in the representation of minor characters. The inclusion of minor characters exemplifies the playwrights' inventive powers and highlights the universality of the human condition, irrespective of social class and personal priorities. Sketched with great care, the minor characters are never expendable or easily forgettable. The book takes into account recent advances in cognitive and performance studies and will prove helpful to classical and theater scholars, students, and directors of Greek plays.

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