Para-Narratives in the Odyssey: Stories in the Frame

by: Alden, M.

Price: 97,18 EURO

1 copy in stock

Provides the first full-length study in English of the function and significance of secondary 'para-narratives' in the Odyssey and their relationship to the poem's main story
Includes a comprehensive treatment of secondary narratives by the poet and his characters, illuminating the argument function of such narratives and their influence on the reception of the poem by its audience
Contains an index locorum to enable readers to refer to treatments of individual stories and narratives quickly and easily
Offers translations of Greek and modern German throughout to ensure accessibility to non-specialist readers

Description
Readers coming to the Odyssey for the first time are often dazzled and bewildered by the wealth of material it contains which is seemingly unrelated to the central story: the main plot of Odysseus' return to Ithaca is complicated by myriad secondary narratives related by the poet and his characters, including Odysseus' own fantastic tales of Lotus Eaters, Sirens, and cannibal giants.

Although these 'para-narratives' are a source of pleasure and entertainment in their own right, each also has a special relevance to its immediate context, elucidating Odysseus' predicament and also subtly influencing and guiding the audience's reception of the main story. By exploring variations on the basic story-shape, drawing on familiar tales, anecdotes, and mythology, or inserting analogous situations, they create illuminating parallels to the main narrative and prompt specific responses in readers or listeners. This is the case even when details are suppressed or altered, as the audience may still experience the reverberations of the better-known version of the tradition, and it also applies to the characters themselves, who are often provided with a model of action for imitation or avoidance in their immediate contexts.

Table of Contents
Frontmatter
List of Abbreviations
1: Introduction
2: Para-Narratives of Return
Michael Longley, 'Homecoming'
3: The Oresteia-Story in the Odyssey
4: Penelope
Michael Longley, 'Tree-house'
5: Para-Narratives for Telemachus
Michael Longley, 'Argos'
6: Paradigms for Odysseus
7: The Songs of Demodocus
8: The Cyclops: A Polyvalent Para-Narrative
9: The First Person: Para-Narratives of Trial and Pity
Michael Longley, 'Laertes'
Tables
Tables 1-7
Endmatter
Bibliography
Index

Para-Narratives in the Odyssey: Stories in the Frame

by: Alden, M.

• ISBN-13: 9780199291069 / 978-0-19-929106-9
• ISBN-03: 0199291063 / 0-19-929106-3
• Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2017

Price: 97,18 EURO

1 copy in stock