Homeric misdirection : false predictions in the Iliad / James V. Morrison.

0472103520 (alk. paper)
9780472103522 (alk. paper)

Ann Arbor : University of Michigan Press, ©1992.

English

166 pages ; 24 cm.

PA4037 .M73 1992

"It is a familiar problem for authors of all kinds: how to make the tale interesting when the audience knows - or thinks it knows - the end of the story. As James V. Morrison illustrates in Homeric Misdirection, delay, suspense, and uncertainty all play essential roles in revitalizing the Iliad's traditional story of the Trojan War."--BOOK JACKET. "In this persuasive and suggestive work, the author studies key passages that anticipate later events in the epic. An exploration of Zeus' prophecies, Achilles' threats, and the poet's own commentary indicates that the effect of such misdirection is to undermine the audience's belief in its own ability to predict outcomes."--BOOK JACKET. "Ultimately this uncertainty reminds the poet's listeners of the limits of their own knowledge. This in turn creates a link between the doubt and uncertainty of the audience and that of characters in the Iliad."--BOOK JACKET. "Homeric Misdirection will be of interest not only to students and scholars in classical studies, but also to those interested in the development of narrative, audience-response criticism, and epic literature."--Jacket.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 149-155) and indexes.

Michigan monographs in classical antiquity.

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