Back from the Boulé: a short disquisition on "Knights" 611-755
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25187/codex.v8i2.38229Keywords:
Aristophanes, Knights, syzygy, characterization, comedyAbstract
The syzygy of verses 611 to 755 prepares the Knights audience for the second and most important agón in the play, in which the sausage seller reencounters the Paphlagonian. This proagón shows that the sausage seller has already lost his innocence, becoming a competitor. In the play, however, there seem to be inconsistencies in the characterization of both the sausage seller and the Paphlagonian. The purpose of this article is, therefore, to propose a resolution for these apparent inconsistencies, outlining a coherent characterization option on the part of the playwright in relation to the boulé narrative and the collision in front of Demos’ house, thus explaining how it is possible for Aristophanes to maintain the two sections separate without sacrificing their blaming spirit and without using excessive repetition.
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