TY - BOOK AU - Barrett,James TI - Staged narrative: poetics and the messenger in Greek tragedy SN - 9780520231801 U1 - 882.010935 23 PY - 2002/// CY - Berkeley PB - University of California Press KW - Greek drama (Tragedy) -- History and criticism KW - Narration (Rhetoric) -- History -- To 1500 KW - Messengers in literature KW - Rhetoric, Ancient KW - Ancient Rhetoric KW - Greek drama (Tragedy) KW - History KW - History and criticism N2 - "The messenger who reports important action that has occurred offstage is a familiar inhabitant of Greek tragedy. A messenger informs us about the death of Jocasta and the blinding of Oedipus, the madness of Heracles, the slaughter of Aigisthus, and the death of Hippolytus, among other important events. Despite its prevalence, this conventional figure remains little understood.Combining several critical approaches - narrative theory, genre study, and rhetorical analysis - this lucid and sophisticated study develops a synthetic view of the messenger of Greek tragedy, showing how this role illuminates some of the genre's most persistent concerns, especially those relating to language, knowledge, and the workings of tragic theater itself."."This study, thoroughly informed by literary theory, shows that the messenger speaks with a voice unique on the tragic stage, one that offers importa ER -