Lycophron's Alexandra: Vision and Voice

Abstract

This thesis is a literary study of the Alexandra of Lycophron that examines the phenomenon of vision in the poem as a complement to its complex narrative voice. It proceeds from the notion that it is the interaction between vision and voice that underpin how the poem works, through its main character Cassandra-Alexandra who both speaks and sees. It aims to generate new ways of reading the poem and suggest new interpretations that build on and develop recent work on the poem, particularly in the areas of speech, voice and identity. It details how vision plays a central role in the poem's structure, content, and style. Particular attention is paid to intertextual relationships with Homeric epic and Hellenistic ecphrastic epigram, as well as pointing out towards the Alexandra's engagement with all sorts of Greek thinking about perception, communication and representation. Visual perception is brought to bear on key questions of characterization and style to show how the poem promotes an aesthetic of materiality, in which vision and voice together further reflect the central character's identity as a prophetess and sworn parthenos, and contribute to the idea of the poet as a craftsman and maker of words who stands outside the apparently autonomous work.

Date of Award	31 Dec 2016
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	Alison Sharrock (Supervisor) & Andrew Morrison (Supervisor)