This book provides students and scholars of classical literature with a practical guide to modern literary theory and criticism. Using a clear and concise approach, it navigates readers through various theoretical approaches, including Russian Formalism, structuralism, deconstruction, gender studies, and New Historicism.

Informationen zum Autor Thomas A. Schmitz is Professor of Greek Language and Literature at the University of Bonn, and is one of the founding members of the Centre for the Classical Tradition. He has previously held positions at Paris, Harvard, Heidelberg, and Frankfurt. He is the author of over 40 books and articles including Bildung und Macht: Zur sozialen und politischen Funktion der zweiten Sophistik in der griechischen Welt der Kaiserzeit (1997) and Moderne Literaturtheorie und antike Texte: Eine Einfuhrung (2002). Klappentext How do classical literary texts convey meaning; who interprets that meaning; and how does it relate to things historical, social, political, or personal? This book provides students and scholars of classical literature with a practical guide to modern literary theory and criticism. Using a clear and concise approach, it navigates readers through various theoretical approaches, including Russian Formalism, structuralism, deconstruction, gender studies, and New Historicism. The text offers a cohesive and structured account of the developments of theory during the twentieth century. Designed specifically for readers engaged with the classics, the volume applies theoretical approaches to examples from ancient literature. Suitable for advanced students, the book's extensive bibliographies and index also make it a useful resource for scholars in the field. Zusammenfassung This book provides students and scholars of classical literature with a practical guide to modern literary theory and criticism. Using a clear and concise approach, it navigates readers through various theoretical approaches, including Russian Formalism, structuralism, deconstruction, gender studies, and New Historicism. Inhaltsverzeichnis Acknowledgments ix Acknowledgments for the English Translation x Introduction 1 What Is, and To What End Do We Study, Literary Theory? 1 Literary Theory and Classics 4 Objections Raised against Literary Theory 6 How to Use This Book 11 Introductions to Literary Theory 13 1 Russian Formalism 17 The Question of Literariness 19 Roman Jakobson's Model of Linguistic Communication 21 Poetic Language as Defamiliarization 23 Further Reading 25 2 Structuralism 26 The Founder of Structuralism: Ferdinand de Saussure 27 Saussure's Definition of the Linguistic Sign 29 The Meaning of Differences 30 Structuralism and Subject 33 Structural Anthropology 34 Is Structuralist Interpretation Possible? 38 Structuralist Definitions of Literary Genres 40 Further Reading 42 3 Narratology 43 Vladimir Propp's Analysis of the Folk Tale 44 Greimas's Actantial Theory of Narrative 47 Roland Barthes and the Study of Narrative Texts 50 Structuralist Plot-Analysis: Gerard Genette 55 Irene de Jong's Narratological Analysis of the Homeric Epics 60 Further Reading 62 4 Mikhail Bakhtin 63 Bakhtin's Life and the Problem of His Writings 64 Dialogism and the Novel 66 The Carnivalization of Literature 69 Menippean Satire and Ancient Carnivalesque Literature 71 Further Reading 76 5 Intertextuality 77 Leading the Way: Julia Kristeva 77 Further Developments of Intertextuality 78 Gerard Genette's Model of Hypertextuality 80 Intertextuality in Virgil 83 Further Reading 85 6 Reader-Response Criticism 86 Empirical Reception Studies 87 Aesthetics of Reception 88 American Reader-Response Criticism 91 Wheeler's Analysis of Ovid's Metamorphoses 94 Further Reading 96 7 Orality - Literacy 98 Oral Cultures: The Theses of Goody and Watt 99 What Does "Orality"Mean? ...

Autorentext

Thomas A. Schmitz is Professor of Greek Language and Literature at the University of Bonn, and is one of the founding members of the Centre for the Classical Tradition. He has previously held positions at Paris, Harvard, Heidelberg, and Frankfurt. He is the author of over 40 books and articles including Bildung und Macht: Zur sozialen und politischen Funktion der zweiten Sophistik in der griechischen Welt der Kaiserzeit (1997) and Moderne Literaturtheorie und antike Texte: Eine Einfuhrung (2002).

Klappentext

How do classical literary texts convey meaning; who interprets that meaning; and how does it relate to things historical, social, political, or personal?
This book provides students and scholars of classical literature with a practical guide to modern literary theory and criticism. Using a clear and concise approach, it navigates readers through various theoretical approaches, including Russian Formalism, structuralism, deconstruction, gender studies, and New Historicism.

The text offers a cohesive and structured account of the developments of theory during the twentieth century. Designed specifically for readers engaged with the classics, the volume applies theoretical approaches to examples from ancient literature.

Suitable for advanced students, the book's extensive bibliographies and index also make it a useful resource for scholars in the field.

Inhalt

Acknowledgments ix

Acknowledgments for the English Translation x

Introduction 1

What Is, and To What End Do We Study, Literary Theory? 1

Literary Theory and Classics 4

Objections Raised against Literary Theory 6

How to Use This Book 11

Introductions to Literary Theory 13

1 Russian Formalism 17

The Question of Literariness 19

Roman Jakobson's Model of Linguistic Communication 21

Poetic Language as Defamiliarization 23

Further Reading 25

2 Structuralism 26

The Founder of Structuralism: Ferdinand de Saussure 27

Saussure's Definition of the Linguistic Sign 29

The Meaning of Differences 30

Structuralism and Subject 33

Structural Anthropology 34

Is Structuralist Interpretation Possible? 38

Structuralist Definitions of Literary Genres 40

Further Reading 42

3 Narratology 43

Vladimir Propp's Analysis of the Folk Tale 44

Greimas's Actantial Theory of Narrative 47

Roland Barthes and the Study of Narrative Texts 50

Structuralist Plot-Analysis: Gerard Genette 55

Irene de Jong's Narratological Analysis of the Homeric Epics 60

Further Reading 62

4 Mikhail Bakhtin 63

Bakhtin's Life and the Problem of His Writings 64

Dialogism and the Novel 66

The Carnivalization of Literature 69

Menippean Satire and Ancient Carnivalesque Literature 71

Further Reading 76

5 Intertextuality 77

Leading the Way: Julia Kristeva 77

Further Developments of Intertextuality 78

Gerard Genette's Model of Hypertextuality 80

Intertextuality in Virgil 83

Further Reading 85

6 Reader-Response Criticism 86

Empirical Reception Studies 87

Aesthetics of Reception 88

American Reader-Response Criticism 91

Wheeler's Analysis of Ovid's Metamorphoses 94

Further Reading 96

7 Orality - Literacy 98

Oral Cultures: The Theses of Goody and Watt 99

What Does "Orality"Mean? 102

Oral Poetry 104

The Homeric Epics as a Test Case 106

Further Reading 111

8 Deconstruction 113

The Foundations: Derrida's Criticism of Logocentrism 114

Deconstruction in America 120

Objections to Deconstruction 122

The Role of the Author 124

Stanley Fish's Model of "Interpretive Communities" 127

The Responsibility of the Interpreter 130

Deconstruction's Merits and Demerits 136

Deconstruction in Antiquity? Socrates und Protagoras 137

Further Reading 139

9 Michel Foucault and Discourse Analysis 140

The Power of Discourse 141

Objections to Foucault's Analysis of Discourse 145

Foucault and Antiquity 149

The Debate about Foucault's Interpretation of Ancient Sexuality 153

Further Reading 157

10 New Historicism 159

New Historicism and Deconstruction 160

New Historicism and Michel Fouc…