After a brief excursus about ancient sources helding Sophocles as the ‘Tragic Homer', the paper focuses on some case-studies of Epic vocabulary in the parodos of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. The study presents various exploitation of Epic lexis by Sophocles such as epitheta ornantia, resemantization, and neologisms. In particular, specific attention is payed to thematic and intertextual links between the chorus and the Epic-Homeric tradition. The parodos of Oedipus Rex is traditionally considered a ‘peanic’ chorus, but within a dark setting. In addition to the ‘peanic’ influences, it is argued that the interference with the Epic genre is also crucial for a better understanding of the chorus as a whole. In fact, some Epic intertextual links help to highlight the two prevalent and conflicting feelings of the parodos: the hope in the help from the gods and a feeling of apprehension and fear. In particular, it is argued that some Epic features involving Apollo contribute to highlighting already from the opening song of the play two major conceptual themes of Oedipus Rex: the ambiguity of the role of the god and the extreme precariousness of human knowledge.

L’Omero tragico: luci e ombre nella parodo dell’Edipo Re di Sofocle

Scavello
2017-01-01

Abstract

After a brief excursus about ancient sources helding Sophocles as the ‘Tragic Homer', the paper focuses on some case-studies of Epic vocabulary in the parodos of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. The study presents various exploitation of Epic lexis by Sophocles such as epitheta ornantia, resemantization, and neologisms. In particular, specific attention is payed to thematic and intertextual links between the chorus and the Epic-Homeric tradition. The parodos of Oedipus Rex is traditionally considered a ‘peanic’ chorus, but within a dark setting. In addition to the ‘peanic’ influences, it is argued that the interference with the Epic genre is also crucial for a better understanding of the chorus as a whole. In fact, some Epic intertextual links help to highlight the two prevalent and conflicting feelings of the parodos: the hope in the help from the gods and a feeling of apprehension and fear. In particular, it is argued that some Epic features involving Apollo contribute to highlighting already from the opening song of the play two major conceptual themes of Oedipus Rex: the ambiguity of the role of the god and the extreme precariousness of human knowledge.
2017
Omero, Sofocle, Epica, Tragedia, Edipo, Apollo, Peana, Intertestualità, Lingua greca, lingua omerica, lingua Sofocle, filologia classica
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11562/1041692
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