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Playing the man: Performing masculinities in the Greek novel. / Meriel Jones

Swansea University Author: Meriel Jones

Abstract

This study offers a literary analysis of the discourses of masculinity represented in the five extant complete ancient Greek novels, Chariton's Chaereas and Callirhoe, Xenophon of Ephesus' Ephesiaca, Achilles Tatius' Leucippe and Cleitophon, Longus' Daphnis and Chloe, and Heliodo...

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Published: 2007
Institution: Swansea University
Degree level: Doctoral
Degree name: Ph.D
URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa42521
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spelling 2018-08-31T15:56:23.1850749 v2 42521 2018-08-02 Playing the man: Performing masculinities in the Greek novel. cbf207649926c450a2856e4bfbb00c57 NULL Meriel Jones Meriel Jones true true 2018-08-02 This study offers a literary analysis of the discourses of masculinity represented in the five extant complete ancient Greek novels, Chariton's Chaereas and Callirhoe, Xenophon of Ephesus' Ephesiaca, Achilles Tatius' Leucippe and Cleitophon, Longus' Daphnis and Chloe, and Heliodorus' Aethiopica. Its methodology draws on the work of sociological theorists such as Erving Goffman and Judith Butler. Goffman argued that identity is constituted by the performance of roles, through which we project idealised versions of ourselves. Butler applied the theory of performance to gender, arguing that gender is constituted by repeated performance, but that a full and wholly successful performance can never quite be achieved, resulting in a disparity between cultural ideals and lived realities. The study begins from the premise that such modem theories are appropriate for use in the analysis of imperial texts because those texts themselves demonstrate a contemporary fascination with notions of performance, and especially the performance of masculinity. Chapter 1 examines the concept of paideia, intellectual and behavioural 'culture', which was probably the most important signifier of Greek masculinity in the intensely competitive world of the elite in the Second Sophistic. Here, the disparity between the ideals and the realities of masculinity is particularly striking. Chapter 2 explores andreia, a complex notion often inadequately translated as 'courage' or 'manliness'. We see that andreia operates symbiotically with paideia, and that although it is an attribute that may be evident in a man's appearance, it must nonetheless be displayed in action. Chapter 3 investigates how masculinity may be constituted or threatened by a man's sexual behaviour. It questions whether sexual identity in the novels is fixed or fluid, and explores the texts' negotiation of the Graeco-Roman notion of effeminacy. The thesis argues that despite their exclusion from their texts of large-scale contemporary issues such as Roman domination and the rise of Christianity, and although they are influenced by classical gender ideals, the authors of the Greek novels in fact engage in dynamic and sometimes surprising ways with markedly contemporary notions of performative masculinity. E-Thesis Classical literature. 31 12 2007 2007-12-31 COLLEGE NANME English Literature and Creative Writing COLLEGE CODE Swansea University Doctoral Ph.D 2018-08-31T15:56:23.1850749 2018-08-02T16:24:29.5405962 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences School of Culture and Communication - English Literature, Creative Writing Meriel Jones NULL 1 0042521-02082018162501.pdf 10805270.pdf 2018-08-02T16:25:01.0530000 Output 10079211 application/pdf E-Thesis true 2018-08-02T16:25:01.0530000 false
title Playing the man: Performing masculinities in the Greek novel.
spellingShingle Playing the man: Performing masculinities in the Greek novel.
Meriel Jones
title_short Playing the man: Performing masculinities in the Greek novel.
title_full Playing the man: Performing masculinities in the Greek novel.
title_fullStr Playing the man: Performing masculinities in the Greek novel.
title_full_unstemmed Playing the man: Performing masculinities in the Greek novel.
title_sort Playing the man: Performing masculinities in the Greek novel.
author_id_str_mv cbf207649926c450a2856e4bfbb00c57
author_id_fullname_str_mv cbf207649926c450a2856e4bfbb00c57_***_Meriel Jones
author Meriel Jones
author2 Meriel Jones
format E-Thesis
publishDate 2007
institution Swansea University
college_str Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
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hierarchy_top_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str School of Culture and Communication - English Literature, Creative Writing{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Culture and Communication - English Literature, Creative Writing
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description This study offers a literary analysis of the discourses of masculinity represented in the five extant complete ancient Greek novels, Chariton's Chaereas and Callirhoe, Xenophon of Ephesus' Ephesiaca, Achilles Tatius' Leucippe and Cleitophon, Longus' Daphnis and Chloe, and Heliodorus' Aethiopica. Its methodology draws on the work of sociological theorists such as Erving Goffman and Judith Butler. Goffman argued that identity is constituted by the performance of roles, through which we project idealised versions of ourselves. Butler applied the theory of performance to gender, arguing that gender is constituted by repeated performance, but that a full and wholly successful performance can never quite be achieved, resulting in a disparity between cultural ideals and lived realities. The study begins from the premise that such modem theories are appropriate for use in the analysis of imperial texts because those texts themselves demonstrate a contemporary fascination with notions of performance, and especially the performance of masculinity. Chapter 1 examines the concept of paideia, intellectual and behavioural 'culture', which was probably the most important signifier of Greek masculinity in the intensely competitive world of the elite in the Second Sophistic. Here, the disparity between the ideals and the realities of masculinity is particularly striking. Chapter 2 explores andreia, a complex notion often inadequately translated as 'courage' or 'manliness'. We see that andreia operates symbiotically with paideia, and that although it is an attribute that may be evident in a man's appearance, it must nonetheless be displayed in action. Chapter 3 investigates how masculinity may be constituted or threatened by a man's sexual behaviour. It questions whether sexual identity in the novels is fixed or fluid, and explores the texts' negotiation of the Graeco-Roman notion of effeminacy. The thesis argues that despite their exclusion from their texts of large-scale contemporary issues such as Roman domination and the rise of Christianity, and although they are influenced by classical gender ideals, the authors of the Greek novels in fact engage in dynamic and sometimes surprising ways with markedly contemporary notions of performative masculinity.
published_date 2007-12-31T03:53:07Z
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score 11.017731

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