Description
Achilles-warrior and hero-by the protocols of Western culture, should never cry. And yet Homeric epic is full of his tears and those of his companions at Troy. This path-blazing study by Helene Monsacre shows how later ideals of stoically inexpressive manhood run contrary to the poetic vision presented in the Iliad and Odyssey. The epic protagonists, as larger-than-life figures who transcend gender categories, are precisely the men most likely to weep.
Monsacre pursues the paradox of the tearful fighter through a series of lucid and detailed close readings, and examines all aspects of the interactions between men and women in the Homeric poems. Her illuminating analysis, first published in French in 1984, remains bold, fresh, and compelling for anyone touched-like Achilles-by a world of grief.
About the Author
Helene Monsacre is Director of Sciences humaines for Editions Albin Michel, Paris.
Book Information
ISBN 9780674975682
Author Helene Monsacre
Format Paperback
Page Count 198
Imprint Harvard University, Center for Hellenic Studies
Publisher Harvard University, Center for Hellenic Studies
