This study develops the interpretation of hybrid and human-esque male monsters by examining ambiguous presentations of these figures in Greek and Roman literature and art, putting a fresh perspective on the hero/monster encounter and showing that monsters are developed characters rather than simple heroic attributes, as they are frequently interpreted in modern scholarship. Additional strands running through the thesis are consideration of the hero’s ambiguity through visual similarity to monsters and through shared characteristics; the relationship between monstrous body and monstrous behaviour; the subjectivity of monsters; how masculinity relates to monstrosity; and how monsters operate within the Other/self discourse as ways of exploring human behaviour and relationships in the two monster tale types of heroic encounter and love story. As well as looking at how media and genre affect characterisation, where relevant, the political and social contexts of Greece and Rome will form a background to considering how monsters are presented. This thesis explores the full range of the male monster’s ambiguity (humanised through gestures, clothing, or body; placed into a social context by humanising, or by relationships with humans; given subjectivity) and monstrosity (they explore excessive human behaviour and masculinity), and how the monster is a character in its own right.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:572164 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | Rae, Heather |
| Publisher | University of Glasgow |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://theses.gla.ac.uk/4222/ |
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