Figures of Play: Greek Drama and Metafictional Poetics

This highly detailed study examines both Greek tragedy and comedy and argues that all genres of Greek drama were aware of their own theatricality and developed sophisticated devices to hide their reflexivity and artifice. Dobrov suggests that this is particularly apparent in the characterisation of tragic and comic stage figures. Sophocles' Aias and Tereus , Euripides' Bakkhai , Peirithous and Bellerophontes as well as Aristophanes' Peace , Birds and Frogs are discussed and compared in detail.