literary techniques

• Time in Iliad


  • Unevenly distributed for dramatic effect
  • Warped through callbacks and foreshadowing
• Callbacks


  References to past events or characters' backstories
• Allusions


  References to future events or situations
• Ring Composition


  • Symmetrical arrangement of story
• Parallel Characters


  • Characters contrasting and mirroring each other
• Parallel Episodes


  • Similarities between different books or characters
• Formulae


  Repetitions in the form of epithets, phrases, or scenes
• Epithets


  Words/phrases describing qualities of a person or object
• Arming Scenes


  • Repetitive scenes depicting characters preparing for battle
• Fight Scenes


  • Scenes with specific choreography of battles
• Death Scenes


  • Repeated scenes depicting characters' deaths
• Parallel Descriptions


  • Similarities in descriptions, speeches, or actions
• Groups of Three


  • Parallels that occur 3 times
• Epithets' Functions


  fill metric gaps, convey essential qualities of people, colour narrative
• Repeated/type scenes


  • Certain scenes play out exact same way
• 3 examples of repeated scenes

  • Arming scenes
  • Fight scenes
  • Death scenes
• Speeches


  • Variety of emotions, characters, stories, philosophies