The Dramatic Psychology of Euripidean Dialogue

FAIN: FT-10818-70

Walton Morris
Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL 32306-0001)

Fellow to examine every iambic trimeter in the 19 plays of Euripides to show how the Greek playwright used variations in rhythm to reveal the psyches of his characters. While the iambic trimeter is by far the most predominant meter in Greek drama, it has been neglected by scholars in favor of the lyric meters which are less well-defined and often more controversial. Fellow's preliminary investigation shows instances in Euripidean drama where the rhythm of the line heightens and enhances the sense of the words, as well as important cases where the content of the words is opposite to the rhythm of the line, producing dissonance. In this way, Euripides often revealed inner conflict in his characters.