Bodies of Speech: Text and Textuality in Aristotle
Until Plato, poetry and oration were conceived as oral activities; writing, if considered at all, was conceived as a kind of “tape-recorder”. Aristotle was the first thinker who examined the products of the literate culture in which he lived as such: he conceived the works of poetry and oration not only as oral events, but also as written texts. Bodies of Speech reads Aristotle’s Poetics and Rhetoric through this assumption, and shows how both are underlain by a systematic text theory, which contains semantic as well as communicational aspects. Aristotle’s conception of the literary text, thus, is not a mere archaeological remnant; it is a complex and profound theory, able to hold a lively and fruitful dialogue with modern thinking.
Gabriel Zoran is a Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Haifa, Israel. He has published books and articles on the theory of space in literature, classical literature and poetics, German and Hebrew literature, and the theory of translation. He has also published two books of fiction and several literary translations.
"The book makes demands of the reader and presupposes a good grasp of the relevant texts, but the outcome is a rewarding and thought-provoking analysis that furthers our understanding of Aristotle's theory of the literary work of art."
Kleanthis Mantzouranis University of St Andrews Journal of Hellenic Studies, 136 (2016)
"This is a challenging book, which introduces a new dimension in the study of Aristotle’s theory of text. ... The approach that he advances works admirably, throwing much light not only on the Poetics itself but also on Aristotle’s concept of textuality in general. .... Bodies of Speech is an important contribution to the study of ancient Greek text theory and of Aristotle’s Poetics and Rhetoric in particular. It will be of interest not only to scholars and students of classics but also to students of literary theory, rhetoric, comparative literature and communication."
Margalit Finkelberg Professor of Classics, Tel Aviv University
"Gabriel Zoran’s Bodies of Speech: Text and Textuality in Aristotle is an important contribution to our understanding of Aristotle’s theory of literature and its relevance to contemporary critical discourse. Zoran combines the erudition of a classicist with the keen mind of a literary theorist. Although the terms text and textuality themselves were not used by Aristotle, Zoran convincingly argues that they are already embedded in Aristotle’s theory of literature: as against Plato’s thinking about poetry, which was still grounded in orality, Zoran suggests that when Aristotle developed his theory of the literary work of art, he already had in mind a (written) text, hence the centrality of the concept in Aristotle’s thought. Moreover, by discussing the terms text and textuality through Aristotelian ‘lenses’, we gain valuable insights into their different meanings and use in modern literary theory. .... Zoran’s book is well informed, highly methodical and is written with utmost clarity, thus making it accessible to both scholars and students. Whenever I need to address Aristotle’s theory of literature or the concepts of text and textuality, I will surely consult this book."
David Fishelov Professor of Comparative Literature, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Buy This Book
