To what extent does Horace present a coherent præceptor persona in the Ars poetica?

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dc.contributor.authorWilliams, Hamishen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-11-02T10:54:23Z
dc.date.available2015-11-02T10:54:23Z
dc.date.issued2011en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references (leaves 184-210).en_ZA
dc.description.abstractIn the ensuing dissertation I explore the extent to which a coherent praeceptor persona may be found in Horace's Ars Poetica. In the first chapter, 'Interpreting the Ars Poetica', I commence by reviewing and commenting upon previous critical attempts to explain Horace's poem. This I have divided into three main sections: 'Interpretations of Incoherence', 'Interpretations of Coherence', and 'Authorial Personae'. In the first of these I explore how some critics have denied the possibility of arriving at a coherent interpretation of the poem, which they regard as an unfinished hotchpotch effort. Most notably in this section I illustrate how the Ars Poetica fails to conform to the expected form of any one particular literary genre. In the second section, 'Interpretations of Coherence', I examine attempts, particularly Brink's in his Prolegomena, to structure the poem into certain fixed aesthetic units, and I then explore some of the difficulties of utilizing such rigorous and tendentious rubrics in a flexible and free-flowing poem. Lastly, in the third section, 'Authorial Personae', I review more modern attempts to explain Horace's poem through the identification of an authorial persona within the text. I proceed to justify my preference for this interpretative method by explaining it both with reference to modern literary theory and ancient poetic and dramatic practice. Lastly, in this chapter I briefly introduce the character of the authorial persona whom I shall endeavour to locate in the Ars Poetica – the teacher or praeceptor persona. In the second chapter, 'The Praeceptor Persona in Play', I commence by trying to build a characteristically Horatian concept of the teacher figure in the Ars Poetica, in my section, 'The Horatian Concept of the Praeceptor'. To this end I turn to the Satires of Horace, particularly, 1.1, 1.4, and 1.10, where I show that the Horatian model of a praeceptor can be explained through three conceptual criteria – 'instruction ', 'demonstration', and 'play'. Applying in turn each of these three conceptual criteria to the text of the Ars Poetica I illustrate how the very language of the authorial persona of the poem fulfils these criteria. In the third chapter, 'The Teacher of Satire 1.4 ', having established the presence of a Praeceptor persona in the Ars Poetica, I turn my attention to the Satires of Horace where the most extensive critical work has been undertaken with respect to the character of the authorial persona; particularly, since it has informed my concept of the Horatian praeceptor, I examine the teacher figure of Satire 1.4. In the first section, 'Interpretations of the Teacher Persona', I examine and criticise four scholarly attempts to explain the character of the teacher figure in the sermo. I identify the mixture of instruction and humour in the language as the key critical concern of these critics. In the final section, 'The Playful Satirist' I then apply my conceptual criterion of 'play' to the discourse of the teacher of 1.4, suggesting that his humour is not incompatible with instruction, but is actually a vital constituent of his role as a praeceptor. Finally, I give a brief 'Epilogue', summarising my analysis and, more importantly, emphasising the importance of identifying a characteristically Horatian model of a praeceptor. A detailed bibliography is then given of the source material consulted and references used through the dissertation.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationWilliams, H. (2011). <i>To what extent does Horace present a coherent præceptor persona in the Ars poetica?</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Classical Studies. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14599en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationWilliams, Hamish. <i>"To what extent does Horace present a coherent præceptor persona in the Ars poetica?."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Classical Studies, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14599en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationWilliams, H. 2011. To what extent does Horace present a coherent præceptor persona in the Ars poetica?. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Williams, Hamish AB - In the ensuing dissertation I explore the extent to which a coherent praeceptor persona may be found in Horace's Ars Poetica. In the first chapter, 'Interpreting the Ars Poetica', I commence by reviewing and commenting upon previous critical attempts to explain Horace's poem. This I have divided into three main sections: 'Interpretations of Incoherence', 'Interpretations of Coherence', and 'Authorial Personae'. In the first of these I explore how some critics have denied the possibility of arriving at a coherent interpretation of the poem, which they regard as an unfinished hotchpotch effort. Most notably in this section I illustrate how the Ars Poetica fails to conform to the expected form of any one particular literary genre. In the second section, 'Interpretations of Coherence', I examine attempts, particularly Brink's in his Prolegomena, to structure the poem into certain fixed aesthetic units, and I then explore some of the difficulties of utilizing such rigorous and tendentious rubrics in a flexible and free-flowing poem. Lastly, in the third section, 'Authorial Personae', I review more modern attempts to explain Horace's poem through the identification of an authorial persona within the text. I proceed to justify my preference for this interpretative method by explaining it both with reference to modern literary theory and ancient poetic and dramatic practice. Lastly, in this chapter I briefly introduce the character of the authorial persona whom I shall endeavour to locate in the Ars Poetica – the teacher or praeceptor persona. In the second chapter, 'The Praeceptor Persona in Play', I commence by trying to build a characteristically Horatian concept of the teacher figure in the Ars Poetica, in my section, 'The Horatian Concept of the Praeceptor'. To this end I turn to the Satires of Horace, particularly, 1.1, 1.4, and 1.10, where I show that the Horatian model of a praeceptor can be explained through three conceptual criteria – 'instruction ', 'demonstration', and 'play'. Applying in turn each of these three conceptual criteria to the text of the Ars Poetica I illustrate how the very language of the authorial persona of the poem fulfils these criteria. In the third chapter, 'The Teacher of Satire 1.4 ', having established the presence of a Praeceptor persona in the Ars Poetica, I turn my attention to the Satires of Horace where the most extensive critical work has been undertaken with respect to the character of the authorial persona; particularly, since it has informed my concept of the Horatian praeceptor, I examine the teacher figure of Satire 1.4. In the first section, 'Interpretations of the Teacher Persona', I examine and criticise four scholarly attempts to explain the character of the teacher figure in the sermo. I identify the mixture of instruction and humour in the language as the key critical concern of these critics. In the final section, 'The Playful Satirist' I then apply my conceptual criterion of 'play' to the discourse of the teacher of 1.4, suggesting that his humour is not incompatible with instruction, but is actually a vital constituent of his role as a praeceptor. Finally, I give a brief 'Epilogue', summarising my analysis and, more importantly, emphasising the importance of identifying a characteristically Horatian model of a praeceptor. A detailed bibliography is then given of the source material consulted and references used through the dissertation. DA - 2011 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2011 T1 - To what extent does Horace present a coherent præceptor persona in the Ars poetica? TI - To what extent does Horace present a coherent præceptor persona in the Ars poetica? UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14599 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/14599
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationWilliams H. To what extent does Horace present a coherent præceptor persona in the Ars poetica?. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Classical Studies, 2011 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14599en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentClassical Studiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherClassical Studiesen_ZA
dc.titleTo what extent does Horace present a coherent præceptor persona in the Ars poetica?en_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMAen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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