James Barrett
Title
Associate Professor of Classics
Department
Classics
Information
- (207) 859-5293
- [email protected]
- (207) 859-4705
- Bixler 235
Address
5293 Mayflower Hill Waterville, Maine 04901-8853
Current Courses
CRS | Title | Sec |
---|---|---|
CL148 | Myth in the City: Greek Tragedy | A |
CL245 | Festival, Competition, and Performance in Ancient Greece | A |
GK131 | Introduction to Greek Literature | A |
GK263 | Euripides | A |
LT131 | Introduction to Latin Literature | A |
Education
Ph.D., Cornell University
B.A., U.C. Santa Cruz
Areas of Expertise
-
Ancient Greek Cultural History
-
Greek Theater
-
Early Greek Philosophy
-
Narrative
Current Research
Antisthenes and Tragedy
The Body in Greek Philosophical Discourse
Brecht and Euripides
Publications
● James Barrett is the author of Staged Narrative: Poetics and the Messenger in Greek Tragedy (California, 2002).
This study traces the literary ancestry of the tragic messenger, showing that the messenger's narrative constitutes an unexplored site of engagement with Homeric epic, and that the role illuminates fifth-century BCE experimentation with modes of speech. Breaking new ground in the study of Athenian tragedy, this book deepens our understanding of many central texts and of a form of theater that highlights the fragility and limits of human knowledge, a theme explored by its use of the messenger.
● He is also the author numerous articles and book chapters on Greek tragedy, Greek philosophy, and narrative.