Alicia D. Myers, «Prosopopoetics and Conflict: Speech and Expectations in John 8», Vol. 92 (2011) 580-596
This article explores the conflict of John 8 within the larger context of the Gospel and in the light of the ancient rhetorical practice of prosopopoiia: the creation of speech for characters. These speeches add to the credibility of a narrative by being «appropriate» for both the person speaking and the situation in which the speech is given. Although perhaps not prosopopoiia in the traditional sense of speeches from Greek histories, this essay argues that the Gospel nevertheless includes prosopopoetics by creating appropriate, albeit unnerving, words for Jesus that elevate the audience and add to the persuasiveness of the work.
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his Hecuba “philosophize inopportunely†because as a woman,
Hecuba has no business discussing philosophy (Prog. 60). And Poly-
bius undercuts Timaeus by arguing the speeches he crafted for char-
acters were meant more to highlight his own rhetorical ability than to
reflect the historical characters or situations (12.25-26) 13. In the same
way, appropriate speeches garnered praise. Quintilian, for example,
praises Lysias for “successfully maintaining the realism in the
speeches he wrote for uneducated clients†(Inst. Or. 3.8.51 [RUSSELL,
LCL]). For these authors, to portray a character appropriately through
speech, particularly if that character was well-known from history or
tradition, shows one’s knowledge of the past and adds to the credi-
bility and, therefore, to the persuasiveness of the work. By means of
attributed speech or prosopopoetics, authors give life to past (or fic-
tive) figures and convince audiences of their version of events in
order to influence future actions 14. Moving from rhetorical theory, we
now turn to a few examples that illustrate this theory in practice
within John’s milieu.
II. Examples of Prosopopoetics
Convincing an audience that the words ascribed to characters
were appropriate often meant aligning with previous traditions
about historical and legendary figures who regularly appear as the
subjects of biographies, historical monographs or novels. Never-
theless, character types who appear in fictional works have to con-
form to expectations as well 15. As we will see, even when the words
spoken startle or even anger other characters within the text, they
repeatedly conform to the true identity of the character as known by
the audience and supported by the author, but perhaps unknown or
forgotten by other figures in the narrative.
13
Also note Dionysius of Halicarnassus’ criticisms of Thucydides on si-
milar grounds (Thuc. 14-15, 18, 34).
14
See MARINCOLA’s (“Speechesâ€, 1:123-124) discussion of Polybius’ goal
of influencing future political leaders (12.25b.2-4). Also note Plutarch’s goal
of inspiring either imitation or avoidance of characters in his Lives (Aem. 1).
15
See R. WEBB, “The Progymnasmata in Practiceâ€, Education in Greek
and Roman Antiquity (ed. Y.L. TOO) (Leiden 2001) 306, for his comments on
how ethopoiia is foundational for fictional writing as well as providing “a
stock of traditional material†for authors.