"What was the function of the Rhapsode in Greek society? Whose interests were served by this performance format?"
The Rhapsode in Greek society was multi-functional in that Rhapsodes served the interest of the state, as a media outlet, and as a representation of what their life was. What was helpful for their performance style is that the Rhapsodes created a shared identity that everyone could buy into, creating what the Greeks referred to as "communitas," which is a shared togetherness. Translating communitas into performance reified Greek life and epic tradition. Important to discern is that Rhapsodes were not actors, as Plato himself spoke of the two as palying different roles (Hargis). Plato posits the Rhapsodes were neither too inteligent nor broadly educated, which could have served the interests of the gerneral public even further in that they could readily identify with the message the Rhapsode was communicating.
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In fact, Plato argues that the Rhapsodes are much like the Sophists. They simply called themselves Rhapsodes to avoid the title of Sophists. The Rhapsodes just like the Sophists did not really have a true art, only imitations of true art. They used these imitations to gain notoriety and compensation.
ReplyDeleteThis essay is far too short. Don't hesitate to use "I" language to inject your own opinions into your response. Include examples that support your assertions.
ReplyDeleteRight, this was the first one I had done, in which a lot of people were still confused about the assignment, the lengths of the posts, how many to answer, etc.,
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