A rhetoric of the scene: dramatic narrative in the early Middle Ages (review)

Reviews 165 Parker expounds the importance of a thematic interpretation as it is derived from a work's structural unity, showing how the dramatic function inevitably bears a conceptual relationship to theme. Near the end of the book, Parker is able to show how past criticism, especially of Calderdn's tragedies, has placed the works' apparent moraUty before their dramatic and thematic arguments, leading to a misinterpretation of the so-caUed 'honour plays'. Parker also tackles those modern definitions of tragedy that have tended to exclude Calderdn's plays, on the grounds that a strict adherence to a code of honour and Calderdn's religious belief made it impossible for him to deal in truly tragic constructs. Parker shows that while the role of blind fate holds Uttle sway in Calderdn's plays, in dealing with questions of diffused moral responsibiUty in circumstances where it is impossible to assign guilt Calderdn actually extends the concept of tragedy. FoUowing the interpretive essay that opens the book are chapters on Calderdn's use of metaphor, symbol, myth, poetic truth and dramatic structure, and how these developed in relation to the playwright's own life experiences. The interpretive essays on individual plays are organized around the theme of social Ufe (with its manifestation in works of a basically domestic sphere), pubUc, political and religious concerns, and the plays devised for performance at court, which combined stage performance, music and the spectacle of royalty itself. This last section of material, pubUshed here for the first time, is a very welcome addition to our understanding of Calderonian drama. Jane Morrison Department of Spanish University of N e w South Wales Pizarro, J. M., A rhetoric of the scene: dramatic narrative in the early Middle Ages, Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 1989; cloth; pp. viii, 279; 3 plates; R. R. P. US$45/£27.50. Stimulating and important is this book. Its thesis will probably be challenged, as weU as refined and extended, by future research. But, certainly, it will not be ignored. Pizarro analyses closely scenes in a range of early medieval historiographical and biographical texts, both Greek and Latin, but concentrates on Gregory of Tours, Gregory the Great, Paul the Deacon and Agnellus; that is, Italy and Gaul. O n the basis of these texts, presented in very fine translations, it is argued that the essential underlying technique of aU early medieval narrative genres and styles is what is called 'scenic representation' (Introduction and Chapter 1). This new technique was designed to appeal to the eyes and ears of a society close to the oral vernacular epic tradition, was derived from that tradition of story-telling, and was characterised by attention to scenes and speeches (Chapter 2), gestures (Chapter 3) and significant, symboUc objects (Chapter 4). 166 Reviews Moreover such a narrative technique proved an enduring influence in European literature from the 6th to the 12th centuries, although it was developed and transformed over time (Conclusion). Early medieval writers did not necessarily depend themselves on direct oral traditions. Rather, their narrative technique reflected the characteristic features of oral tradition as adapted to different literary styles and models. Co-incident with the establishment of this technique, there occurred the growth of stylisedritualand symbolic objects, both basic features of oral tradition. The fusion of these two traditions to form a new narrative technique is already evident in the late-fourth-century history of Ammianus Marcellinus. According to Pizarro, oral tradition is a more authentic explanation for early medieval narrative technique than written sources. Classical historians such as Livy and Sallust possessed a rhetorical and formalised style with artificial dialogue, plus a rationalised approach to their subject matter with prevalent authorial intervention. In terms of narrative technique, as distinct from style, they hardly influenced early medieval writers at all. Nor is there an observable evolution of narrative technique from late antique models. Rather the key literary influence was the Gospel narratives in their sermo humilis and this was combined with local oral traditions: for Latin texts the Germanic and Celtic traditions, for Greek texts the Semitic traditions of Syria, Palestine and Egypt. C o m m o n to narratives originating in all these traditions is an...