Narrative Structure and Political Construction: The Epic at Work

Abstract

This article explores the idea that the construction of meaning lies at the very foundation of oral or “oral-derived” texts, which rely on the totality of tradition to create precise meaning. Through a careful analysis of the epic genre, Goyet asserts that its core function is precisely to allow society as a whole to understand—first dimly and then in more detail—a new political order. The major works treated are the Old French Song of Roland, the ancient Greek Iliad, and the Japanese Hôgen and Heiji monogatari.

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