Marc Antony and theatrical emblems: What do tropes and motifs of performance in Plutarch’s Life of Antony say about Antony and other characters in the larger context of civil strife of the late Roman Republic?
The concept(s) I am trying to touch on here: how acting, deception, performance etc. are, perhaps, a necessary escape from the chaotic, harsh and confusing realities of Roman civil war.
For this paper, a combination of two things should be done: 1. – a close reading of a passage or passages from The Life of Antony, in Plutarch’s, The Parallel Lives; which brings out a significant theme or issue. And, 2. – discuss how the text is constructed by looking at the details of the text (i.e. the literary/rhetorical methods Plutarch employs); essentially answering – how does the author’s argument work?
In regards to secondary sources, around 3, fairly recent and current Classics related scholarship/and regular articles should be cited.