The description of the enraged body in Seneca’s tragedies

Abstract

In Seneca’s tragedies there are numerous descriptions of characters overwhelmed with fury. These descriptions, which imply both static and dynamic features, are rooted into what was known in ancient times as ekphrasis – it is a rhetorical procedure which encompasses the accentuation of expressive details during a thorough description of a certain situation or scene. In Seneca’s works, in such descriptions there are traces of stoic theories where there are displays of inconstantia, which is typical for a person exposed to passion or which represents a connection between man and the universe, where furor represents furious elements. On the other hand, ekphraseis too are conditioned by physiognomic and medical theories of Seneca’s era, according to which the body is but a reflection of soul. The frequent use of these descriptions points out to their specific dramaturgic function – embedded in key moments of action, they enrich the discourse with additional elements by exerting affective influence on the audience. Finally, the descriptions make an intertextual fabric which puts characters from different tragedies into immediate vicinity, thus amplifying their dissuasive effects through such resonance.