Speech in speech

Speech in Speech explores the techniques by which classical Greek texts written primarily for public performance weave in direct quotations (oratio recta) of "other voices" - imagined or real. This "speech in speech" is usually perceived as endowed with a greater vividness and authenticity than indirect quotation, even when the words report what someone might say or words the speaker attributes to himself, imaginary or actually spoken. Distinguished classicist Victor Bers explains how these insertions enliven the verbal texture of plays and speeches and examines the intricate relation of direct quotations to their "originals." As the first synoptic and detailed study of oratio recta in classical Greek literature, Speech in Speech will be useful to anyone interested in ancient literary techniques.