The Octopus as a Literary Figure in Imperial-Era Literature

Marta Czapińska-Bambara

doi:10.18778/2084-140X.15.22

Autor

Marta Czapińska-Bambara University of Lodz, Faculty of Philology https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2159-8294

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/2084-140X.15.22

Słowa kluczowe:

octopus, thief, pirates, Imperial period, literary tradition

Abstrakt

An examination of didactic and scholarly texts composed between the 1^st and 3^rd centuries CE reveals that the passages concerning the octopus exhibit recurring thematic and structural features. These commonalities suggest the existence of a literary model for representing the octopus during this period. Moreover, they exemplify the use of fictional narratives as a vehicle for artistic and entertainment purposes. In them, the figure of the octopus appears as a thief who, equipped with the qualities attributed to him by literary traditions (including the ability to walk, climb a tree, unusual culinary tastes, cunning character, and thieving inclinations) commits a sneaky theft, not infrequently linked to an assault, a fight and a sad end to the negative character. The tales about the octopus are thus part of the trend of sophistically created adventure plots based on playing with literary heritage.

Pobrania

Statystyki pobrań niedostępne.

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