Postgraduate Profile

Mr Reuben Ramsey

PhD Candidate, School of Humanities & Social Science

Discipline:    Classics
Faculty:         Education & Arts
Email:            c9036939@uon.edu.au

Current Research

PhD Thesis title: Proleptic Construction in the Prometheus Bound.

Aims:
a) To analyse the proleptic development of key words and word-roots in the Prometheus Bound with particular reference to the dramatic development of the play.
b) To analyse the play for features that may be of significance to the on-going issue of its status as a play by Aeschylus.
c) To explore the potential applications of multivariate computer analysis to a study of the language of the Classical Greek drama.

Initial research issues include:
  A survey of arguments for and against the authenticity of the Prometheus Bound.
  A survey of the development of prolepsis as a legitimate element of the analysis of the works of Aeschylus and other authors.
  Further research into the development and impact of Sophistic ideas at Athens over the course of the fifth century BC.

Expected Outcomes.
I hope to have something to add to current debates as to the authenticity of the attribution of the Prometheus Bound to Aeschylus and the legitimacy of analysis in terms of proleptic constructions for the understanding and interpretation of Classical Greek literature, with particular reference to the influence of oral, pre-literate forms of communication.

The proposed study also provides an opportunity to test the application of computer analysis to poetic writings in Classical Greek.