Characterization and History: Social Recognition in the West from Antiquity to Romanticism

In this ground-breaking work, H. W. Matalene distills years of scholarly inquiry into the meaning and role of characterization, an elusive but defining element of human interaction and its representation in the arts. Why do we act the way we do, and why do we respond as we do to manners, dress, speech, and the other traits of characterization? Dr. Matalene's range is broad--from the ancient Greeks to the Romantics to contemporary culture and politics. But he has woven the various skeins of his subject into a brilliant tapestry.