Classical Plots and Narratives in Modern and Contemporary Literatures

Abstract

This dossier examines the enduring presence of classical Greco-Roman literature not as the static preservation of untouchable texts, but as a dynamic practice of dialogue between the past and the present. Far from implying a lack of fidelity to the original, the appropriation, rewriting, reinterpretation and translation of classical plots constitute genuine forms of reimagination, in which ancient texts take on new meanings according to the historical, political and aesthetic contexts in which they are received. As an introduction to the Dossier Classical Plots and Narratives in Modern and Contemporary Literatures, this paper traces the theoretical milestones in the field of the ‘classical tradition’ and argues that every reading entails an active, rather than neutral, stance, which becomes decisive when it leads to rewriting. It also highlights the political malleability of classical plots and their capacity to operate outside the Western tradition, from peripheral geographies and languages. The six essays brought together here test this hypothesis against diverse corpora and confirm that Greco-Roman texts retain their power to generate new meanings.