Anapests and the Tragic Plot

Abstract

Abstract:

Anapests, consisting always of elements of the same length (one long or two short syllables), are conducive to expressing both steady forward motion and the metaphorical motion that drives a plot to its conclusion. Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides repeatedly take advantage of this association between anapests and steady motion to underline the driving forces of their plots. They call attention to those driving forces through unusual or unexpected use of anapests early in a play, then repeat the anapests in related passages later.