Varieties of Supernatural Depictions
- This article proposes several conceptual frameworks for examining the widespread use of classical intertexts depicting the supernatural in popular media. Whether the supernatural is viewed as reality or simply a trope, it represents the human capacity and desire to explore worlds and meanings beyond the obvious and mundane. Representations of classical gods, heroes, and monsters evoke the power of mythic stories to probe and explain human psychology, social concerns, philosophical questions, and religious beliefs, including belief about the paranormal and supernatural. The entertainment value of popular media allows creators and audiences to engage with larger issues in non-dogmatic and playful ways that help them negotiate tensions among various beliefs and identities. This paper also gives an overview of the other articles in this journal issue, showing overlapping themes and patterns that connect with these tensions. By combining knowledge of classical myths in their original contexts with knowledge about contemporary culture,This article proposes several conceptual frameworks for examining the widespread use of classical intertexts depicting the supernatural in popular media. Whether the supernatural is viewed as reality or simply a trope, it represents the human capacity and desire to explore worlds and meanings beyond the obvious and mundane. Representations of classical gods, heroes, and monsters evoke the power of mythic stories to probe and explain human psychology, social concerns, philosophical questions, and religious beliefs, including belief about the paranormal and supernatural. The entertainment value of popular media allows creators and audiences to engage with larger issues in non-dogmatic and playful ways that help them negotiate tensions among various beliefs and identities. This paper also gives an overview of the other articles in this journal issue, showing overlapping themes and patterns that connect with these tensions. By combining knowledge of classical myths in their original contexts with knowledge about contemporary culture, classical scholars contribute unique perspectives about why classical intertexts dominate in popular media today.…
Verfasserangaben: | Margaret Merrill ToscanoORCiDGND |
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DOI: | https://doi.org/10.34679/thersites.vol17.249 |
ISSN: | 2364-7612 |
Titel des übergeordneten Werks (Englisch): | thersites 17 |
Untertitel (Englisch): | Classics in Contemporary Media |
Herausgeber*in(nen): | Amanda Potter, Hunter H. Gardner |
Publikationstyp: | Wissenschaftlicher Artikel |
Sprache: | Englisch |
Datum der Erstveröffentlichung: | 10.11.2023 |
Erscheinungsjahr: | 2023 |
Veröffentlichende Institution: | Universität Potsdam |
Datum der Freischaltung: | 14.12.2023 |
Freies Schlagwort / Tag: | Afterlife; Classical Mythology; Myth Theory; Paranormal; Supernatural |
Band: | 2023 |
Ausgabe: | 17 |
Seitenanzahl: | 30 |
Erste Seite: | 2 |
Letzte Seite: | 31 |
Quelle: | thersites Vol. 17 (2023): Classics and the Supernatural (eds. A. Potter & Hunter Gardner) |
Organisationseinheiten: | Philosophische Fakultät / Historisches Institut |
DDC-Klassifikation: | 9 Geschichte und Geografie / 90 Geschichte / 900 Geschichte und Geografie |
Peer Review: | Referiert |
Publikationsweg: | Open Access / Gold Open-Access |
Sammlung(en): | Universität Potsdam / Zeitschriften / thersites, ISSN 2364-7612 / thersites Vol. 17 |
Lizenz (Deutsch): | CC-BY - Namensnennung 4.0 International |
Externe Anmerkung: | The original publication is available at https://doi.org/10.34679/thersites.vol17.249 |