Heralds and Messengers: Character Identity and Function in Greek Tragedy

The term “messenger” is generally used in the discussion of Greek tragedy to identify an anonymous character who reports offstage events. Yet “messenger” is not a fixed identifier, to be used in parallel with character names, but a description of a fluid conventional function, best compared with terms such as “prologue-speaker.” By contrasting the messenger with the related figure of the herald we can more clearly articulate the distinction between a character’s in-world identity and his extra-dramatic function. This more specific usage is supported by the language of the plays, and its usefulness is demonstrated through a study of Sophocles’ Trachiniae.