Metaphor in argument: The Beelzebul-controversy in the Gospel according to Mark

Abstract How do metaphoric texts interact with their argumentative context? After explaining the use and functioning of metaphors in communicative acts, the essay focusses on similes and parables as extended metaphors. Mark 3:22–30 is studied in detail, examining the function of the metaphors used in the argumentative dispute. The example shows that parables and similes can have different functions in arguments. As comparative illustration, they can support the argument, but the solution of the dispute can also be expressed in metaphor only. In both cases however, metaphoric speech is based on analogy and servient to the surrounding argument.