Parole in duello. Riflessioni sulla violenza verbale

Abstract

Verbal violence is a complex phenomenon that language theory cannot ignore. This paper mainly aims to show that verbal assault and bodily harm are contiguous. The basic idea is that, in order to undersand this phenomenon, we need to consider language as strictly interwoven with other human activities. Using the Iliad as a paradigmatic case study, the paper focuses on two different types of conflict where words play an important role: the armed duel and the quarrel between Achilles and Agammenon.