Joakim, Uzziah, and Bagoas : a literary analysis of selected secondary characters in the Book of Judith
Abstract
Secondary characters in any literary work play supporting roles. In
their cameo appearances, they reinforce the importance of the primary
characters, the stars. While not given top billing, they nonetheless
remain crucial to the plot and contribute to its twists and
turns. When a secondary character interacts with a primary character,
additional traits of the primary character emerge. However in
this interaction, often distinct personality traits of the secondary
character likewise appear. This article looks at selected secondary
characters in the Book of Judith: Joakim, the high priest and leader
of the council in Jerusalem; Uzziah, the magistrate of Bethulia, the
city besieged by Holofernes and the Assyrian army; and the Bagoas,
Holofernes’ aide de camp. Via a literary approach which sees
Judith as a fictional short story, this article examines the contributions
of selected characters who play supporting roles to Judith, the
beautiful Bethulian, and Holofernes, the Assyrian general who
ignominiously dies by her hand.
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- Faculty of Theology [977]