The Title in the Sources of Ancient Literary Criticism

Abstract

This critical research studies the topic of the title composition in the sources of ancient criticism. The title is one of the most important elements of the paratext that reveals the work. Therefore, the title bears a number of its distinctive attributes, and the connections between it and other paratexts are varied. The study consists of an introduction, a preface two sections, and a conclusion. In the preface, I talked about the concept of the paratext and the title, while highlighting the importance of the title. In the first section, I studied both types of the attributes. The formal attributes which are composition, quantity, and creativity; and the semantic attributes which are clarity, delusion, and temptation. The second section dealt with therelationship between the title and other paratexts, which are: the introduction, internal headings, the conclusion, and similar headings. I concluded with the most important findings of the research. In this critical study, I used the descriptive methodology, while benefiting from the historical approach.