Underwater Games. Thetis, Achilles and the ambiguity of fiction in Konrad’s von Würzburg ›Trojanerkrieg‹

Abstract

The article at hand examines Konrad’s polyphonic imaginations of the sea as a border space in the narrative of Achilles and as a poetological cipher in the prologue. The ancient source (Statius) emphasizes the ambiguity of all main characters, whereas in Konrad’s work strategies of ambiguation can be found alongside those of disambiguation: in the dialogue between Thetis and Achilles, these strategies are juxtaposed as diametrical principles and at the same time as models for literary production and reception. Against the background of Iser’s literary anthropology, Thetis’ creative actions can be outlined as ›acts of fictionalization‹.