Final answer:
Steven Pressfield's use of characterization transformation in his novel brings depth to the narrative as it portrays characters, including the fictional Polemides, undergoing profound changes, which make historical events more relatable.
Step-by-step explanation:
Characterization and Fictional Characters
In Steven Pressfield's novel, characterization transformation is used to develop characters who experience significant changes throughout the story as a means of exploring themes and enhancing the narrative's depth.
The invention of the fictional character Polemides, among others, serves to provide a personalized and human dimension to historical events, making them more relatable to contemporary readers.
These fictional characters are key in enabling readers to understand and feel the impact of historical events on a personal level, as they allow for an exploration of moral dilemmas and the human condition that are as relevant today as they were in the past.
Characters such as Polemides serve as both protagonists and foils to actual historical figures like Alcibiades, helping to highlight the complexities of their personalities and decisions.
By viewing Alcibiades largely through the perspectives of these fictional characters, readers gain a more nuanced understanding of his actions and motivations, as well as the political climate of the time.
These perspectives offer a subjective and immersive experience, somewhat akin to the role of a theater audience in Aristotle's concept of catharsis, where the viewer is drawn into empathizing with the characters on stage.
The character archetypes and transformations within the narrative are integral in making the story more accessible and meaningful for today's readers, providing an intricate portrayal of the tensions between personal agency and the sweeping tides of history.
Through these literary devices, Pressfield translates the distant past into a vivid tapestry of human experience that resonates with the contemporary reader's search for truth and understanding in the face of complex social and political landscapes.