Marginal characters: A strategy of persuasion in 1–2 Samuel

Abstract

Over the past two decades, there has been a renewed interest in the analysis of character and characterization in the Hebrew Bible. Many studies have focused on the major characters and their company. However, insufficient attention has been given to characters on the margins of the narrative I identify as ‘marginal characters’. In this paper, I investigate the narratological function of these characters through an examination of select marginal characters in 1–2 Samuel. Drawing upon a conceptual framework for analyzing anonymous characters in Greek Tragedy, I propose two functions for these marginal characters: 1) they serve as a reflection of the narrator’s disposition toward the complex characters of Saul and David; 2) they serve as manifestations of divine providence. These functions are not mutually exclusive. In both cases, however, the marginal characters contribute to a strategy of narrative persuasion, leading the audience to certain ideological and theological conclusions.