Narrative Theory in Rhetoric
There are many branches to the tree of narrative. Rhetorical narrative theory may be differentiated from other species by its focus on public narratives that play out in the public sphere, and by its emphasis on audience knowledge.
Classical Narrative Theory
Apthonius' Progymnasmata includes narrative forms as school exercises in the parts of the speech. He mentions fables and tales, plus the six "considerations" well known to students of composition: who, what, where, when, how, and why.
Fables are distinct from tales in that they have an animal subject and include a moral.
Aesopica: Aesop's Fables in English, Latin, and Greek
Web Resources
Kurt Vonnegut Lecture at Case Western Reserve University
