The woman in Song of Songs

Abstract

The woman in Song of Songs seems to be the main character in dialogue with a lover and friends. Over many centuries several hypotheses have appeared about the epistemological questions concerning the identity and character of this woman as well as the interpretation of her dialogue with other characters in the Song. The unencumbered, rich and vibrant metaphoric text of Song of Songs describes the woman as a most beautiful and dynamic character. This research intends not to become involved in these debates but only to attempt to investigate in a coherent way the following topics, “A literary interpretation and some general remarks”, “The identity of the woman”, “The character of the woman”, “The woman in different relationships” and finally “The function of the woman in the rhetoric of the author”.