What is alazon?

In ancient Greek theater, an "alazon" was a stock character who was a boastful, arrogant, and foolish person. The term alazon comes from the Greek word "alazoneia," which means "bragging" or "boasting." Alazons often acted as foils to the clever and cunning characters in the plays, such as the eiron.

Alazons were often depicted as being overly confident and prone to exaggerating their own abilities and accomplishments. They were typically portrayed as being easily deceived and outwitted by the more clever characters in the play.

The term alazon is still used in literary and theatrical criticism to refer to a character who is boastful, arrogant, and lacking self-awareness. It is often used to describe characters in works of fiction who are portrayed as being foolish or lacking in insight.

Overall, the alazon is a comedic figure who serves to provide humor and contrast to the more intelligent and witty characters in a story.