This dissertation attempts to describe the use of metaphors in Aeschylus. Scholars have long known that metaphors appear with great frequency in Aeschylus, and there have been many previous studies on his use of metaphors. But there has not been, to my knowledge, a systematic and at the same time general introduction to the study of metaphors in Aeschylus of the sort attempted in the following pages. It is hoped that the present work can help to fill a gap in our knowledge and help us to arrive at a better understanding of an important component to the art of Aeschylus.

The dissertation is divided into five chapters. The first discusses some of the main issues involved in the study of Aeschylean metaphors and provides a brief introduction to the four chapters that follow. In the second chapter, Aristotle's theory of metaphors is considered, in the hopes of putting our subsequent observations on a more secure foundation. The third chapter examines nominal metaphors in Aeschylus, the fourth looks at his use of adjectival metaphors, and the fifth his use of kinship metaphors.