Social function, polysemy and narrative‐dramatic form: A case study of do the right thing

Spike Lee's film, Do the Right Thing, has been interpreted in radically different, even inconsistent ways. This essay argues that Lee used a form similar to classical Greek drama in order to embed inconsistent themes into the film. This analysis in turn suggests implications in relation to the functions served by narrative rhetoric and a polysemic critical practice.

Key concepts:

• narrative
• drama
• Greek tragedy
• polysemy