Extrametrical NAI and EIEN in Greek Tragedy

This note examines all extrametrical occurrences of the phatic interjections ναί and εἶἑν in Greek tragedy. It first establishes that it is likely that extrametrical interjections were followed by a pause in delivery, that it is unusual for phatic interjections to be separated from the discourse in this way, and that the tragedians probably had some particular effect in mind when placing these words extra metrum. The ten passages are then examined in turn, and interpretations of the significance of the pauses are offered.