# Thersites explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ambrose Bierce.

## What happens

The chapter presents a scathing public denunciation of a figure accused of mendacity, libel, and deceit, with the speaker positioning himself as a moral arbiter calling out falsehood in a public forum.

## Themes in this chapter

### Deception and Self-Deception

The chapter centers on accusations of lying and libel, highlighting the theme of falsehood and its public exposure.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown

The speaker who publicly denounces the target as 'mendacity’s great hierarch'.

## Key lines

> Behold mendacity’s great hierarch!

Look at the chief master of lying!

_The speaker concludes his denunciation by labeling the target as the highest authority of falsehood._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters/thersites
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters