One of the first notes provided in our edition of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man mentions that the name Joyce chose for his protagonist--Stephen Dedalus--connects the first Christian martyr with the Classical pagan artist/inventor, a juxtaposition which is proving central to the development of Stephen and to the novel itself. While reading about the Saint Stephen, I came upon an interesting parallel in the life of the martyr and in Stephen Dedalus.
The historical and liturgical Saint Stephen was a prominent figure in the early Christian church. He was called before the Sanhedrin on blasphemy charges, for preaching and subsequently stoned to death. This happened after he said he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. In short, he gave a speech defending the divinity of Jesus and then was brutally murdered.
In Portrait, Stephen is caned in one scene by his schoolfellows for supporting the poet Byron, who was deemed a heretic and libertine. This attack by his classmates was prompted from a teacher finding heresy in Stephen's essay, and Stephen simply changed the phrase he used, and therefore, the meaning of the phrase, to mend the error. From this we get an interesting parallel, as both Stephens are called heretics and defend someone they believe in, however, the saint's defense is religiously celebrated, and Dedalus' seems immature, or at least the product of Stephen's indulgently brooding manner. I don't know whether we can assume Joyce actually planned this parallel; my guess is that he probably thought about it, but it is not the main point of his choosing the name "Stephen" for his character. It is possible Joyce was trying to poke fun at the Catholic Church by satirizing its first martyr in a scene, or possibly just a touch added to heighten Stephen's aloof brooding behavior.
