Lessing argued in 'Laokoön' (1766) that the statue suppresses the scream not from Greek nobility of soul but from the material constraints of visual art, which cannot represent extreme vocal expression without aesthetic ugliness.

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Aesthetic ugliness(as applied to artistic representation): Something that looks unpleasant or disturbing to the eye, breaking what we normally consider beautiful or harmonious.
Greek nobility of soul(as a traditional interpretation Lessing challenges): The idea that ancient Greeks possessed a superior inner dignity and strength of character that made them able to endure suffering without showing weakness.
Laokoön(as the artwork being analyzed): A famous ancient Greek marble statue showing a man and his sons struggling against giant snakes; also the title of Lessing's essay analyzing this sculpture.
Lessing(as the author being discussed): Gotthold Ephraim Lessing was an 18th-century German philosopher and critic who wrote influential essays about art, literature, and how different art forms communicate meaning.

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