Gorgon's head on a
silver
coin of Naples
permission to use
image granted
|
Classics 361:
Ancient Greek Drama
in Translation
Spring 2003
|
The god Apollo on a
gold coin
of Syracuse
image courtesy of Edgar
L. Owen, #3803
|
Instructor: Dr. Victor A. Leuci
Link: Web
resources for Greek Civilization
Texts:
-
G. Ley , A Short
Introduction
to the Ancient Greek Theater
-
P. Vellacott, (tr.) Euripides:
Medea and other plays
-
D. Grene & R.
Lattimore, eds.,
Greek
Tragedies, Vol. 1, 2, & 3
-
W. Arrowsmith, et al. Four
Plays by Aristophanes,
-
Aristophanes' The
Wasps
Required readings on Reserve:
-
B. Malina, The New
Testament
World: Insights from Cultural Anthropology, selections from
-
W. Burkert, Greek
Religion,
selections
from
-
G. Holst-Warhaft, Dangerous
Voices: Women's Laments and Greek Literature, selections from
-
E. R. Dodds,
introduction to his
translation of Euripides' Bacchae
-
M. H. Hansen, The
Athenian
Democracy in the Age of Demosthenes, selections from
Objectives: The
course
is a survey of ancient Greek drama--tragedy and comedy. Through an
examination
of these plays and select scholarship we will
-
become familiar with the
origins,
nature, and practice of ancient Greek drama
-
understand and apply in
a critical
fashion the scholarship from various scholarly fields to the plays
-
examine and reflect on
the key
ideas/motifs of the plays and their significance to the Greek audience
and especially to the modern 21st century one
Relationship to the General Education
Curriculum:
CLA 361, Ancient Greek Drama in Translation, satisfies the Tier
III
requirement. The course does so in the following ways:
-
When appropriate and
feasible,
professors from other disciplines (e.g. possibly Sociology, Religion)
will
be asked to participate.
-
Selected readings from
various
disciplines will be required for all, e.g. Sociology, Women’s Studies,
Religion, and Political Science
-
Additional selected
readings from
various disciplines will be required for the individual student
projects
& presentations
-
Class discussion based
on the
selected interdisciplinary readings and student presentations will
facilitate
student understanding and comprehension of these various disciplines
and
the value they bring to the plays themselves and their role within
society—both
Athenian and ours.
Format: The
course
will consist of discussion, student presentations and some lectures.
The
class may occasionally be divided into small groups to treat discussion
topics that will most often be based on readings from ancient authors.
Microthemes may be assigned based on the results of the small group
discussions.
The microthemes are especially designed to facilitate the learning of
important
details and concepts of the course. Often the microthemes will
represent
the first opportunity to come to grips with an important block of
material
or ideas which we will treat from several different perspectives or in
several different contexts.
Grading:
-
Research Paper: 2
total,
each worth 100 points; each 1800-3000 words in length
-
Final Paper: 50 points; 1200-1800
words in length
-
Critical Summaries:
3 total;
each worth 30 points; each 600-900 words in length
-
Presentations: 3 total; each worth
20 points; based on critical summaries
-
Class Participation:
50
points; will also include posts in class discussion folder
Honor Code: All
students and faculty must adhere to the Honor Code; please see the
Student
Life Handbook for the full description of the Honor Code--p. 21
in
the Student Life Handbook gives a short definition: "No Westminster
student
shall commit any act of academic dishonesty in order to advance her or
his own academic performance, or to impede or advance the academic
progress
of others," but the sections on plagiarism and cheating are especially
important (see Honor Commission Constitution, Article IX).
ADA Accommodation: Any
student who feels that he or she may need an accommodation based on the
impact of a disability should contact me to arrange an appointment as
soon
as possible. At that time, we can discuss the course format,
anticipate
your needs, and explore possible accommodations.
Writing-Intensive
Option:
Different
types of writing will be part of the course: critical summaries,
research
papers, and a final. All papers/critical summaries will be assigned as
a means to help participants come to a better understanding,
evaluation,
and integration of important themes, ideas, and concepts. The first
critical
summary will be revised on the basis of a conference with me. One of
the
papers must be revised on the basis of conferences with me and with a
tutor
at the Writing Lab. Two other writing assignments (chosen from
the
other critical summaries and papers) must be revised on the basis of
conferences
with me and with a tutor of the Writing Lab. A critique and conference
after the completion of a writing assignment may also occur. In
general,
participants in the class should highly consider using the services of
the Writing Lab and especially the Lab tutors, who can be of tremendous
assistance.
Exams: The exams
will
be take-home whose essay topics will be provided one to two weeks
before
they are due. They will often involve applying the "lenses" provided in
the material on reserve to the plays themselves. The specific topics
will
be posted in the discussion folder and available through the on-line
syllabus.
Papers:
Content:
Each paper
will focus on a specific question or approach based on your readings.
If
the question is narrow in focus, your paper should follow suite. The
thesis
you maintain in your paper should be supported with citations and
quotes
(where appropriate) from the texts and from the scholarship.
-
Formatting:
-
Header: start
with a simple
heading at the top of the page giving your name, course number, the
number
of the assignment (e.g. Paper #6), a word count, etc.
-
Citations: for
citations
follow a standard format such as the APA, MLA, etc, but note that
I prefer italicizing titles, etc. to underlining. There will be a post
in the discussion folder with examples for your aid.
-
Spacing & Font:
you
may use any font, point size, or line spacing that you want--within
reason,
that is.
-
Submission: A
paper copy
is due at the beginning of the class period. An electronic copy of each
paper is also required and should be submitted within 24 hours of the
due
date for the paper copy; note that there is a two letter grade
deduction
for failure to submit an electronic copy.
Attendance:
Regular attendance and participation are essential for the success of
the
whole class. More than two unexcused absences will be considered
excessive, and no make-up work will be accepted for unexcused absences.
Each unexcused absence past two will result in a deduction of 7.5
points
from the total number of points one has at the end of the semester. If
you are ill, e-mail me before class, if possible, or as soon as you are
able.
Assignments:
In
each unit, the assignments and the specific due dates are not
"set-in-stone,"
and may vary depending on how each class period goes. The syllabus will
be updated as needed.
Unit I: Tragedy: From the origins
through
Aeschylus
-
Reading assignments (click
here for specific due dates):
-
Aeschylus' Prometheus
Bound, The
Oresteia: Agamemnon, Choephoroe, & Eumenides
-
W. Burkert, selections
on reserve
-
G. Holst-Warhaft,
selections on
reserve
Unit II: Tragedy: Sophocles and Euripides
-
Reading assignments (click
here for specific due dates):
-
Sophocles' Electra,
Antigone,
Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, Philoctetes
-
Euripides' Electra,
Alcestis,
Medea, Hecuba, Hippolytus, Bacchae
-
B. Malina, selections
on reserve
-
E. R. Dodds, selection
on reserve
Unit III: Comedy: Aristophanes