Module CLAS2971: Comedy and Tragedy, Laughter and Sorrow

Department: Classics and Ancient History

CLAS2971: Comedy and Tragedy, Laughter and Sorrow

Prerequisites

• CLAS1601 or ENGL1011 or ENGL1031

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To study the history of ancient Greek theatre (in its socio-historical context) and its poetic depictions of laughter and sorrow in parallel, and to gain knowledge of a selection of literary works where both play a prominent role using literary critical and comparative approaches.
• To develop skills in critical thinking in order to analyse how laughter and sorrow shape the generic features of Greek comedy and tragedy, and inform their ancient reception.
• To gain knowledge of key debates in scholarship and learn how to evaluate these effectively.

Content

• The lectures explore the history of Greek theatre, from its origins to its further development and examine Greek laughter and sorrow with an emphasis on specific topics/themes staged and discussed in classical tragedy and comedy and their ancient reception (e.g. supplication, war, literary criticism, politics, Athens vs. Thebes, female suffering/agency).
• Seminars provide a forum for closer analysis of different works and an opportunity to discuss and evaluate the relevant scholarship.

Learning Outcomes

• Detailed knowledge of the history of Greek theatre and of a selection of Greek works depicting laughter and sorrow and focusing on a specific topic, and an understanding of generic differences between comedy and tragedy.
• An understanding of contemporary debates in the study of the origins/development of Greek theatre and its representations of laughter and sorrow.

• An ability to engage critically with the representation of laughter and sorrow and to develop a comparative approach to the study of Greek comedy and tragedy and their ancient reception.
• An ability to evaluate, differentiate and synthesise the arguments from scholarship used in the interpretation of Greek drama and other ancient works.

• An ability to analyse a wide range of primary sources and to evaluate the arguments of contemporary scholarship; a capacity to produce clear, well-structured arguments in written form and to develop independent interpretations of the texts; development of oral presentation skills in seminars.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Lectures will provide detailed analysis of Greek theatre and its plays. Seminars will provide opportunities to engage with sources and texts and interpretative issues through various activities undertaken in a discursive context.
• A formative essay will enable detailed engagement with the specified plays; a summative essay will develop the skills so far acquired by engaging critically with the plays studied. Seminars will provide feedback during this process.
• The examination will assess students’ familiarity with Greek theatre and its plays covered in the lectures and their ability to illuminate details of those sources and texts; and will test the general sophistication of their analysis.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

One formative exercise

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University