THS4000 Classical Theatre: Theory and Practice

Contents

• Staffing
• Requisites
• Synopsis
• Objectives
• Topics
• Texts
• Reference materials
• Student workload
• Assessment details
• Important assessment information
• Assessment notes
• Production date
• PDF version

STAFFING

REQUISITES

SYNOPSIS

A major ingredient in the Renaissance was the rediscovery of the philosophy, political theory, and artistic achievements of Athens in the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. An examination of the extant tragedies and comedies of the fifth century in comparison with relevant Renaissance playtexts provides an understanding of how the theatre served and shaped its original society and how it has continued to serve and shape, in a variety of forms, post- Renaissance societies. Enrolment is restricted to Honours students.

OBJECTIVES

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

1. demonstrate an advanced understanding of the cultural, religious and dramatic import of the extant tragedies and comedies;
2. appreciate cultural re-interpretations of Hellenic models;
3. evaluate theatrically diverse performances of the Hellenic texts.

TOPICS

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

The complete extant works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes - any translation or edition. For the tragedies, however, the University of Chicago series is recommended.

REFERENCE MATERIALS

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

Arnott, P D 1989, Public and performance in the Greek theatre, Routledge, London.

Aylen, L 1985, The Greek theater, Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, London.

Blundell, M 1989, Helping friends and harming enemies, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Burian, P (ed) 1985, Directions in Euripidean criticism, Duke University Press, Durham.

Bushnell, R 1988, Prophesying tragedy: sign and voice in Sophocles' theban plays, Cornell University Press, Ithaca.

Cropp, M 1988, Electra: Euripides, Aris & Phillips, Warminster.

Dodds, E R 1983, On misunderstanding the Oedipus Rex, Oxford readings in Greek tragedy, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Dover, K 1972, Aristophanic comedy, University of California Press, Berkeley.

Easterling, P and Knox, B 1989, The Cambridge history of classical literature, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Euben, J P (ed) 1990, Tragedy of political theory, University of California Press, Berkeley.

Ferguson, J 1987, Euripides, Medea and Electra: companion to the Penguin translation, Bristol Classical Press, Bristol.

Gardiner, C 1987, The Sophoclean chorus: a study of character and function, University of Iowa Press, Iowa City.

Goldhill, S 1986, Reading Greek tragedy, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Henderson, J 1991, The maculate muse: obscene language in attic comedy, 2nd edn, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Hogan, J 1984, A commentary on the complete Greek tragedies: Aeschylus, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Hubbard, T 1991, The mask of comedy, Cornell University Press, Ithaca.

Jones, J 1971, On Aristotle and Greek tragedy, Chatto & Windus, London.

Kitto, H D F 1966, Greek tragedy: a literary study, Methuen, London.

Knox, B 1983, The heroic temper: studies in Sophoclean tragedy, University of California Press, Berkeley.

Lattimore, R 1964, Story patterns in Greek tragedy, Athlone Press, University of London, London.

Pickard-Cambridge, A 1962, Dithyramb, tragedy and comedy, Oxford University Press, London.
((revised by T Webster))

Pickard-Cambridge, A 1968, The dramatic festivals of Athens, Oxford University Press, London.
((revised by J Gould and D M Lewis))

Powell, A 1990, Euripides, women and sexuality, Routledge, London.

Rabinowitz, N 1993, Anxiety veiled: Euripides and the traffic in women, Cornell University Press, Ithaca.

Reckford, K 1987, Aristophanes' old-and-new comedy, University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill.

Rehm, R 1992, Greek tragic theatre, Routledge, London.

Rosenmeyer, T 1971, The masks of tragedy: essays on six Greek dramas, Gordian Press, New York.

Rosenmeyer, T 1989, Senecan drama and stoic cosmology, University of California Press, Berkeley.

Seale, D 1982, Vision and stagecraft in Sophocles, Croom Helm, London.

Segal, C 1993, Oedipus Tyrannus: tragic heroism and the limits of knowledge, Twayne Publishers, New York.

Segal, E (ed) 1983, Oxford readings in Greek tragedy, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Steiner, G 1986, Antigones, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Strauss, L 1966, Socrates and Aristophanes, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Taplin, O 1979, Greek tragedy in action, University of California Press, Berkeley.

Taplin, O 1977, The stagecraft of Aeschylus, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Vernant, J-P and Vidal-Naquet, P 1988, Myth and tragedy in ancient Greece, Zone Books, New York.

Vickers, B 1979, Towards Greek tragedy, Longman, London.

Walton, J 1980, Greek theatre practice, Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut.

Walton, J 1996, The Greek sense of theatre, Harwood, Amsterdam.

Watling, E F 1972, Four tragedies and Octavia, Penguin, Harmondsworth.

Webster, T 1969, An introduction to Sophocles, 2nd edn, London.

Winnington-Ingram, R P 1980, Sophocles: an interpretation, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

ASSESSMENT DETAILS

NOTES

1.

Further details about the assessment due dates are provided to students at the first class meeting for the term. This assessment item is aligned with Objectives 1 and 3.

2.

This assessment item is aligned with Objectives 2 and 3.

3.

This assessment item is aligned with Objectives 1, 2 and 3.

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

1. Attendance requirements:
   Since the objectives will be equally taught by private study and by face-to-face sessions, it is strongly advised that students attend all seminars for this course. It is also the student's responsibility to study all materials provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
   To successfully complete an individual assessment item, a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks or a grade of at least C-. This statement must be read in conjunction with Statement 4 below.
3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
   If students submit assignments after the due date without extenuating circumstances and without prior approval, then a penalty of a maximum of 5% of the assigned mark may apply for each working day late, up to a maximum of 10 working days, at which time a mark of zero can be recorded for that assignment.
4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
   To be assured of receiving a passing grade, a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.
5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
   The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
6. Examination information:
   There is no exam for this course.
7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
   Given the details under (6) above, there are no deferred exams for this course. However, if any deferred/makeup work is granted, it would have to be submitted by a date set by the examiner.
8. University Regulations:
   Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6 Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm

ASSESSMENT NOTES

This version produced 27 May 2008.