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Classics 4335: Greek Tragedy (Fall 2010)
TTH 2:00 – 3:20 pm in 330 Science Hall
Dr. Charles C. Chiasson, 310 Carlisle Hall (272-3216)
E-Mail:
Office Hours MW 10-11am and by appointment
In this course we will be reading plays by the “big three” ancient Greek tragedians: namely, Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. We will be reading their tragedies not merely as literature, but also as reflections of the cultural climate in which they were originally produced—Athens in the last half of the 5th century, the artistic and economic center of the Hellenic world, head of a far-flung naval empire, and home to a democratic political system that was at once both more and less democratic than our own contemporary American version. We will pay special attention to the socio-political issues of gender, class, and civic (Athenian) and national (Hellenic) identity that loom large in current Classical scholarship.
The field of Classics has also seen a recent upsurge of interest in both the performative aspects of Greek tragedy and in so-called “Reception Studies”—i.e., the appropriation and interpretation of ancient cultural artifacts (such as Greek dramas) by later civilizations, up to and including our own. In order to focus on performance issues, we will watch a video of Peter Hall’s famous stage production of Aeschylus’ Oresteia; and in order to test the waters of Reception Studies, we will watch a video of Lee Breuer’s stage production The Gospel at Colonus (based upon Sophocles’ Oedipus at Colonus) as well as Michael Cacoyannis’ screen adaptation of Euripides’ Electra.
Required Textbooks (all available, or soon to be so, at the UTA Bookstore):
Aeschylus Persians, trans. Lembke and Herington (Oxford UP 1981)
Aeschylus Oresteia, trans. Meineck (Hackett 1998)
Sophocles Theban Plays, trans. Meineck and Woodruff (Hackett 2003)
Euripides Alcestis Medea Hippolytus, trans. Svarlien (Hackett 2007)
The Electra Plays, trans. Meineck, Luschnig, and Woodruff (Hackett 2009)
Greek Tragedy: An Introduction, B. Zimmermann (Johns Hopkins 1991)
Course Objectives: Students will demonstrate an understanding of what the tragedies we read meant to the ancient Athenian community for which they were composed; and of how they have been adapted for modern audiences and tastes by modern stage and film directors.
Requirements and Grading
Mid-Term Exam (Tuesday, Oct. 12th)
Final Exam (Tuesday, Dec. 14th)
Term paper (8-12 double-spaced pages on a topic approved by me), due Tuesday, Dec. 7th (a day that will live in infamy)
Oral Report (10-15 minutes long) on an article or book chapter assigned by me
Each of these assignments is worth 25% of your course grade; the fate of borderline grades will be determined by your attendance and participation in class discussion. You will have the option of re-writing your term paper to incorporate my suggestions for improvement (to be resubmitted at or before the final exam).
Attendance: In order to do well in this course you will need to attend regularly, with the day's reading assignment completed beforehand. Although attendance (or lack thereof) will not directly affect your grade in this course, the consequences of non-attendance are predictable: students who often miss class typically get lower grades.
Drop Policy: Students may drop or swap (adding and dropping a class concurrently) classes through self-service in MyMav from the beginning of the registration period through the late registration period. After the late registration period, students must see their academic advisor to drop a class or withdraw. Undeclared students must see an advisor in the University Advising Center. Drops can continue through a point two-thirds of the way through the term or session [specifically, through Friday, Nov. 5]. It is the student's responsibility to officially withdraw if they do not plan to attend after registering. Students will not be automatically dropped for non-attendance. Repayment of certain types of financial aid administered through the University may be required as the result of dropping classes or withdrawing. Contact the Financial Aid Office for more information
Classroom Demeanor: I expect that while in class you will be courteous to one another and to me. I expect you to show up for class on time and (barring unforeseen developments) to stay for the entire period: people who arrive late and/or leave when the lights go out and the projector goes on are yet another pet peeve of mine. During class you must either pay attention to me or foster the illusion that you are doing so--I won't tolerate people who are ostentatiously reading the Shorthorn, for example, or doing work for another course, or creating a disturbance that distracts me or other students. If you're doing any of these things I will ask you once (and once only) to cease and desist; if you persist, you will be invited to leave the class.
Cell phones are—for some, and arguably—a necessary evil outside of class. During class, when you need to focus on the material presented without external interruptions, they are simply, inescapably, and profoundly evil. Please turn them off, lest you distract me, yourself, and/or others. (Instructor’s Pet Peeve of the New Millennium)
Americans with Disabilities Act: The University of Texas at Arlington is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of all federal equal opportunity legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). All instructors at UT Arlington are required by law to provide "reasonable accommodations" to students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. Any student requiring an accommodation for this course must provide the instructor with official documentation in the form of a letter certified by the staff in the Office for Students with Disabilities, University Hall 102. Only those students who have officially documented a need for an accommodation will have their request honored. Information regarding diagnostic criteria and policies for obtaining disability-based academic accommodations can be found at www.uta.edu/disability or by calling the Office for Students with Disabilities at (817) 272-3364.
Academic Integrity: It is the philosophy of The University of Texas at Arlington that academic dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in any form. All persons involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the University. According to the UT System Regents’ Rule 50101, §2.2, "Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts."
Student Support Services Available: The University of Texas at Arlington provides a variety of resources and programs designed to help students develop academic skills, deal with personal situations, and better understand concepts and information related to their courses. These resources include tutoring, major-based learning centers, developmental education, advising and mentoring, personal counseling, and federally funded programs. For individualized referrals to resources for any reason, students may contact the Maverick Resource Hotline at 817-272-6107 or visit www.uta.edu/resources for more information.
Electronic Communication Policy: The University of Texas at Arlington has adopted the University “MavMail” address as the sole official means of communication with students. MavMail is used to remind students of important deadlines, advertise events and activities, and permit the University to conduct official transactions exclusively by electronic means. For example, important information concerning registration, financial aid, payment of bills, and graduation are now sent to students through the MavMail system. All students are assigned a MavMail account. Students are responsible for checking their MavMail regularly. Information about activating and using MavMail is available at http://www.uta.edu/oit/email/. There is no additional charge to students for using this account, and it remains active even after they graduate from UT Arlington.
Tentative Schedule of Events
(Reading assignments are to be completed before the class for which they are listed.)
August
26 TH Introduction; Origins of Tragedy
31 T Historical, Social, Theatrical Context (Zimmerman chap. 1)
September
2 TH Aeschylus' Persians (Zimmerman 26-33)
7 T Persians (cont'd)
9 TH Persians (cont’d) (Herington’s introduction, 3-29)
14 T Agamemnon (Zimmerman 38-46)
16 TH Agamemnon (cont’d)
21 T Agamemnon (cont’d) (Foley’s introduction, vi-xxi)
23 TH The Libation Bearers (Zimmerman 46-49)
28 T The Libation Bearers (cont'd) (Foley’s introduction, xxi-xxxvi)
30 TH The Libation Bearers: video of Peter Hall’s stage production
October
5 T The Furies (Zimmerman 49-55)
7 TH The Furies (cont’d) (Foley’s introduction, xxxvii-xlvii)
12 T MID-TERM EXAM
14 TH Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus (Zimmerman 56-59, 71-77)
19 T OT (cont’d) (Woodruff’s introduction, vi-xvi, xxxv-liii)
21 TH Oedipus at Colonus (Zimmerman 77-78)
26 T OC (cont’d) (Woodruff’s introduction, liii-lxxi)
28 TH Video: The Gospel at Colonus
November
2 T Sophocles’ Electra (Zimmerman 79-81, 84-85)
4 TH Sophocles’ Electra (cont’d) (Gregory’s introduction, xxvii-xxxii)
9 T Euripides’ Medea (Zimmerman 86-89, 93-97)
11 TH Medea (cont’d) (Mitchell-Boyask’s introduction, vii-xix, xxiii-xxvii)
16 T Hippolytus (Zimmerman 97-99)
18 TH Hippolytus (cont’d) (Mitchell-Boyask’s introduction, xxvii-xxxii)
23 T Hippolytus (cont’d)
25 TH NO CLASS (Thanksgiving Holiday)
30 T Euripides’ Electra (Zimmerman 105-105)
December
2 TH Electra (cont’d) (Gregory’s introduction, xxi-xxvii)
7 T TERM PAPER DUE M. Cacoyannis’ film Electra (1961)
9 TH Wrap-up
14 T FINAL EXAM, 2:00 - 4:30 pm