Greek 422/522: Readings in Greek Drama |
*Note: This is an old document. Many of the links are broken.*
Instructor: | |
Time/Location: | Tu/Th, 3:30-4:45; Education 316 |
Contact Info: |
Office: Learning Services Building 215 |
OVERVIEWIn this course we will read, in the original language, three Greek comedies: Aristophanes' Thesmophoriazusae and Frogs, two classics of Old Comedy, as well as Menander's Dyskolos, the best-preserved example of New Comedy. We will also read extensively from Aristophanes, Menander and other ancient authors in translation, as well as from a broad range of modern scholarship, to illuminate the social, historical, cultural and religious aspects of Greek Comedy and Athens in the late 5th century B.C. and beyond. |
GOALSBy the end of this course, you should be able to:
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PREREQUISITESFor undergraduates (Greek 402), the prerequisites are satisfaction of the mid-career writing assessment (MCWA) and successful completion of Greek 202; for graduate students (Greek 502), the prerequisites are three units of 400-level Greek. |
READINGSThe required texts are the following:
The following texts are recommended:
All three texts should be available in the bookstore, but used copies may be available for less elsewhere: amazon - Barnes & Noble - abe Books. There are a number of additional readings for this course, all of which will be available electronically: see the course schedule (below) for details. |
RESEARCHThe following texts may prove useful in navigating Aristophanes, Menander and their works. Most can be found in the main library; these have call number. *Note: The list below is not intended to be exhaustive, but simply to highlight recent works and the U of A's holdings.* Editions (E), Commentaries (C) and Translations (T) Frogs:
Thesmophoriazusae:
Dyskolos:
Other:
Studies on Aristophanes, Menander, their Works and their Times
Works on Greek Comedy and Ancient Drama
General Tools for Classicists
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GRADINGGrading for the course will be based on the following breakdown:
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OTHER INFOSurprise! Cheating is not allowed. If you cheat, and I find out, you will receive a grade of 0 for the assignment and other bad things will happen. (See the U of A's code of academic integrity.) Office hours will be held whenever I am in my office. One can generally find me there between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., M–F. (A more detailed breakdown of when I will be available will be posted outside my office door.) You are also welcome and encouraged to make an appointment to meet with me. Call, email or holler. |
COURSE SCHEDULEWhat follows is a sketch outline of the Spring semester. Nightly reading assignments are due on the dates specified. Reading assignments in Greek are in boldface. You are responsible for reading in translation whatever you are unable to finish in Greek. Some of the reading assignments are pdf (portable document format) files. To view/download them, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader (free download available here). Check this page often. Readings and assignments are subject to change. I'll try to give a heads-up in class if a major shake-up is imminent. I'll also try to have readings posted at least a week before the due date. |
Part 1: ThesmophoriazusaeWe begin the course with Aristophanes' famous satire of Euripides, the Thesmophoriazusae, in which Euripides himself is a main character and his foes a group of women who want him dead for revealing in his plays their hitherto secret infidelities. The play is famous for its portrayal of the tragic playwright (allegedly a misogynist), its inversion of gender, and its blurring of the lines between tragedy and comedy. |
Week | Tuesday | Thursday |
1 | 1/15 no class |
1/17 Introductions RECEIVE: course schedule IN CLASS: discuss course schedule, policies |
2 | 1/22 Agathon; Greek Homosexuality READ: Thesmophoriazusae 1–175; read Henderson's introduction to his translation (pp89–97 of AristophanesThesmo.pdf [in "Translations" folder]); Aristophanes, Acharnians + introduction (first half) PRESENTER: "Homosexuality," chapter 7 (pp204–222) of Henderson (1991) |
1/24 Euripides' Tragedies READ: Thesmophoriazusae 176–300; Aristophanes, Acharnians + introduction (second half) PRESENTER: Taplin, "Fifth-Century Tragedy and Comedy," chapter 2 (pp9–28) of Segal (1996) |
3 | 1/29 The Inconstancy of Women READ: Thesmophoriazusae 301–475; Aristophanes, Ecclesiazusae + introduction (first half) PRESENTER: "Men as Women: Thesmophoriazusae," chapter 3 (pp74–102) of Taaffe (1993) |
1/31 The Constancy of Women READ: Thesmophoriazusae 476–600; Aristophanes, Ecclesiazusae + introduction (second half) PRESENTER: "Women as Men: Ecclesiazusae," chapter 4 (pp103–133) of Taaffe (1993) |
4 | 2/5 Cleisthenes; Athenian Politics READ: Thesmophoriazusae 601–775; Aristotle, Poetics + introduction (first half) PRESENTER: Van Steen, "Politics and Aristophanes: watchword 'Caution!'," chapter 6 (pp108–123) of McDonald and Walton (2007) |
2/7 The Characteristics of Tragedy READ: Thesmophoriazusae 776–900; Aristotle, Poetics + introduction (second half) PRESENTER: Wiles, "Aristotle's Poetics and ancient dramatic theory," chapter 5 (pp92–107) of McDonald and Walton (2007) |
5 | 2/12 Helen and Menelaus; War READ: Thesmophoriazusae 901–1075; Aristophanes, Lysistrata + introduction (first half) PRESENTER: Newiger, "War and Peace in the Comedy of Aristophanes," chapter 8 (pp143–161) of Segal (1996) |
2/14 Perseus and Andromeda; Barbarians READ: Thesmophoriazusae 1076–1200; Aristophanes, Lysistrata + introduction (second half) PRESENTER: "The Barbarian-Hellene Antithesis," chapter 6 (pp129–156) of Long (1986) |
6 | 2/19 Law Enforcement in Athens; Review READ: Thesmophoriazusae 1201–1231; start reading/skimming Dover's introduction to his edition of the Frogs (pp1–111 of DoverFrogsIntro.pdf [in "Commentaries" folder]; finish by Tuesday) |
2/21 Hour Exam #1 |
Part 2: FrogsIn the second part of the course, we'll turn to the Frogs, arguably Aristophanes' best and/or best-loved play. Bemoaning the current state of Athenian drama, Dionysus travels to Hades to retrieve Euripides and ends up judging a dramatic competition between Euripides and Aeschylus. Among other things, the play provides a fantastic view of the popular reception of Athenian tragedy in the late 5th century B.C. |
7 | 2/26 The Sad State of Tragedy READ: Frogs 1–175; Aristophanes, Birds + introduction (first half) PRESENTER: "Frogs," chapter 4 (pp61–74) of Konstan (1995) |
2/28 Charon; The Frogs READ: Frogs 176–300; Aristophanes, Birds + introduction (second half) PRESENTER: "Komos, Symposium and Performance," chapter 1 (pp6–35) of Rothwell (2007) |
8 | 3/4 The Horrors of Hades READ: Frogs 301–475; Homeric Hymn to Demeter + introduction PRESENTER: Zeitlin (1982), "Cultic Models of the Female: Rites of Dionysus and Demeter," Arethusa 15: 129–157 |
3/6 Herakles and the Healthy Appetite READ: Frogs 476–600; Euripides, Cyclops + introduction PRESENTER: "Animals and Satyrs in Classical Greece: An Excursus," chapter 3 (pp81–101) of Rothwell (2007) |
9 | 3/11 Slaves in Athens/Drama READ: Frogs 601–775; Aeschylus, Seven Against Thebes + introduction (first half) PRESENTER: Cartledge, "The Political Economy of Greek Slavery," and Jameson (2002), "On Paul Cartledge, 'The Political Economy of Greek Slavery'," chapters 10 and 11 (pp156–174) of Cartledge, Cohen and Foxhall (2002) |
3/13 A Contest: Aeschylus vs. Euripides READ: Frogs 776–900; Aeschylus, Seven Against Thebes + introduction (second half) PRESENTER: Heiden (1991), "Tragedy and Comedy in the Frogs of Aristophanes," Ramus 20: 95–111 |
10 | 3/18 Spring Break (no class) |
3/20 Spring Break (no class) |
11 | 3/25 The Aeschylean Method READ: Frogs 901–1075; Euripides, Medea + introduction (first half) PRESENTER: Denard, "Lost theatre and performance traditions in Greece and Italy," chapter 8 (pp139–160) of McDonald and Walton (2007) |
3/27 The Euripidean Method READ: Frogs 1076–1200; Euripides, Medea + introduction (second half) PRESENTER: Ley, "A material world: costume, properties and scenic effects," chapter 14 (pp268–285) of McDonald and Walton (2007) |
12 | 4/1 Lyrics READ: Frogs 1201–1375; Plato, Symposium + introduction (first half) PRESENTER: Zarifi, "Chorus and dance in the ancient world," chapter 12 (pp227–246) of McDonald and Walton (2007) |
4/3 The End of the Contest; Alcibiades READ: Frogs 1376–1533; Plato, Symposium + introduction (second half) PRESENTER: Moorton (1988), "Aristophanes on Alcibiades," GRBS 29: 345–359 |
13 | 4/8
Middle Comedy, Review
READ: Comoedia Dukiana = Willis, GRBS 32 (1991): 331–353 (*You will need the Great Scott!*); start Balme's and Brown's introduction to Menander (ppix–xxxiv of Menander1.pdf [in "Translations" folder]; finish by Tuesday) |
4/10 Hour Exam #2 |
Part 3: DyskolosTo conclude the course, we'll read the only example of New Comedy that survives in its (almost) entirety: Menander's Dyskolos. The world of the Dyskolos appears strange and sanitized when contrasted with that of Old Comedy: profanity, politics and philosophy are shunted aside in favor of clever slaves, marriage schemes and stock plots. Even the format of the plays is different: the comic choruses are gone, and the action is divided up over acts. The plot of the Dyskolos revolves around a grouch, his neighbors and the consequences of his anti-social behavior. |
14 | 4/15 Menander and the Elements of New Comedy READ: Dyskolos 1–232; Plutarch, Moralia 853a-854d (comparison between Aristophanes and Menander) + introduction PRESENTER: Csapo, "From Aristophanes to Menander? Genre Transformation in Greek Comedy," chapter 6 (pp115–133) of Depew/ Obbink (2000) |
4/17 no class (CAMWS) READ: Dyskolos 233–426; more Menander in translation (Menander1.pdf) |
15 | 4/22 New Comedic (Dis?)Continuities READ: Dyskolos 427–619; more Menander in translation (Menander2.pdf) PRESENTER: Rothwell, Jr, "The Continuity of the Chorus in Fourth-Century Attic Comedy," chapter 4 (pp99–118) of Dobrov (1995) |
4/24 New Comedy and Beyond READ: Dyskolos 620–783; more Menander in translation (Menander3.pdf) PRESENTER: Goldberg, "Comedy and society from Menander to Terence," chapter 7 (pp124–138) of McDonald and Walton (2007) |
16 | 4/29 Review READ: Dyskolos 784–969 IN CLASS: review for hour exam #3 |
5/1 Paper Presentations |
17 | 5/6 Paper Presentations |
5/8 Reading Day (no class) |
18 | 5/13 Final Exams (no class) | 5/15 Hour Exam #3 (2:00–4:00 p.m.) *Note: The exam will be the same length as the first two exams, but you will have the full final exam period to complete it, if necessary.* ***Long paper due by 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 17*** |