WLIT 316 - Greek Tragedy

Institution:

Case Western Reserve University

Subject:

Description:

This course provides students the opportunity to read a significant number of ancient Greek tragedies in modern English translations. We shall read, study, and discuss selected works by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, and attempt to understand the plays as literature composed for performance. We shall study literary elements within the plays and theatrical possibilities inherent in the texts. As we read the plays, we shall pay close attention to the historical context and look for what each play can tell us about myth, religion, and society in ancient Athens. Finally, we shall give occasional attention to the way these tragic dramas and the theater in which they were performed have continued to inspire literature and theater for thousands of years. Lectures will provide historical background on the playwrights, the plays, the mythic and historical background, and possible interpretation of the texts as literature and as performance pieces. Students will discuss in class the plays that they read. The course has three examinations and a final project that includes a short essay and a group presentation. Offered as CLSC 316, WLIT 316, WLIT 416.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.case.edu

Phone Number:

(216) 368-2000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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