Roman Mosaic of Theatrical Masks

Greek Tragedy
(CLAS 222)

Drama. It all began in the Theater of Dionysus in Athens. The comedy and tragedy which developed in Athens and flourished in the fifth and fourth centuries BC are the root of nearly all subsequent Western drama. Opera owes its existence to an attempt to get back to the Greeks; television programs like 'Melrose Place' hearken back to the tragic intrigues of mythological families like the House of Atreus and the family of Oedipus at Thebes. Modern theater and film look back to the ancient origins both indirectly and, sometimes, directly: Desire under the Elms is a modern version of Euripides' Hippolytus; Equus shows obvious affinities with Euripides' Bacchae; Jules Dassin's film A Dream of Passion is based on Euripides' Medea.

In this course, we will be looking at the beginnings of western drama from a variety of perspectives, including literary (what do the plays mean?), socio-historical (what is specificly ancient and Athenian about this art form?), essentialist (why do we like to watch dramas full of pain and suffering?), and performative (what makes this good theater)? We will also look at some developments from Greek tragedy in the modern cinema. The central texts will be the plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides; also several modern films (probable candidates include Cacoyannis' Iphigenia, Pasolini's Medea, Zeffirelli's La Traviata, Equus); and several theorists (Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Freud).

[Images modified from the Didaskalia site, which is well worth the visit: http://didaskalia.berkeley.edu.]

Instructor:   William A. Johnson
                      Coleman 70, X3522
                      Office hours MW 2:00, Th 1:00, by appointment, or by chance

I am here for you: that's my job, and a part of it I much enjoy. Come to talk about readings, assignments; your thoughts, your poetry, your music. Do not think that you need a clear set of questions in order to come speak with me: in many cases, an informal discussion can be a good way to delve into and clear up confusion.

Course texts:

Course requirements: About every 2-3 weeks, we'll have a half-hour exam to check on reading comprehension, factual matters, and basic powers of analysis. You will be able, however, to give full expression of your creative and analytic powers in the papers: two short papers (5 pages), and one more lengthy paper (8-10 pages, due at the end of the term). No final exam. Participation is important in this course, and together with that will come a variety of day-by-day assignments by way of preparing for class, including some group activities. Weight: half-hour exams & class participation 33%; short papers 33% (total); final 8-10 page paper 33%.

Note on evening meetings: Six times during the term, the class will meet together to screen films in the late afternoon or evening. Time to be arranged in the first day of class. We will also have the pleasure of a visiting scholar (March 18, 7 pm).
 
Week 1: Jan 13-15 opening ceremonies
Sophocles: Oedipus Rex		 film: Oedipus Rex, BBC
Week 2: Jan 18-22 Sophocles: Antigone
Ancient Theaters:  Prof. Janet Jones
Week 3: Jan 25-29 Antigone, ctd.
Sophocles: Oedipus at Colonus		 half-hour test #1: Friday, Jan. 29
Week 4:  Feb 1-5 Aeschylus: Agamemnon
Aeschylus: Libation Bearers		 film: Zefferelli, La Traviata
Week 5: Feb 8-12 Aeschylus: Eumenides
Excursus: Ancient music
Aeschylus: Prometheus Bound		 Thursday 2/11: First short paper due
Week 6: Feb 15-19 Sophocles: Electra
Euripides: Electra
Week 7: Feb 22-26 Sophocles: Ajax
Sophocles: Philoctetes		 half-hour test #2: Monday, Feb. 22
Week 8: Mar 1-5 Philoctetes, ctd.
Euripides, Iphigenia at Aulis
film: Cacoyannis, Iphigenia
[March 8-12] [SPRING RECESS]
Week 9: Mar 15-19 Euripides: Hippolytus Thursday, Mar 18, 7 pm: Guest lecturer, Prof. Amy Clark (Franklin & Marshall)
Week 10: Mar 22-26 Euripides: Cyclops (satyr play, handout)
Euripides: Alcestis
Euripides: Medea		 Monday 2/22: Second short paper due
film: Jules Dassin, Dream of Passion
Week 11: Mar 29-Apr 2 Medea, ctd.
Euripides: Orestes		 half-hour test #3: Monday, March 29
Week 12: Apr 5-9 Euripides: Bacchae
Friday, April 9: NO CLASS		 Friday: WORK ON PERFORMANCE PROJECT
Week 13: Apr 12-16 Theories of tragedy Friday: performance competition #1
Week 14: Apr 19-23 Theories of tragedy
Aristophanes: Frogs (comedy)		 quiz (15 mins) #4: Wednesday, April 21
film: Mighty Aphrodite
Friday: performance competition #2
Week 15: Apr 26 Frogs, ctd Monday 4/26: Prospectus for final paper
Final papers due by Monday May 3