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CS92PROD
Greek Drama: Passions and Politics on the Athenian and Modern Stage
CCIV 202
Fall 2014 not offered
Crosslisting: THEA 202

This course will introduce students to Greek drama as produced in its original setting and adapted in modern times. Most of our readings will be drawn from classical material: tragedies by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and comedies by Aristophanes along with selections from Aristotle's POETICS and Plato's REPUBLIC. We will consider issues such as, How does theater as an artistic medium reflect the personal, social, religious, and political life of the Athenians? Is there a connection between the development of Greek drama and the growth of the first democracy? What are the emotions of tragedy for the characters and for the audience and why have we been talking about catharsis for centuries? What is the relationship among the emotions, politics, and justice? We will finish the course by turning to adaptations of Greek tragedy in the 20th and 21st centuries--by Jean-Paul Sartre, Bertolt Brecht, and Yael Farber--to examine how the emotions and dilemmas of tragedy are replayed and revised in response to the World War II and the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: HA CLAS
Course Format: LectureGrading Mode: Student Option
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Major Requirement for: (CLST-History, P)(CLST-Literature)(CSCT)(THEA)

Last Updated on MAR-29-2024
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