Greek and Roman drama forms the foundation of the western dramatic tradition and continues to shock, provoke and amuse today. This course explores the range of classical theatrical production and affords the opportunity to develop critical and comparative strategies to these dramatic forms

Ten two-hour seminars

None

One assessed presentation 30%, and a 3,000 word essay 70%

This course provides the opportunity to:

■ study a selection of ancient dramatic works, Greek or Roman, tragic or comic

■ situate ancient drama in its social and historical context

■ examine the generic developments of ancient drama

■ interpret drama through different critical strategies

■ develop a distinctive and personal critical position in relation to ancient drama

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

■ identify the formal and stylistic characteristics of ancient drama

■ recognise the principal themes in the set texts

■ relate the texts to their social, political and cultural contexts

■ compare different periods of comedy or tragedy

■ explain the theoretical foundations of critical approaches, ancient and modern

■ use and critique comparative strategies in approaching ancient drama

■ evaluate interpretations derived from different theoretical approaches

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.