Honors Colloquium on Greek Comedy (Classical Studies 4003H)

University of Arkansas: Spring, 2004.

Professor Daniel B. Levine

Illustration: Interior of a bronze mirror-cover, engraved with a scene of Aphrodite playing knucklebones with Pan. Probably Corinthian, ca. 350 BCE. d. 18.5 cm. British Museum.

Course Description and Syllabus

I. Course Goals:

The goals of this course include:

• to understand the background of Greek comedy,
• to visualize the physical setting of the original performances,
• to engage with the texts of ancient Greek comedy through reading and performance,
• to explain the historical, mythological, political, literary, and social references the plays contain,
• to describe the people and events which the plays portray,
• to compare and contrast ancient comedy with modern notions of the comic.

To reach these goals, we will:

• read and discuss primary texts and secondary scholarly works,
• write short summaries of plots, characters, and settings,
• write and discuss questions which the plays provoke,
• perform scenes aloud,
• discuss staging and costume requirements,
• give reports to the class on specific articles, chapters, and books on ancient and modern comedy,
• write a term paper on an aspect of Greek comedy.

II. Required Texts:

Professor Levine will assign other supplementary readings in the course of the semester, both of primary and of secondary sources.

III. Procedures:

We will read all of the existing comedies of Aristophanes (our best source for Old Comedy), and we will also read some of the work of Menander (our best source for New Comedy).

We will look at Comedy in TEXT and CONTEXT. That is, our discussions will first concentrate on the evidence in the works themselves. These original texts will cause us to ask certain questions about intent, staging, and social/political/literary references. We will ask questions of the text as we read, and devote a good part of of our time addressing both these issues, as well as some questions which others have posed about the comedies and their place in ancient Greek life.

Students will write and submit short questions which the texts provoke, and will read selected articles and book chapters relevant to ancient comedy. Each student will present in-class summaries and critiques of secondary sources, and will provide the other students with written handouts that make their points.

All students are required to participate actively in the class. This is a colloquium, which means that "speaking together" is the basis of our learning experience. The professor requests that students allow everybody to have a turn to speak, and that no students consistently dominate the discussion. Class will be most pleasant when all participants listen politely and respectfully to one another. Our purpose is to share ideas in the spirit of collective inquiry -- and to have fun.

All students will come to class having read all of the day's reading and writing assignments, and will be prepared to present their reports on specified days. Late written and oral work will incur severe grade reduction (i.e. ten percent per day late). Students who are too sick to come to class will so inform the professor in writing (dlevine@uark.edu), preferably before class. Communicate early and often.

IV. Grades

Students will earn grades as follows:

• Class Preparation and Participation: 50%
• Oral/Written Reports: 25%
• Term Paper: 25%

V. Inclement weather policy:

When the University is open, we will hold class. Students who consider it too risky to come to class, or are hampered from attending due to inclement weather conditions will not suffer grade penalties for not attending, or for not being able to hand in assignments on such days.

VI. Professor

Professor Daniel B. Levine

Kimpel Hall 502. Telephone: 479-575-5937

dlevine@uark.edu Fax: 479-575-6795

Office Hours, Spring 2004: MWF 10:30-11:30 and by appointment.

 

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