GREEK COMEDY: Some Possible Term Paper Topics.

Illustration (see bottom of this page for the backside of this statuette): Bronze statuette, 9.56 cm high; width across knees 5.59 cm. depth 2.9 cm. Note casting bubble in his left eye. Date: 530-520 BCE.

A small tag below each foot indicates attachment to something esle, probably a tripod or a stand (perhaps appropriately for a wine container). Possibly from a workshop in the Peloponnesos.

(From The Centaur's Smile, The Human Animal in Early Greek Art, J. Michael OPadgett, ed. Yale Univ. Press, 2004. Fig. 56)

All term papers will give a background to the subject (i.e. cultural context), treat the subject in Comedy (i.e. in its textual context), and explore more than one play.

No paper will be longer than 20 typed pages, double spaced.

Term papers will include primary source materials (properly cited), as well as references to secondary sources. Internet resources will be allowed only with prior professorial approval. When in doubt, check with Dr. Levine.

Students will choose their topic by the 10th week of classes (March 24), and submit their choices in writing.

Students will give brief weekly oral and written reports on progress on their term papers, beginning in the 11th week of classes (March 29).

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THREE POSSIBLE APPROACHES:

1. An in-depth examination of one of the essay topics assigned for this course, dealing with more than one play, comparing and contrasting and analyzing the differences among the plays.

PARABASIS

CURRENT EVENTS AND PEOPLE

THE GODS AND RELIGION

PARODY OF TRAGEDY, LYRIC AND/OR EPIC POETRY

ATHENIAN DEMOCRACY

WAR AND PEACE

EATING, FOOD, DRINK, AND/OR COOKING

SEX AND OBSCENITY

CLOTHING, COSTUME, AND/OR DISGUISE

FAMILY AND FAMILY RELATIONS

MUSIC AND DANCE

AGRICULTURE AND FARMING

YOUTH AND OLD AGE

UTOPIA AND/OR THE IDEAL STATE

WEALTH AND/OR POVERTY

WOMEN

SCIENTISTS, SOPHISTS, AND/OR EDUCATION

LANGUAGE, SPEECH, AND/OR ORATORY

2. Students may also consider writing a term paper on a specific character in Aristophanes (real or mythical), such as:

CLEON

PERICLES

AESCHYLUS

SOPHOCLES

EURIPIDES

ALCIBIADES

APHRODITE

APOLLO

ARTEMIS

ASCLEPIUS

ATHENA

DEMETER AND PERSEPHONE

DIONYSOS

HERACLES

HERMES

HYPERBOLUS

MUSES

NIKIAS

POSEIDON

ZEUS

SLAVES

SPARTANS

3. Other subjects.

I have listed here some suggestions, based on references in Alan H. Sommerstein's INDEXES (Aris and Phillips, 2002). The following topics would be great to do within a cultural context. I mean that your paper would investigate the phenomenon outside of comedy, and then show how in comedy Aristophanes uses it for humor or other effects.

Some possibilities:

Madness/Insanity/Mental Illness

dressing, undressing and nudity

trees

torture

torches

thunderbolts

stars and constellations

sports and athletics

silence

ships and seafaring

sex-sellers

Sicily

sacrifices

rape

seers, prophets, prophecy, oracles

priests and priestesses

prayer

phallus

Persia and Persian Wars

Peiraeus

Panathenaia Festival

oaths

navy

Mysteries (Eleusinian, and others)

musical instruments

military life

Megara and the Megarians

Medicine and Medical Treatment

insects and arachnids

homosexuality

hair

gender

garlands

footwear

foreigners

farting

festivals

scatology

dithyramb

Dionysia Festival

diseases and ailments

dancing

corporal punishment

Corinth

coins and coinage

cavalry

calendar

beards and beardlessness

barbarians

audience

Marathon

taxes

criminal punishments

prosecutions for crimes

ecclesia (assembly)

ambassadors

the Agora

the Pnyx

arms and armor

dogs

adultery

I suggest that you write down four or five possibilities that you might consider, and then try to narrow those down to one or two, and let me know your thoughts on them. I'll let you use Sommerstein's INDEXES, so you can find the relevant passages in Aristophanes that deal with your interest.

You may contact me during the process if you like, and I'll be happy to share my ideas with you, or just brainstorm.

dlevine@uark.edu

Lost: One Satyr Tail.

Contact Professor Levine if found.

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