Theatrical Literature of Ancient Greece
A.Y. 2019/2020
Learning objectives
Learning goal of this course is to provide the students a comprehensive overview of the history of Greek theatre, with particular focus on the Attic theatre of 5th and 4th Century, through a selection of texts.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge: students are expected to gain a good knowledge of the texts, of the playwrights, of the formal and structural development of Greek tragedy and Greek comedy, of the theatrical organisation and production (performances, dramatic festivals, audience).
Ability: students will be able to read the theatrical texts in Greek, to recognise their intertextual connections, to place them in their historical, literary and cultural contexts by analysing significant historical events and literary and cultural developments that influenced them, to use the most important bibliographic databases and the most useful tools of humanistic informatics.
Ability: students will be able to read the theatrical texts in Greek, to recognise their intertextual connections, to place them in their historical, literary and cultural contexts by analysing significant historical events and literary and cultural developments that influenced them, to use the most important bibliographic databases and the most useful tools of humanistic informatics.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
The course will focus on the following topics: Unit A) Attic Ancient Comedy and Aristophanes' Wasps; Unit B) Attic New Comedy and Menander's Dyscolos; Unit C): Attic Middle Comedy (selection of fragments).
Prerequisites for admission
A good knowledge of Greek is required (texts are read and discussed in Greek)
Teaching methods
The teacher, after giving a general presentation of the history of Greek theatre and in particular of Attic comedy (underlining some pivotal aspects such as: structure of the Attic comedy, rivalry and imitation among the comic playwrights, paratragedism, internationalisation of Attic comedy in the 4th century B.C.) proposes to read, translate and discuss a wide selection of texts (about 500 lines for each unit). Students (attendance is not mandatory, but strongly recommended) are expected to react with questions or comments; they can ask questions throughout the class or mail them to the teacher (who will answer by mail or in class); an interactive presence is vigorously encouraged. On the web page of the course (on the online teaching platform "Ariel") students will find a large amount of documents that can be useful for their exam preparation: Greek texts with Italian translations, notes written by the teacher.
Teaching Resources
History of Attic comedy: B. Zimmermann, La commedia greca. Dalle origini all'età ellenistica, edizione italiana a cura di S. Fornaro, Roma (Carocci) 2010; R.L. Hunter, The New Comedy of Greece and Rome, Cambridge (Cambridge University Press) 1985; G. Mastromarco, Introduzione a Aristofane, Roma-Bari (Laterza) 1994.
For the three units of the course the students are invited to use the following editions:
Unit A): Aristofane, Le vespe, a cura di E. Fabbro, Milano (BUR) 2012; Aristophanes, Wasps, edd. Z.P. Biles - S.D. Olson, Oxford (Oxford University Press) 2015
Unit B): Menandro, Dyscolos. Il misantropo, intr. di D. Del Corno, trad. e note di N. Russello, Milano (BUR) 2001
Unit C): I comici greci, a cura di S. Beta, Milano (BUR) 2009; Broken Laughter. Select Fragments of Greek Comedy, edited by S.D. Olson, Oxford (Oxford University Press) 2007.
For the three units of the course the students are invited to use the following editions:
Unit A): Aristofane, Le vespe, a cura di E. Fabbro, Milano (BUR) 2012; Aristophanes, Wasps, edd. Z.P. Biles - S.D. Olson, Oxford (Oxford University Press) 2015
Unit B): Menandro, Dyscolos. Il misantropo, intr. di D. Del Corno, trad. e note di N. Russello, Milano (BUR) 2001
Unit C): I comici greci, a cura di S. Beta, Milano (BUR) 2009; Broken Laughter. Select Fragments of Greek Comedy, edited by S.D. Olson, Oxford (Oxford University Press) 2007.
Assessment methods and Criteria
At the end of the course students must pass an oral exam, where they will be asked to read, translate and comment on some passages (chosen by the teacher) of the texts which have been treated in class, and to answer questions which arise from the discussion. The exam is intended to evaluate the quality of their knowledge (comprehension of Greek, precision in translating, command of the history of Attic theatre) and their ability in discussing problems through an appropriate use of categories and methodology of literary and theatrical interpretation. Assessment is expressed in numerical marks out of thirty (from 0 to 30); a mark equal or higher than 18/30 means a sufficient attainment of the expected learning objectives; a mark lower than 18/30 means that the attainment of the learning targets is, at least partially, lacking; in this case students must repeat the exam, after improving their preparation (the teacher is of course available for suggestions and assistance).
Unita' didattica A
L-FIL-LET/02 - GREEK LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica B
L-FIL-LET/02 - GREEK LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica C
L-FIL-LET/02 - GREEK LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor(s)