Course Catalogue

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This course studies a number of Greek tragedies and explores the critical approaches that can be applied to them.

Two hours per week over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus. This is one of the Honours

options in Classics and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are

available on MyCampus.

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into Classics, Greek or Latin, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes.

None

The standard assessments for this course are: 

■ Examination (90 minutes duration) - 60%

■ Essay (2,000 words) - 40%

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available: 

■ There are no alternatives to the assessments, but flexible deadlines/ extra time can be offered as reasonable adjustment (Students should follow the usual process for extensions). 

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.  

This course will provide the opportunity to:

■ study a selection of Greek Tragedy from the three canonical tragedians

■ study a range of theories of poetry, literature and culture in the Western tradition

■ engage in the interpretation of texts through different critical strategies

■ explore the scope and limitations of theory in literary criticism

■ develop a distinctive and personal critical position in relation to Greek Tragedy

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ identify the formal characteristics of Greek Tragedy

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

■ recognise the principal themes in the set texts

■ explain the theoretical foundations of modern critical approaches

■ assess your own critical approach to Greek texts

■ use critical techniques derived from different theoretical traditions, ancient and modern

■ relate Classical criticism to theoretical positions

■ evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of interpretations derived from different theoretical approaches

■ critique theoretical approaches through their application to texts

■ formulate their own critical position in the light of Classical critics and modern theorists

■ demonstrate such essay, seminar and exam skills as the department has stipulated in the Honours Handbook