Greek MA
The Roman Stage: A History Of Roman Drama From The Republic To The Empire CLASSIC4010
- Academic Session: 2026-27
- School: School of Humanities
- Credits: 20
- Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
- Typically Offered: Semester 1 (Alternate Years)
- Available to Visiting Students: Yes
- Collaborative Online International Learning: No
- Curriculum For Life: No
Short Description
The course offers a critical and research-based overview of the development of Roman drama in all its forms (tragedy, comedy, and mime) from the third century BC to the first century AD.
Timetable
Two hours per week; This is one of the honours options in Classics and may not run every year.
Excluded Courses
None
Co-requisites
None
Assessment
The standard assessments for this course are:
■ Essay (2,000 words) - 30%
■ Examination (90 minute duration) - 70%
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. 
Main Assessment In: April/May
Are reassessment opportunities available for all summative assessments? Not applicable
It is the default expectation that all courses will offer opportunities for reassessment or deferred assessment. Where it is not possible to offer this in some assessment components, the grade achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade, and any exceptions for this course are described below.
[No exceptions]
Course Aims
The aims of the course are to
to trace the development of Roman drama in all its forms from the third century BC to the first century AD, to consider its debt to Greek drama, and to read major works of tragic and comic playwrights both as spectacles intended for live performance and as complex literary texts that convey a message to their audience.
Intended Learning Outcomes of Course
By the end of the course students should be able to
- show a critical understanding of the primary set texts in all forms of assessment and in discussion with both fellow-students and staff
- situate Roman drama within its literary, cultural, political, and social context
- treat the primary set texts as scripts and visualise the stage-action and its function in them
- engage in the debate whether or not Senecan tragedy was intended for performance
- apply knowledge of secondary literature to the interpretation of these plays
- demonstrate such essay skills as the department has stipulated in the Honours Handbook (including critical awareness, research skills, and improvement in verbal expression (oral and written))