From its beginnings around 500 BC, tragic and comic drama was central to the democratic culture of ancient Athens, and plays rooted in ancient Greek drama continue to fascinate audiences around the world. In this module, we study drama in its ancient contexts of myth, history, politics and philosophy, and explore individual plays through the medium for which they were created: theatrical performance. We reflect both on their role in ancient democratic citizenship and on the qualities which make them such compelling models for playwrights and audiences today.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students will be able to:
show understanding of the place of drama, both tragic and comic, in ancient Athenian society;
conduct research into the context, themes, distinctive theatrical qualities and performance history of individual plays;
synthesise this research and use its findings to develop, realise, analyse and reflect on a performance based on a scene or scenes from Athenian drama;
present this practical and interpretive work in the form of a written portfolio.
Assessment
27279-01 : Practical Drama Piece : Coursework (10%)
27279-03 : 2,500 word commentary : Coursework (55%)
27279-04 : 1,500 word review : Coursework (35%)