Basic Program Year Two: Autumn
This course was available in the past and may be presented again as part of the Basic Program of Liberal Education curriculum.
The Year 2 seminar is devoted to three great plays: Sophocles' Oedipus the King, Euripides' The Bacchae, and Shakespeare's Anthony & Cleopatra. A close reading of Aristotle's Poetics will enhance our understanding of the nature of tragedy as a dramatic genre. We will compare the treatment of themes such as power, politics, deception, passion, order, chaos, and art in ancient and modern poetic drama. The Tutorial is a close reading of Homer's epic poem, The Iliad.
Course Outline
Year 2 Autumn Reading Schedule
Seminar
| Week | Seminar |
|---|---|
| 1 | Sophocles, Oedipus the King, lines 1-215 |
| 2 | Sophocles, Oedipus the King, lines 216-910 |
| 3 | Sophocles, Oedipus the King, Line 911-end |
| 4 | Aristotle, Poetics, Chapters 1-13 |
| 5 | Aristotle, Poetics, Chapters 14-17 |
| 6 | Aristotle, Poetics, Chapters 18-26 |
| 7 | Euripides, Bacchae, lines 1-861 |
| 8 | Euripides, Bacchae, 861-end |
| 9 | Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra, Act I-III |
| 10 | Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra, Acts IV-V |
Tutorial
| Week | Tutorial |
|---|---|
| 1 | Iliad, Book 1 |
| 2 | Book 2 |
| 3 | Book 3 |
| 4 | Book 4 |
| 5 | Books 5-8 |
| 6 | Books 9-12 |
| 7 | Books 13-16 |
| 8 | Books 17-20 |
| 9 | Books 21-23 |
| 10 | Book 24 |
Required Texts
- Sophocles: Sophocles I, University of Chicago Press, ISBN 978-0226311517.
- Aristotle: Poetics, trans. by James Hutton, Norton, ISBN 978-0393952162.
- Euripides: Euripides V, University of Chicago Press, ISBN 978-0226308982.
- Shakespeare: Antony and Cleopatra, Bantam, ISBN 978-0553212891.
- Homer: Iliad Fagles, trans., Penguin, ISBN 978-0140445923.
Purchase
Order Books from the campus bookstore using the Campus Bookstore Order Form or use the ISBN to purchase the correct edition elsewhere. Books can be shipped, or you can choose to pick up books at the Gleacher Center bookstore.
Notes
Online registration deadline: Tuesday, September 19 at 5 pm CT
Taking a Graham School Remote Course: You will receive an invitation to join Canvas about a week before the course begins. Please accept the invitation by clicking 'Get Started' and create a log-in for Canvas using your email as the user name and create a password. Then go to the Dashboard and click on your course. Next click on Zoom Professional Education and you will see the link to "Join" your classroom. Canvas houses the course information including the course syllabus, announcements, and discussions. You will not be able to participate in your online class unless you accept the Canvas invitation and set up your account.
For help visit, Online Resources page to find step by step instructions.