Euripides, Seneca, and Mythmaking

This subject is not offered in 2016.

170 hours

Admission to fourth-year Honours or Graduate Diploma (Advanced) in Ancient World Studies, Classics, or English and Theatre Studies; or admission to Graduate Diploma, Graduate Certificate, or Graduate Certificate (Advanced) in Classical Studies and Archaeology; or, permission of the subject coordinator.

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For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

Students will read, in English translation, selected plays by Euripides (the 5th century BCE Athenian playwright) and Seneca (the 1st century CE Roman writer and tutor of the Emperor Nero). The subject introduces students to methods of interpreting tragedy, in particular how Euripides and Seneca use Greek mythology to explore social issues relevant to their times. By invoking commonly known myths, reinterpreting them, and sometimes re-inventing them, the plays of Euripides and Seneca continue to resonate with modern audiences on issues of war and slavery, democracy and power, and especially ideologies of gender and the place of women in society. Students will be introduced to feminism, queer theory, structural linguistics, Jungian psychology, alterity, metatheatre, and theories of ancient drama in modern performance.

Students who successfully complete this subject should:

• Be familiar with the corpus of Euripidean and Senecan drama in translation
• Appreciate the culture and social history of 5th century Athens and imperial Rome through the lens of theatre and its social commentary
• Be able to explain modern theoretical approaches to the study of ancient theatre, both as texts and in performance
• Be able to conduct independent research using catalogued sources and bibliographic indexes
• Have developed their skills in verbal communication and oral presentation
• Have developed their ability to think creatively and express their ideas clearly in written communication

• Seven 250-word essays, on average one per week, beginning in week 3 (35%)
• a 1250-word journal article analysis following an oral presentation, due during the semester (25%)
• a final essay of 2000 words due in the end of semester examination period (40%)

Hurdle Requirement:

• Students must attend a minimum of 75% of classes in order to pass this subject.
• All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

Note: Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 2% per day. After five working days late assessment will not be marked. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked.

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Subject readings will be available on line

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Students who successfully complete this subject should:

• students should: be able to explain modern theoretical approaches to the study of ancient theatre, both as texts and in performance.

• develop their ability to think creatively and to express their ideas clearly in written form and orally.