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2020/21 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

CLAS1610 After Troy: Homecoming in Greek Epic and Tragedy

20 creditsClass Size: 60

Module manager: Prof. Emma Stafford
Email: E.J.Stafford@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2020/21

Module replaces

CLAS1311 Homer's OdysseyCLAS1312 Introduction to Greek Tragedy

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This module provides an introduction students to Greek epic poetry and tragic drama through detailed study of Homer's Odyssey, a seminal work in the Western literary tradition, and Aeschylus Oresteia, the earliest acknowledged masterpiece of European drama. The texts will be read in English translation. The prescribed translations are: - Homer, The Odyssey, translated by M. Hammond (London: Duckworth, 2000); - Aeschylus, The Oresteia, translated by Hugh Lloyd-Jones (London: Duckworth, 1982).

Objectives

On completion of this module, students should have acquired an understanding and appreciation of Greek epic and tragedy through detailed study of Homer's Odyssey' and Aeschylus' Oresteia in English translation. In particular, they should be able to provide an informed analysis of:
- the narrative techniques of oral-traditional epic;
- the physical structure and stage conventions of the Greek theatre;
- the major themes of the Odyssey and Oresteia, their narrative and/or dramatic structure, and their intertextual relations;
- the implications of the religious and moral ideas which underlie the texts;
- the relevance of the contemporary social and political context to the interpretation of the texts;
The knowledge and critical skills acquired in this module will provide a basis for further study of classical Greek poetry and drama, and relevant background to the study of later European literature.

Learning outcomes
Students completing this module are expected to have acquired an understanding of Greek epic and tragedy through detailed study of Homer's Odyssey' and Aeschylus' Oresteia, and in particular:
- the narrative techniques of oral-traditional epic;
- the physical structure and stage conventions of the Greek theatre;
- the major themes of the Odyssey and Oresteia, their narrative and/or dramatic structure, and their intertextual relations;
- the implications of the religious and moral ideas which underlie the texts;
- the relevance of the contemporary social and political context to the interpretation of the texts

Skills outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to provide informed textual commentary on passages from the prescribed texts, and discuss key aspects of the literary, dramatic and cultural aspects of the texts in discursive form.


Syllabus

The module will provide an introduction to Greek epic and tragedy through the detailed study of Homer's Odyssey and Aeschylus' Oresteia in English translation.

The module will cover the following topics:
- the Homeric poems and the oral tradition; the principal themes of the Odyssey; its religious and moral premises; the narrative structure of the poem; detailed study of major episodes; the place of the Odyssey in the epic tradition;
- the physical structure and stage conventions of the Greek theatre, and Aeschylus' use of these resources; the dramatic and narrative structure of the three plays, and of the trilogy as a whole; the trilogy's relationship to earlier Greek literary traditions; the religious and moral ideas which underlie the trilogy; the relevance of the contemporary social and political context to the interpretation of the trilogy.

The prescribed translations are:
- Homer, The Odyssey, translated by M. Hammond (London: Duckworth, 2000);
- Aeschylus, The Oresteia, translated by Hugh Lloyd-Jones (London: Duckworth, 1982).

Teaching methods

Delivery typeNumberLength hoursStudent hours
Lecture211.0021.00
Seminar51.005.00
Private study hours174.00
Total Contact hours26.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)200.00

Private study

Reading primary texts: 2 x 15 hours = 30 hours
Lecture preparation: 20 x 1.5 hours = 30 hours
Seminar preparation: 5 x 4 hours = 20 hours
Essay 1: 47 hours
Essay 2: 47 hours

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Seminar participation; written coursework.

Methods of assessment


Coursework
Assessment typeNotes% of formal assessment
Essay1,500 words50.00
Essay1,500 word commentary50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 05/10/2020 12:06:03

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