Middlebury

CLAS0152A-S10

Greek Tragedy

Greek Tragedy
A survey of selected tragedies by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, exploring the relation between tragedy and political freedom and empire in fifth century B.C. Athens. The course examines the tragic poets' use of traditional Greek myths to question not only the wisdom of contemporary Athenian imperialism but also traditional Greek views on relations between the sexes; between the family and the city; between man's presumed dignity and his belief in gods. Mythical and historical background is supplied through additional readings from Homer and Thucydides. The course asks how the tragedians managed to raise publicly, in the most solemn religious settings, the kind of questions for which Socrates was later put to death. The course culminates in a reading of Aristotle's Poetics. 3 hrs. lect., 1 hr. disc.
Course Reference Number (CRN):
21555
Subject Code:
CLAS
Course Number:
0152
Section Identifier:
A

Course

CLAS 0152

All Sections in Spring 2010

Spring 2010

CLAS0152A-S10 Lecture (Witkin)
CLAS0152B-S10 Lecture (Witkin)
CLAS0152Y-S10 Discussion (Witkin)
CLAS0152Z-S10 Discussion (Witkin)