In our second class we continue to read verse genres and to think about the role of religion in ancient Greece. Now, however, we enter a world of politics as well. How do societies think about and react to the pressing issues of their day? What role can performance art play in these political discussion?
Before you come to class you need to have read any two of the following plays, BUT the rule is that if you read one of these in high school, you must choose the other two.
Readings:
Sophocles, Oedipus the Tyrant (EPUB, PDF)
Sophocles, Antigone (EPUB, PDF)
Also bring to class a digital or hard copy of this file for a team exercise (EPUB, PDF).
Extra Credit Opportunity! Create a dramatic reading of any of these plays with 3 teammates. Post it to youtube so I can use in future classes. All 4 participants get 1 point towards their final grade!
Other key topics introduced in this class:
Polis
Catharsis
The Role of the Chorus
The ‘Other’
‘Good to think with’
Blog Prompts for This Unit:
Old Stories Made New
Steps: (1) choose a fictional CHARACTER who has been portrayed multiple times on stage or in films or on TV (Just about any superhero, many fairy tales, Annie, Anne of Green Gables, etc) (2) pick one very specific scene or moment that intersects with events/issues in contemporary society (3) Check the blog to make sure no-one has already used the quote or very similar image! [This is a great time to comment thoughtfully on other posts.] (4) create a title that distinguishes your post from all the others (5) post EITHER a short youtube video of the scene OR a relevant description and a short description of the scene (6) write at least 250 additional words about about how you see the scene commenting on contemporary social issues each AND compare this to the treatment of contemporary social issues in any of the three plays (this requires you to reflect on in class dicussion!) (7) be sure to include the following tags as appropriate: OldisNew, CLAS2, Euripides, Sophocles, Antigone, Oedipus, Medea
Long, long ago and far, far away
Steps: (1) watch one episode of any TV show set in the distant past, outer space, far into the future, or a completely made up world (basically anything in the scifi/fantasy or historical fiction genres) (2) think about one way in which the SETTING lets the show explore contemporary social issues (3) Check the blog to make sure no-one has already used the quote or very similar image! [This is a great time to comment thoughtfully on other posts.] (4) create a title that distinguishes your post from all the others (5) post EITHER a short youtube video of an exemplary scene OR a relevant description and a short description of the scene (6) write at least 250 additional words about about how you see the scene commenting on contemporary social issues each AND compare this to the treatment of contemporary social issues in any of the three plays (this requires you to reflect on in-class discussion!) (7) be sure to include the following tags as appropriate: Elsewhere, CLAS2, Euripides, Sophocles, Antigone, Oedipus, Medea
Still on Stage. Still relevant?
Steps: (1) Chose a NYTimes review of any modern staging of one of the plays you read for this class (2) Check the blog to make sure no-one has already used that specific review! [This is a great time to comment thoughtfully on other posts.] (3) select at least two quotations which comment on the potential relevance of the themes of the play to a contemporary audience AND post these as quotations in your blog (4) create a title that distinguishes your post from all the others (5) include an MLA format citation of the article you used and create a link to the article (6) write at least 250 words about about how these issues this is similar and/or different from issues the Ancient Athenian audience might have been thinking about (this requires you to reflect on in-class discussion!) (7) be sure to include the following tags as appropriate: OnStage, CLAS2, Euripides, Sophocles, Antigone, Oedipus, Medea
The Past in Present Tense 