Fall 2009

GK 324 • JR RDNG: SOPHOCLES

Course Description

This course will focus on the Oedipus the King and Antigone of Sophocles, possibly with selections from other plays of Sophocles in English and/or other authors on the Theban mythological cycle. These plays, although often read as a trilogy with Oedipus at Colonus as the middle play, in fact were written at quite different times in Sophocles' life. We will consider the Oedipus myth and the Theban mythological cycle as presented in these two plays and in other ancient texts; the basic elements of a Greek tragedy, such as the chorus, the different meters used, the overall structure of a typical play, and the staging of tragedy; the social and historical context in which Sophocles' plays were performed, including the structure and procedures of the Greek dramatic festivals; and the wide range of responses to these plays, including modern scholarly approaches to Greek tragedy. Course work will include daily Greek reading assignments; regular short quizzes on passages of Sophocles; a midterm exam; a short paper (3-5 pp) and a longer final paper (5-7 pp); several informal oral presentations; and a final exam.

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