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USCSchool of
Dramatic Arts
Theatre 301: Greek and Roman Theatre
Fall 2016
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:00-5:20 p.m.
MCC 111
Instructor:
Dr. Sharon M. Carnicke
Professor of Theatre and Slavic Languages and Literatures
Academic Associate Dean, School of Dramatic Arts
Office: 116B DRC
Office Hours: For appointments, please contact my assistant,
Michele Medina ([email protected] ) at 213-740-8686.
Contact Info: Telephone: (213) 740-2202
[email protected] (See also sharoncarnicke.com)
Course Description and Overview
In the classical Greek and Roman eras theatre reflected major religious, political and social issues.
Moreover, ancient drama established key trends in the development of Western theatre. Tragedy
(originating in religious choral odes) looks squarely at what makes us human and how people deal with
nightmarish circumstances. Comedy (developing out of fertility rituals) looks at how we best perpetuate
ourselves and our communities.
This course examines the full range and depth of drama in the classical world with special
emphasis on the ways in which ancient drama was produced, staged, and acted. The class involves
discussion, performance workshops, and lectures that explore the concrete dimensions of performance in
the ancient world. Primarily for dramatic arts majors and minors, anyone with a passion for theatre,
literature, the arts, and knowledge is welcome.
Learning Objectives
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Building knowledge and appreciation of ancient drama in Greece and Rome
Learning how to read texts for performance differently than other types of literatures.
Understanding ancient drama in its cultural, historical, and theatrical contexts.
Analyzing dramatic texts through close and careful readings.
Sharpening critical thinking by writing essays that argue a thesis through textual evidence.
Exercising the interdependence of intellectual and artistic practice.
Class Meetings
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Required reading is due on the listed date; always bring your books to class for discussions and
workshops.
For every performance workshop, always read the selected scene closely and multiple times whether
you are a participant or an observer; all preparations are to be done in advance of the class.
Turn off all cell phones during class sessions and exams.
If your phone is on during examinations, you will be asked to leave the room.
Required Readings and Supplementary Materials
The following 7 paperbacks have been ordered for you at the USC Bookstore. They are listed in the order
you will need them.
NOTE: It is important that we all use the same translations, for classes, performance workshops, and
exams. Therefore, please secure the specific editions given below.
THTR 301 Course Reader.
Aeschylus, The Oresteia (Hackett).
Euripides, The Cyclops (Oxford University Press).
Sophocles, The Theban Plays (Hackett).
Euripides, The Bacchae (Hackett).
Classical Comedy: Greek and Roman. Corrigan, ed. (Applause Books).
Seneca, Seneca: The Tragedies, Vol. II (Johns Hopkins Press).
Grading Breakdown by Required Assignments
No late work will be accepted. If you have any emergencies that interfere with the completion of
assignments, contact Dr. Carnicke at least 24 hours before the due date.
1. Two Graded Workshop Reports. 25% each—50 % of the final grade.
a. While you will participate in many workshops, you must write analytical reports on two in
which you have participated. Due dates are given in the schedule below.
b. THE REPORT PROMPT:
Each required report is an analytical paper (5-6 pages, typed, double-spaced) that
argues a main idea by giving specific examples of what you mean from the plays and
performances that you analyze. For full credit you must discuss with examples all four
of the following issues:
1--Analyze the section of the play which was workshopped in terms of its artistic
characteristics, its themes, and its historical importance. (In other words, write a short
critical studies examination of the play.) About 1-2 pages.
2--What specific performance aspect of ancient theatre did the workshop examine? (In
other words, describe what we did and why.) About 1-2 pages.
3—How does this compare or contrast with one other workshop or with another play
studied in class? About 1-2 pages.
4--What did you learn from the workshop about the play that was different from your
reading of it or from your expectations? (In other words, what can performance of the
play tell us about its artistic dimensions?) About ½ page.
2. Midterm Exam. 25% of final grade.
This exam covers all class material to date through both objective and essay questions.
3. Comprehensive Final Exam25% of final grade.
As scheduled by USC. USC requires that all undergraduate classes meet for a final examination on
the date and time scheduled by the University. Therefore, be sure to make your holiday travel plans
with the exam date (given below) in mind. You will not be excused from this final class meeting. .
I reserve the right to give P/NP pop quizzes whenever the class seems unprepared for discussions.
Description of Grading Criteria and Assessment of Assignments
The final course grade is determined according to the following scale:
Excellent: A (4 ) = 100-96; A- (3.7) = 95-90
Good: B+ (3.3) = 89-86; B (3) = 85-84; B- (2.7) = 83-80
Average: C+ (2.3) = 79-76; C (2) = 75-74 ; C- (1.7) = 73-70
Poor: the D range (.7-1.3) = 60’s; F (0) = 59 and below
“Excellent” means that clear understanding of the class material is coupled with original and creative
insight; “good” means that the class material has been understood clearly; “average” means that the class
material has been generally understood, but gaps in understanding remain; “poor” means that there are
identifiable gaps in the understanding of class material; “failure” means that gaps in the successful
completion of work is coupled with poor understanding of class material.
When the mathematical GPA falls between two grades, the final grade will be weighted toward the positive
THTR 301--Carnicke, Page 2 of 4
end of the scale for students whose attendance and participation in class have been excellent or good and
toward the negative end of the scale for those with average or poor attendance and participation.
Further Grading Notes:
1. Any work that does not fulfill the required assignment is an automatic F.
2. If you are not a native speaker of English and/or you are an international student, make an
appointment with me in the first two weeks of classes to determine whether language
accommodations might be necessary.
3. If your work in class is unsatisfactory, you will be warned before the deadline for dropping the course
with a grade of W.
4. I will be happy to discuss your work at any time, and I encourage you to make an appointment with
me at least once during the semester.
Course Schedule: A Weekly Breakdown
DATE
Aug.
ASSIGNMENTS
Tu 23
INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE
THE IMPORTANCE OF TRANSLATION
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF ANCIENT THEATRE
READ: Class Handouts
I: ANCIENT GREEK DRAMA IN PERFORMANCE: TRILOGIES AND SATYR PLAYS
Th 25
THE PLACE OF THEATRE IN THE POLIS: THE TRILOGY
READ: Timelines/Charts (Course Reader) and Agamemnon (first play in The
Oresteia).
Aug.
Tu 30
WORKSHOP: A scene from Agamemnon. [Theatrical Space and Significant
Props]
NOTE: The entire class will participate in this workshop.
Sept.
Th
READ: The Libation Bearers (second play in The Oresteia)
1
Tu 6
WORKSHOP: A scene from The Libation Bearers. [Character Interaction]
Th 8
READ: The Furies (third play in The Oresteia)
Friday, Sept. 9 is the last day to add/drop this class without a "W" or to select "P/NP."
Sept.
Tu 13
WORKSHOP: A scene from The Furies.
DISCUSSION TOPIC FOR TRILOGIES: How is The Oresteia more than the sum of its parts? What does the
trilogy say about the society and religion that produced it? What does it say to us today?
Th 15
THE SATYR PLAY AS EPILOGUE TO THE TRILOGY
READ: Euripides, The Cyclops.
Tu 20
WORKSHOP: A scene from The Cyclops [Comedic techniques]
DISCUSSION TOPIC FOR SATYR PLAYS: Why link satyrs to tragedies? How does a “satyric” point of view
reflect upon the human condition differently than does tragedy?
THTR 301--Carnicke, Page 3 of 4
II: THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF GREEK TRAGEDY
Sept.
Th 22
A CONTEMPORARY GREEK PRODUCTION OF TRAGEDY
VIEW: Iphigenia.
Tu
CLASSICAL DRAMA AT ITS HEIGHT: SOPHOCLES
READ: Sophocles, Oedipus the King (The Theban Plays) and Raymond Williams,
“Antigone” (Course Reader).
27
Th 29
DUE: FIRST WORKSHOP REPORT.
WORKSHOP: A scene from Sophocles. [Interaction in a new mode.]
NOTE: If you are writing about today’s workshop, your paper is due on Oct. 4.
DISCUSSION TOPICS FOR SOPHOCLES: How does Sophocles use the chorus differently than Aeschylus?
How does interaction between the major characters in Sophocles differ from those created by Aeschylus?
Oct.
Tu
4
READ and WORSHOP: Scene from Antigone (Sophocles).
Th
6
REVIEW FOR MIDTERM EXAMINATION
Friday, Oct. 7, is the last day to drop this class without a "W" or to change "P/NP" to a letter grade.
Tu 11
MIDTERM EXAMINATION
Th 13
ACTING THROUGH CHORUS AND CHARACTERS
THE REPUTATION OF THE ACTOR IN ANCIENT GREECE
READ in Course Reader: Excerpts from Actors on Acting--Greece, Plato’s
Republic (Chapter 10), and Aristotle’s Poetics, and the images of Greek theatres,
masks, and costumes.
Tu 18
WORKSHOP: Choral performance [Chant, song, speech]
NOTE: The entire class will participate in this workshop.
Th 20
THE BAD BOY OF GREEK DRAMA: EURIPIDES
READ: Euripides, The Bacchae.
Tu 25
WORKSHOP: A scene from The Bacchae.
DISCUSSION TOPICS FOR EURIPIDES: What is the link between The Cyclops and The Bacchae? How does
Euripides challenge the norms and conventions of Greek Tragedy as developed by Aeschylus and
Sophocles?
III: ANCIENT GREEK COMEDY: “OLD” COMEDY
Nov.
Th 27
FERTILITY RITUALS, ANIMAL CHORUSES, AND SATIRE
READ: Aristophanes, The Birds (Classical Comedy).
Tu
WORKSHOP: A scene from The Birds. [Comic techniques for political
persuasion]
1
DISCUSSION TOPIC: What is the difference between the use of comedy in The Cyclops and Lysistrata? Can
ancient comedy speak to contemporary audiences? What is lost and gained with the passage of time?
THTR 301--Carnicke, Page 4 of 4
IV: THE ROMAN POINT OF VIEW
Th 3
ROMAN VIEWS ON SOCIETY, RELIGION, THEATRE AND ACTORS: CHANGES IN
COMEDY AND TRAGEDY
READ in Course Reader: Excerpts from Actors on Acting and the image of the
Roman stage.
Tu 8
ROMAN TRAGEDY: VIOLENCE CENTER STAGE.
READ: Seneca, Oedipus (Seneca: The Tragedies, Vol. II).
Th 10
FOCUS ON OEDIPUS
WORKSHOP: Two comparative scenes from Sophocles and Seneca [Soliloquies
and Interactive Dialogue]
Friday, Nov. 11 is the last day to drop this course with a mark of "W."
DISCUSSION TOPIC: How do Sophocles and Seneca tell the same story differently? How do these
differences reflect their different social, artistic, and political contexts?
Nov.
Tu 15
ROMAN “NEW” COMEDY
VIEW: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
Th 17
READ: Plautus, The Menaechmi (Classical Comedy).
Tu 22
DUE: THE SECOND WORKSHOP REPORT—No late papers accepted.
**If you have travel plans for Thanksgiving, be sure to submit your paper
early.
WORKSHOP: Follow the dress in Plautus, The Menaechmi.
NOTE: If you are writing about today’s workshop, your paper is due on Nov. 29.
DISCUSSION TOPICS ON NEW COMEDY: How does the comedy of Plautus differ from that of
Aristophanes? How do the comedic techniques of slap-stick and sit-com reflect both Roman values and
Roman political repression (as distinct from the politically engaged satire of Aristophanes)? How are
props used differently in Plautus from other plays read this term?
Dec.
Th 24
Off for THANKSGIVING!!
Tu 29
CLASS CONCLUSIONS
Th
REVIEW FOR FINAL EXAMINATION
1
Final Examination Date:
Thursday, December 8, 4:30 to 6:30
Statement on Academic Conduct and Support Systems
Academic Conduct
Plagiarism – presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your own
words – is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize yourself with
the discussion of plagiarism in SCampus in Section 11, Behavior Violating University
Standardshttps://scampus.usc.edu/1100-behavior-violating-university-standards-and-appropriatesanctions/. Other forms of academic dishonesty are equally unacceptable. See additional
THTR 301--Carnicke, Page 5 of 4
information in SCampus and university policies on scientific misconduct,
http://policy.usc.edu/scientific-misconduct/.
Discrimination, sexual assault, and harassment are not tolerated by the university. You are
encouraged to report any incidents to the Office of Equity and Diversity http://equity.usc.edu/ or
to the Department of Public Safety http://capsnet.usc.edu/department/department-publicsafety/online-forms/contact-us. This is important for the safety whole USC community. Another
member of the university community – such as a friend, classmate, advisor, or faculty member –
can help initiate the report, or can initiate the report on behalf of another person. The Center for
Women and Men http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/cwm/ provides 24/7 confidential support,
and the sexual assault resource center webpage [email protected] describes reporting options and
other resources.
Support Systems
A number of USC’s schools provide support for students who need help with scholarly writing.
Check with your advisor or program staff to find out more. Students whose primary language is
not English should check with the American Language Institute http://dornsife.usc.edu/ali, which
sponsors courses and workshops specifically for international graduate students.
The Office of Disability Services and Programs
http://sait.usc.edu/academicsupport/centerprograms/dsp/home_index.htmlprovides certification
for students with disabilities and helps arrange the relevant accommodations. If an officially
declared emergency makes travel to campus infeasible, USC Emergency Information
http://emergency.usc.edu/will provide safety and other updates, including ways in which
instruction will be continued by means of blackboard, teleconferencing, and other technology.
Emergency Preparedness/Course Continuity in a Crisis
In case of a declared emergency if travel to campus is not feasible, USC executive leadership will announce
an electronic way for instructors to teach students in their residence halls or homes using a combination of
Blackboard, teleconferencing, and other technologies.
THTR 301--Carnicke, Page 6 of 4