Weekly outline
13 February - 19 February
Introduction to the Course:
- The definition and history of Drama
- Elements of Drama
- Definition of Tragedy
Aristotle's Poetics: Five Elements of Tragedy & The Three Unities
20 February - 26 February
Elements of Drama in Lady Gregory's The Rising of the Moon
- Characterization
- Setting
- Plot
- Movement
- Stage Directions
- Theme
27 February - 4 March
Greek Tragedies: Oedipus Rex by Sophocles
- The legend (background story)
- The Characters
- The Chorus
- The conflict at the beginning
- Dramatic Irony
5 March - 11 March
Oedipus Rex continued:
- The oracles
- Tiresias' conversation with Oedipus
- Oedipus' hamartia
- Hubris
- The Shepard and the Messenger's Arrival
12 March - 18 March
Oedipus Rex continued:
- Recognition
- Point of No Return
- Oedipus' Destruction
- The theme of blindness and the general theme of the play
- Five Elements of Tragedy and the Three Unities in Oedipus Rex
2 April - 8 April
Greek Tragedies: Medea by Euripides
- Revenge Tragedies
- The background story: Jason and the Golden Fleece
- Characterisation of Medea
- The Conflict at the beginning of the play
9 April - 15 April
Medea continued:
- Foreshadowings
- Function of the Chorus
- Medea's entrance and expression of her situation
- Conversation between Creon and Medea
- Creon's characterization
16 April - 22 April
Medea continued:
- Medea's plans and manipulations
- The arguments of both Jason and Medea
- The function of Aegeus
- The portrayal of the death of Creon and his dauughter
- The Chorus' comments
23 April - 29 April
Medea continued:
- The murder of the children
- Different reactions to Medea's actions
- Dramatic Irony
- Deus ex machina
- Final conversation between Jason and Medea
- Medea's hamartia
30 April - 6 May
A comparison of Euripides' version of Medea and Seneca's version of Medea.
- A brief look at Senecan tragedies.
- The main differences between the two plays.
7 May - 13 May
Roman Comedies: The Pot of Gold by Plautus
- Elements of Comedy
- Close reading of the play
14 May - 20 May
A short contemporary play: Trifles by Susan Glaspell
- Characterization
- Main conflict
- Symbols
- The significance of the title
- Irony