Introduction to the ancient Greek Attic Theatre, in particular to the V century B.C. tragedy: origins, cultural, political and religious context; the festivals and the space of the theatre; actors, masks, direction etc. The general issues will be analysed through the example of Antigone, the character present in Antigone and Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles, and in the Phoenicians by Euripides The character in some texts of the Twentieth century will be examined.
1) 1 book (part indicated) among the following:
U. Albini, Nel nome di Dioniso, Garzanti 1991, parte I, pp. 1-175
M. Di Marco, La tragedia greca. Forma, gioco scenico, tecniche drammatiche, Carocci 2009, II edizione, pp.1-169
2) The essay by S. Fornero, Antigone, Storia di un mito, Carocci 2012 (2016): chapter 4 (pp. 69-98) excluded
3) texts for the reading in italian :
Sofocle, Edipore, Edipo a Colono, Antigone, a xura di D. Del Corno, Mondadori 1982 e successive
Sofocle, Antigone, Edipo re, Edipo a Colono, 2005 (vwentesima edizione)
Euripide, Le Fenicie, a cura di E. Medda, BUR 2006 e successive
Sofocle, Anouilh, Brecht, Antigone, Variazionio dul mito, a cura di M.G. Ciani, Marsilio 2000
3a) For the students of CdS Lettere only:
D. Susanetti, Sofocle, Antigone, introduzione, traduzione e commento, Carocci 2012
Sofocle, Antigone, a cura di L. Arata, Einaudi Scuola 2006
Learning Objectives
Knowledge: the class aims at giving the knowledge of the structural elements and of the cultural context of the ancient drama, through the reading of some passages of exemplar texts.
Competence: the acquisition of the technical terminology related to the performance of the ancient drama, an analysis of the keys of communication, the skill in comparing a dramatic text with other cultural sources; the skill in comparing Aristophanes’ drama and the modern theatre.
Behaviour skills: students are encouraged to organize their own career and study and to use all the facilities offered by the CdS, to participate actively to classes and to construct a positive contact with the teacher, to share with others the library and study resource.
Prerequisites
for all: knowedge of the italian language and basic information on the ancient Greek dramatists (which can be acquired, if necessary, reading a school handbook of ancient Greek literature); for classics students: knowledge of the ancient Greek language.
Teaching Methods
oral lessons of the teacher, but with an active participation of the students in reading the chosen text (in italian or in greek) or in preparing specific themes. For the students in classics: exercise in translation and metrics
Further information
DAMS students will follow only the classes on the general history of the theatre and on the selected texts, read and commented in italian: possibly they will be given written papers to prepare, which will be part of the final evaluation. Classics students will follow also the specific classes on translation and metrics and will translate in class, each for a part.
Type of Assessment
The final exam wants to verify that students have acquired knowledges and skills through a colloquium: first they will be asked in general about the Attic theatre, then they must comment some passages (in italian or in Greek) of the texts commented in class or assigned for individual reading.
For the final evaluation the papers, if any, written by the DAMS students and the active participation of the classics students in translating the text will be taken into account.
Course program
All the students must read one essay about the history of the ancient theatre (selected part) and the essay on Antigone (selected parts). The DAMS students must read the pssages by Sophocles and Euripides in italian and the dramas by Anouilh and Brec ht, and give comments in detail; the classics students must also read and translate the Sophoclean and Euripidean passages from Greek and show competence in the metrics studied in class.