Module Information
Course Delivery
Assessment
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Critically evaluate relevant texts and consider the implications of these texts in performance;e.
Situate ancient and adapted texts in their cultural, political and historical contexts.
Demonstrate an awareness of the wider cultural and theoretical issues raised by adaptations of classical texts.
Produce organized, coherently structured and critically engaged written and oral work.
Aims
The module focuses on adaptations and rewrites of "the classics" of antiquity with a view to asking the followng questions: What is a classic? Is canonical status afforded to such work purely on the grounds of textual antiquity? Why rewrite/adapt such works? What are the theatrical strategies of such reworkings? By looking at a variety of adaptations and rewrites students will develop an understanding of canon-formation and rewriting/performative rereading as a critical paradigm.
Brief description
This module will provide a thorough introduction to plays that are representative of the key genres of Ancient drama (Satyr, Tragedy and Comedy) whilst providing a sound foundation for understanding how these Ancient works have been and continue to be adapted and rewritten, for example as political protest, pacifist messages, critique of aesthetics and canonicity, a contemplation of our present age and beyond. In this respect, the module will provide a thorough overview of Ancient drama, Adaptation theory and a selection of modern (twentieth century and twenty first century) adaptations and rewrites.
Content
Lecture Two: The Trackers of Oxyrynchus and Sophocles' Fragments: Satyric Drama and its Regenerative Potential
Lecture Three: Rewriting Sophocles' Antigone: Brecht, Fugard and Gambaro - an overview
Lecture Four: Fugard, Kani and Ntshona's The Island and "Life" Art: Rewriting as Political Protest
Lecture Five: Pacifist Antigones: Gambaro's Antigona Furiosa, Shaw's Bury the Dead and Brecht's Version of Antigone after Holderlin (screening of Anouilh's Antigone)
Lecture Six: Irish Medeas; Marina Carr's By the Bog o' The Cats; (screening of Meda - Pasolini and Lars Von Trier arranged)
Lecture Seven: Oedipus, Freud and Steven Berkoff's Greek; screening of Lee Breuer's Gospel at Colonos arranged
Lecture Eight: Genre and the Ancients - From Comedy to Tragedy - Tony Harrison's The Common Chorus, Aristophanes' Lysistrata and Euripides' The Trojan Women (screening of The Trojan Women arranged)
Lecture Nine: Why Adapt and Rewrite?
Lecture Ten: Tradition's Progressive and Subversive Potential - A Summation and Revision pointers
(Maximum of 9 play texts accompanied by at least 6 screenings of play extracts)