Greek and Roman Comedy

This course covers the comedies of Greece and Rome. The course begins by looking at Old Comedy in Ancient Greece through the works of Aristophanes before moving onto Middle Comedy with Menander. As well as considering the texts themselves, there will be an examination Greek Theatre and its place in society. We then move onto New Comedy looking at Roman comedy through the works of Plautus and Terence, but will also consider the satires of Juvenal in order to consider if and how they fit into this genre. As well as an assessment of texts, there will be an examination of Roman Theatre and its place in society. Students will consider the political and cultural influences on Greek and Roman comedy, their content, and the value of comedy as a source of political, cultural and historical evidence. The set books listed are the most economical and are all available second hand on Amazon, or from any other book retailer. The translations mentioned are not compulsory and any unabridged version, in paper or online format will be fine.

The course is delivered online in real time through our Zoom online classroom. Each class will last for one and a half hours. You will be provided with the necessary software to take part but will need a computer or tablet with a microphone and webcam.

Assessment is optional and is via an extended essay due four weeks after the end of the course. It is the mark from this essay that informs the overall classification of the course as either Pass, Merit or Distinction.

If you choose not to submit the essay, you will be awarded a certificate of completion.

For more information and to book go to: www.ginamay.co.uk/, email events@ginamay.co.uk, call Gina on 07828199547