Appreciating Drama

 Course Description

This course introduces students to English drama by way of carefully selected texts. The course emphasizes the primarily theatrical, rather than the purely literary, nature of drama.  Students will learn how to analyze plot and character.  The stress will be on understanding the nature of the dramatic mode.

This course defines drama as a distinctive genre in both its classical an modern manifestations.  The classical mode involves the Aristotelian concepts of drama such as imitation of an action, exposition, evolution, crisis, climax, denouement, protagonist, and the “fatal flaw.”  It also involves stage elements such as skene, orchestra, and theatron.  These elements should b studied in conjunction with the play itself. The modern mode will involve concepts and structural elements such as “staging,” “scenery,” “conflict,” “character interaction,” and “development,” in addition to “scenic cross-cutting,” etc.

Introduction to Greek drama; Aristotle’s Poetics: protagonist, hamartia, peripeteia, anagnorisis, “classical unities” (Sophocles, Oedipus the King); introduction to Roman comedy (Plautus, The Pot of Gold); Medieval drama: Miracle Plays; Morality Plays; Elizabethan drama; modern drama

Course Aims

1. Identify elements of drama as a literary genre
2. Discuss the history and tradition of drama
3. Discuss intellectual, social and religious issues relevant to the understanding of
4. classical and modern drama.
5. Read and Analyze written plays
6. Differentiate between classical and modern plays.

 Learning Outcomes

1. Knowledge of the intelle ctual and social issues relevant to an understanding of both classical and modern drama
2. Knowledge of theoretica l and critical approaches in relation to the study of drama
3. Knowledge of the chara  cteristics of drama as literary genre as well as a theatrical event
4. The Ability to comprehend concepts related to the plays and to their background and to
5. Make sound analogies and comparisons between different plays and different playwrights