AMS 150Ancient Tragedy, Greece & Rome

Catalog

Today, the word "tragedy" conjures up images of disaster and suffering. In ancient Athens, tragedy meant live entertainment for a mass audience. But what else was, what else IS, tragedy? Is the suffering of an Oedipus, an Antigone, an Octavia foreign to us? Or do we feel their pain - is it meaningful to us? For this course we will seek answers to those and similar questions; in the process, we will deepen our understanding of an art form that boldly explores human experience at the extremes. All assigned readings are in English. Expect structured, in-class discussion and informal reading of scenes. Quizzes, midterm, final exam. No prerequisites, no prior knowledge needed. Note: Students who have taken AMS 215 or one of its cross-listings will not receive credit for this course. More information at https://bingdev.binghamton.edu/ascholtz/ams150/