Seneca’s Phaedra

Catalog description

This course examines Seneca’s Phaedra , a tragedy composed by the Roman Stoic philosopher and statesman during the reign of the emperor Nero (54-68 CE). Drawing largely on Euripides’ Greek tragedy Hippolytus of nearly 500 years previous, Seneca takes this mythic exploration of self-restraint (sexual abstinence), desire (a woman’s lust for her stepson), and vengeance to a whole new level. Through close reading of the Latin text of the play along with translations of some of his other works, we will analyze Seneca’s distinctive dramatic style and his innovative reimagining of Greek tragedy for a Roman audience, considering especially why this adherent of Stoicism would compose such plays, wherein the misguided actions of individuals threaten to have the very universe spinning out of control.\ Satisfies Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric requirement. Prerequisites & Notes LAT 201 or placement test. Students who have already taken a LAT course beyond 201 should enroll in LAT 327.