Lovers, Slaves, Kings and Knaves: Major Plays in Western Literature

This course will introduce students to representative tragedies and comedies, focusing in particular upon their development as literary genres; continuities and variations of character, plot, and theme; stage and performance conventions; and the classical tradition. Readings will include Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, Shakespeare, Racine, Eilde, Ibsen, and Vogel.