28951 - History of Performing Arts in the Ancient World (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

Upon a successful completion of this course students will know the Greek and Roman theatre as a whole (places of performance, festivals and dramatic competitions, poets and preserved works; directors, chorus, players; relationship with public and institutions; the different dramatic genres and their history) and will develop a critical attitude towards the main issues concerning the Greek and Roman theatre. Furthermore, they are expected to know the examined pieces thoroughly.

Course contents

1. Dramatic performances in the ancient world, with a special regard to Athenian tragedy and its importance for the modern theatre.

2. Euripides, Hippolytus.

Readings/Bibliography

1) For attending students, the class notes and all the documents online (texts, slides, etc.) are the basis for the final exam.

Required readings:

• A. Pickard-Cambridge, Le feste drammatiche di Atene, trad. it., Firenze, La Nuova Italia, 1996 (chapters I, IV and V excluded); or five between the scientific papers at your disposal at "Virtuale.unibo.it" (at the end of the course).
• two books among the following, one for tragedy and the other for comedy, chosen by the student: G. Ieranò, La tragedia greca: origini, storia, rinascite, Roma, Salerno, 2010; A. Rodighiero, La tragedia greca, Bologna, il Mulino, 2013; M. Di Marco, La tragedia greca. Forma, gioco scenico, tecniche drammatiche, Roma, Carocci 2009 (seconda edizione); B. Zimmermann, La commedia greca: dalle origini all'età ellenistica, ed. it. a c. di Sotera Fornaro, Roma, Carocci, 2016; G. Mastromarco, P. Totaro, B. Zimmermann (a c. di), La commedia attica antica: forme e contenuti, Lecce, Pensa, 2017. For English-speaking students, alternative readings are possible: please, write to me for further suggestions.

2. Euripides, Hippolytus (in translation).

For non-attending students:

In addition to the texts at points 1 and 2, the following two books should be read:

• V. Di Benedetto-E. Medda, La tragedia sulla scena. La tragedia greca in quanto spettacolo teatrale, Torino, Einaudi, 2002
• G. Guastella (a c. di), Le rinascite della tragedia. Origini classiche e tradizioni europee, Roma, Carocci, 2006.

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is suggested that they get in touch as soon as possible with the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en) and with the lecturer in order to seek together the most effective strategies for following the lessons and/or preparing for the examination.

Teaching methods

Lectures in class; seminars and discussion of the texts analysed in class.

Assessment methods

The oral examination will be an interview in which the teacher, through a series of questions, will test the theoretical knowledge as explained during the lectures. The evaluation ranges from 18 to 30 cum laude depending on how sure, well-founded, precise, and rigorous the answers of the candidate will be.

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is necessary to contact the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en) with ample time in advance: the office will propose some adjustments, which must in any case be submitted 15 days in advance to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of these in relation to the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

PC, projector, slides.

Office hours

See the website of Lucia Floridi