GLAM 232 | Ancient Comedy

This class surveys the surviving plays of Aristophanes, Menander, Plautus, and Terence. For Old Comedy, the class will discuss its structural features (such as the chorus and the parabasis), and look at the way that Aristophanes engages with the politics of his day as well as the role of women in Athens. Students learn the canonical definitions of Old, Middle, and New comedy, and see the revolution of style and taste that differentiates Menander from Aristophanes. The class looks at the ways in which comedy transgresses social norms and the role of the carnivalesque in ancient culture. Students need not know Greek or Latin but must be willing to perform for and with their classmates as well as contributing to a creative and generous environment.