Oedipus Through the Ages (20)
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| CLAR3077 | Classics and Archaeology | 3 | 20 | Autumn UK |
- Code
- CLAR3077
- School
- Classics and Archaeology
- Level
- 3
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Autumn UK
Summary
This module will explore the ancient evidence for the myth of Oedipus and selected representations of the myth in the post-Classical world. In terms of evidence, students will have the opportunity to explore ancient drama and other poetry as well as visual culture and mythographic writings. In terms of post-Classical representations, there will be a particular focus on performance and on modern popular culture, including (but not necessarily limited to) film, popular mythology books, material aimed at children, on-line representations, and humour.
Target Students
Available to Undergraduate level 2 and level 3 students in the Department of Classics and Archaeology, Liberal Arts students, subsidiary and exchange students.
Classes
- One 2-hour seminar each week for 5 weeks
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 10 weeks
Assessment
- 30% Coursework 1: 1,500 word analysis
- 70% Coursework 2: 3,000 word essay
Assessed by end of autumn semester
Educational Aims
This module aims to give students the opportunity to study in depth the ancient evidence for one of the best-known and most resonant of Greek mythical stories, and to explore some of the uses of this myth in post-Classical, and especially the modern world. The module will allow students to study artefacts in a variety of media from a range of time-periods, and to develop further their analytical and written communication skills.Learning Outcomes
• Knowledge and understanding of the extant ancient sources for the myth of Oedipus and his family, including familiarity with tragedies such as Sophocles’ ‘Oedipus Tyrannus’
• Appreciation of the range of story-versions and attitudes to the myth already available in antiquity, and ability to situate individual sources within this context
• Knowledge and understanding of some artefacts from the wide range post-Classical (especially modern) responses to a) the story, b) specific ancient versions of the story such as an individual tragedy
• Ability to analyse the possible relationships of individual responses to the ancient material in terms of reliance, adaptation, combination, independence, etc.
• Recognition, evaluation and engagement with secondary approaches to both the ancient and the modern material, tested through written analysis