What is the course about?
You will study 3 classic plays : Medea by Euripides, King Lear by Shakespeare and Three Sisters by Chekhov in terms of the nature of the society they reflect and their form, dialogue, themes and structures. You will also learn about the theatrical conventions,buildings and audiences of 5th century Athens, Shakespeare’s Globe and the new Naturalism employed by Chekov and the Moscow Arts Theatre in late 19th century Russia.
This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.
What will we cover?
Themes and styles of 3 classic texts in terms of structure, methods of characterisation, use of language and how they work as Performance texts.
The ways in which the plays reflect the concerns and conventions of 3 very different societies from 5th century Athens to late 19th century Russia.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
Identify key themes and concerns of the plays
Discuss a range of plays with confidence
Understand the nature of the societies in which the plays were created
Analyse structure, methods of characterisation ,and how they work as performance texts.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
Some experience of the study of dramatic text would be useful.
Learners will ideally need the following skills and attributes:
An enthusiasm for reading and discussing a range of texts in large and small groups
A willingness and ability to do some reading and preparation outside the class
An interest in, and ability to listen to, the responses of other students to the work discussed.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Small and large group discussion. Viewing and discussing film extracts of plays where possible to enable performance analysis.
You will need to do a certain amount of reading and preparation in advance of the class.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
You will need to buy or borrow copies of the texts to be studied:
Medea and other plays by Euripides (Penguin Classics Edition, Translated by Vellacott)
King Lear by Shakespeare (Penguin edition)
Three Sisters by Chekhov (Penguin Classics -includes all major plays by Chekhov; translated by Peter Carson).
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
See other drama courses on our website at www.citylit.ac.uk under History, Culture & Writing/Literature/Drama.
