COURSE DESCRIPTION
We know from The Iliad and The Odyssey, two epic poems written by Homer, that the Greek warrior king Agamemnon survived the Trojan War, only to be murdered by his wife when he returned home. What we don’t know from Homer is why she killed him. The playwright Aeschylus, the "Father of Greek Tragedy," told the story on stage in his play, Agamemnon, casting the wife, Clytemnestra, in the role of unrepentant murderess, shameless adulterer, and social critic. Aeschylus's themes of war and religion, power and violence, and the battle of the sexes, are as relevant as ever.
This course has been designed to give busy adults a crash course in ancient Greek tragedy, to make reading (or not reading) the whole play easy, and to be amenable to "drop ins" as schedules allow. We'll do a lot of reading together in class. Adult learners will get firm footing in the first two sessions and will leave the course feeling more confident about reading Greek tragedy independently.
COURSE SCHEDULE & LOGISTICS
Course Duration:
- November 14 - 22
Workload:
- Read the entire play over the course of 8 days or read select passages as assigned
Live Online Sessions:
Live meeting times vary to accommodate different schedules.
- Friday morning (75 minutes), November 14, 9:00-10:15 a.m. Pacific, 12:00-1:15 p.m. Eastern
- Sunday evening (60 minutes), November 16, 4:00-5:00 p.m. Pacific, 7:00-8:00 p.m. Eastern
- Saturday morning (75 minutes), November 22, 7:30-8:45 a.m. Pacific, 10:30-11:45 a.m. Eastern
What to Expect:
Session 1: Get the historical, mythological, and literary background necessary to understand and appreciate the play. Read the beginning of the play in class aloud with the group to get a running start.
Session 2: Take the weekend to read the opening act and meet Sunday to analyze and discuss.
Session 3: Take the week to read the whole play. Join us on Saturday morning to discuss the work as a whole with a focus on select passages.
Questions?
Email Ms. Finnigan
COURSE TEXT
The Oresteian Trilogy by Aeschylus
translated by Philip Verracott
Hi, I'm Ms. Finnigan
I received my B.A. in English from Boston College and my M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Montana. I like to say "I was teaching online before it was cool." I taught high school at Kolbe Academy Online for nine years, and before that at a hybrid school called St. John Bosco in Atlanta.
I've been teaching Agamemnon for over 10 years. Aeschylus is a profoundly religious writer who was asking questions I believe we should still be asking today. I can't wait to be your guide through this timeless work of literature and to help give you the confidence to dive into more Greek tragedy!
SOME QUESTIONS WE'LL BE ASKING...
Did Agamemnon’s actions lead to his demise, or was his fate sealed long before?
What critiques was Aeschylus making of the ancient Greek religion?
Was Clytemnestra the first feminist?
