WCU - Spring 2002 Lit 165 Assignments

Due to the school closing on Dec. 5, the Drama Exam is rescheduled for Thursday, Dec. 12, 8 - 10 PM our final exam date. Class will meet in Anderson 201, our usual classroom.

The Drama Exam is a 50 minute exam, so students who want to take the optional Final Exam will be able to take it in the second hour of the scheduled two hour period. Students who aren't sure whether they want to take the optional final can request that I score their exams immediately.

THE DRAMA EXAM IS RESCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2002, 8 - 10 PM in A201, our usual classroom.

Study these pages The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature for the Drama Exam on Oedipus the King

Reading Drama (p. 929-930)
A Study of Sophocles (p. 969-976)
Oedipus the King (p. 976-1017)
On Tragic Character (p. 1018-1020)
On Oedipus and Human Freedom (p. 1025)

Study these files on this site for the Drama Exam on Oedipus the King:

The Birth of Drama
On Tragic Character
Stepping Through 'Oedipus the King'
Analyzing 'Oedipus the King'
The Relevance 'Oedipus'Today

Use these questions as a study guide to prepare for the objective exam on Thursday, Decmber 5, 2002.

Sophocles, Aristotle, and the Greek Theater

Who was Sophocles? In what ways did his work stand out and how was he innovative?

What were the theatrical conventions of Greek theater? Based on your reading of the play, which of these conventions are used in Oedipus the King?

How were ancient Greek plays structured? Define prologue, parados, episodia, stasimon, exodus.

What is tragedy? How does Michael Meyer, editor of your textbook, define literary tragedy (p. 973)? How did Aristotle define the tragic hero (p. 1018-20)? What effect should tragedy have on its audience? What is catharsis?

What is dramatic irony and where is it present in Oedipus the King?

After studying the play, you should be prepared to answer questions about:

the names, identities, character traits of all the characters in the play (you should know who is who, to the extent that you can identify the character given an example of his/her/their speech)

details concerning what happens throughout the play and how certain scenes advance the plot or develop character

After studying the play, you should be prepared to answer questions which ask you to analyze or interpret:

the role of the chorus, how it responds to the action in the play, particularly on pp. 993, 981-82, 989, 999, 1008, 1017.

the ways in which the play illustrates Aristotle's declarations about tragedy and tragic character

Questions? Contact me.

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