GRST 187 - Greek Tragedy for Trauma

Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)

In this class we look at the work of Outside the Wire, a production company based in NYC that uses ancient Greek tragedy to help different communities deal with trauma and suffering: combat veterans and their families, prisoners and the people who guard them, those dealing with end of life care, and people struggling with addiction. We consider the efficacy of the arts—particularly the ancient arts—for dealing with modern afflictions. We also ask some of the big questions that preoccupied the ancient Greeks and that still preoccupy us today: what are the effects of war on individuals and communities? How can communities heal from tragedy, suffering, and loss? What are the gendered dimensions of violence? Whose stories get told and why? Readings include Bryan Doerries’ Theater of War and various ancient dramas such as Sophocles’ Ajax and Philoctetes, and Euripides’ Trojan Woman and Herakles, among others. In addition to academic essays, writing assignments include personal narratives and theatrical reviews. Tara Mulder.

Open only to freshmen; satisfies the college requirement for a Freshman Writing Seminar.

Two 75-minute periods.

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