About CLAS 1530 OL1
Explores structural and thematic connections between selected ancient/classical texts and modern films.
Notes
Open to degree and PACE students
Section Description
This asynchronous online course pairs ancient classical texts with modern films. It aims to broaden your perspectives on how literature and film reflect, refract, and shape ideas in human cultures.
What this course is NOT is a bunch of films based on events in ancient history or stories from Greek or Roman mythology — Spartacus (1960), say, or Disney’s Hercules (1997), Ben Hur (1959; remade in 2016), Quo Vadis (1951), Troy (2004), or Gladiator (2000). That would be totally uninteresting (though I do love Gladiator). Rather, what we will be investigating are thematic, motivic, structural, and narratological parallels between unlikely comparands. To be able to see similarities between ostensibly dissimilar things is the mark of real insight and intelligence. To recognize differences and to make distinctions is also an important part of critical thinking. We’ll be engaged in both activities. In the Poetics (which we’ll be reading toward the end of the semester) Aristotle says that humans derive great pleasure both from representing things by means of art and in recognizing connections to lived experience through art. This, too, is what we will be up to this semester.
A word about films: I see them as texts on par with literature. They may entertain, but they’re not primarily about entertainment. They’re an expression of ideas and emotions. Some films on this syllabus are not Hollywood blockbusters. But neither are they unwatchable. They may defamiliarize your preconceptions, but they are thought-provoking for that reason. Some films here you may have already seen, others not. In any event, there’s lots in store.
I have chosen ancient texts that I find foundational for an understanding of Western culture. You won’t regret your encounter with these works, and I have tried not to brow-beat you with excessive reading. (I aim for quality of engagement, not quantity of coverage.) As a professional Classicist, these texts are more than my livelihood, they are my passion. Classical literature, owing to its ancientness, can be strange and alien. On the other hand, you will be surprised, if you haven’t read much ancient literature, to see how closely ideas expressed in these works align with contemporary concerns. This is why ancient ideas keep cropping up in modern culture (of which films are an influential expression).
List of texts and films:
Longus, Daphnis and Chloe – Kim Ki-Duk, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter . . and Spring (2004); Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza (2021); Rob Reiner, The Princess Bride (1987)
Aristophanes, Lysistrata– Spike Lee, Chi-Raq (2015); Trey Parker, “Osama Bin Laden Has Farty Pants,” South Park Season 5, Episode 9
Plato, Symposium – Richard Linklater, Waking Life (2001); John Cameron Mitchell, Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
Suetonius, Life of Nero – Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street (2013); Orson Welles, Citizen Kane (1941)
Aristotle, Poetics – Christopher Nolan, Memento (2000); Peter Howitt, Sliding Doors (1998)
Friedrich Nietzsche, Birth of Tragedy – Guy Maddin, The Saddest Music in the World (2004); Walt Disney, Fantasia (1940)
In terms of course structure, we will watch two films for every ancient text we read. (Daphnis and Chloe gets three.) Most of your thinking and ruminating will done independently, though the Discussion Board will provide an opportunity for you to hear other perspectives to measure against your own.
Assignments consist of one discussion post per week, each one is designed to be a meaningful experience to help you learn something. I have devised a grading scheme meant to signal to you how I think you’re doing with the material. Each discussion post is worth 9 points. A 9 out of 9 means I’m especially impressed with your engagement and the quality of your observations. An 8 out of 9 is the grade you can expect for doing a very solid, conscientious job. A 7 out of 9 indicates something fell short or was lacking. I won’t give any grades lower than a 7 if you submit the assignment on time, so you’re guaranteed a good course grade if you do all the work. Again, because of the size and nature of the class, I cannot accept late submissions, so if you fail to submit an assignment on time the grade will be a zero. Don’t let that happen. If for any reason you didn’t do the reading but watched the film or vice versa, say so in your post and offer what thoughts you have.
Section Expectation
This asynchronous online course pairs ancient classical texts with modern films. It aims to broaden your perspectives on how literature and film reflect, refract, and shape ideas in human cultures.
What this course is NOT is a bunch of films based on events in ancient history or stories from Greek or Roman mythology — Spartacus (1960), say, or Disney’s Hercules (1997), Ben Hur (1959; remade in 2016), Quo Vadis (1951), Troy (2004), or Gladiator (2000). That would be totally uninteresting (though I do love Gladiator). Rather, what we will be investigating are thematic, motivic, structural, and narratological parallels between unlikely comparands. To be able to see similarities between ostensibly dissimilar things is the mark of real insight and intelligence. To recognize differences and to make distinctions is also an important part of critical thinking. We’ll be engaged in both activities. In the Poetics (which we’ll be reading toward the end of the semester) Aristotle says that humans derive great pleasure both from representing things by means of art and in recognizing connections to lived experience through art. This, too, is what we will be up to this semester.
A word about films: I see them as texts on par with literature. They may entertain, but they’re not primarily about entertainment. They’re an expression of ideas and emotions. Some films on this syllabus are not Hollywood blockbusters. But neither are they unwatchable. They may defamiliarize your preconceptions, but they are thought-provoking for that reason. Some films here you may have already seen, others not. In any event, there’s lots in store.
I have chosen ancient texts that I find foundational for an understanding of Western culture. You won’t regret your encounter with these works, and I have tried not to brow-beat you with excessive reading. (I aim for quality of engagement, not quantity of coverage.) As a professional Classicist, these texts are more than my livelihood, they are my passion. Classical literature, owing to its ancientness, can be strange and alien. On the other hand, you will be surprised, if you haven’t read much ancient literature, to see how closely ideas expressed in these works align with contemporary concerns. This is why ancient ideas keep cropping up in modern culture (of which films are an influential expression).
List of texts and films:
Longus, Daphnis and Chloe – Kim Ki-Duk, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter . . and Spring (2004); Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza (2021); Rob Reiner, The Princess Bride (1987)
Aristophanes, Lysistrata– Spike Lee, Chi-Raq (2015); Trey Parker, “Osama Bin Laden Has Farty Pants,” South Park Season 5, Episode 9
Plato, Symposium – Richard Linklater, Waking Life (2001); John Cameron Mitchell, Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
Suetonius, Life of Nero – Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street (2013); Orson Welles, Citizen Kane (1941)
Aristotle, Poetics – Christopher Nolan, Memento (2000); Peter Howitt, Sliding Doors (1998)
Friedrich Nietzsche, Birth of Tragedy – Guy Maddin, The Saddest Music in the World (2004); Walt Disney, Fantasia (1940)
In terms of course structure, we will watch two films for every ancient text we read. (Daphnis and Chloe gets three.) Most of your thinking and ruminating will done independently, though the Discussion Board will provide an opportunity for you to hear other perspectives to measure against your own.
Assignments consist of one discussion post per week, each one is designed to be a meaningful experience to help you learn something. I have devised a grading scheme meant to signal to you how I think you’re doing with the material. Each discussion post is worth 9 points. A 9 out of 9 means I’m especially impressed with your engagement and the quality of your observations. An 8 out of 9 is the grade you can expect for doing a very solid, conscientious job. A 7 out of 9 indicates something fell short or was lacking. I won’t give any grades lower than a 7 if you submit the assignment on time, so you’re guaranteed a good course grade if you do all the work. Again, because of the size and nature of the class, I cannot accept late submissions, so if you fail to submit an assignment on time the grade will be a zero. Don’t let that happen. If for any reason you didn’t do the reading but watched the film or vice versa, say so in your post and offer what thoughts you have.
Evaluation
This asynchronous online course pairs ancient classical texts with modern films. It aims to broaden your perspectives on how literature and film reflect, refract, and shape ideas in human cultures.
What this course is NOT is a bunch of films based on events in ancient history or stories from Greek or Roman mythology — Spartacus (1960), say, or Disney’s Hercules (1997), Ben Hur (1959; remade in 2016), Quo Vadis (1951), Troy (2004), or Gladiator (2000). That would be totally uninteresting (though I do love Gladiator). Rather, what we will be investigating are thematic, motivic, structural, and narratological parallels between unlikely comparands. To be able to see similarities between ostensibly dissimilar things is the mark of real insight and intelligence. To recognize differences and to make distinctions is also an important part of critical thinking. We’ll be engaged in both activities. In the Poetics (which we’ll be reading toward the end of the semester) Aristotle says that humans derive great pleasure both from representing things by means of art and in recognizing connections to lived experience through art. This, too, is what we will be up to this semester.
A word about films: I see them as texts on par with literature. They may entertain, but they’re not primarily about entertainment. They’re an expression of ideas and emotions. Some films on this syllabus are not Hollywood blockbusters. But neither are they unwatchable. They may defamiliarize your preconceptions, but they are thought-provoking for that reason. Some films here you may have already seen, others not. In any event, there’s lots in store.
I have chosen ancient texts that I find foundational for an understanding of Western culture. You won’t regret your encounter with these works, and I have tried not to brow-beat you with excessive reading. (I aim for quality of engagement, not quantity of coverage.) As a professional Classicist, these texts are more than my livelihood, they are my passion. Classical literature, owing to its ancientness, can be strange and alien. On the other hand, you will be surprised, if you haven’t read much ancient literature, to see how closely ideas expressed in these works align with contemporary concerns. This is why ancient ideas keep cropping up in modern culture (of which films are an influential expression).
List of texts and films:
Longus, Daphnis and Chloe – Kim Ki-Duk, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter . . and Spring (2004); Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza (2021); Rob Reiner, The Princess Bride (1987)
Aristophanes, Lysistrata– Spike Lee, Chi-Raq (2015); Trey Parker, “Osama Bin Laden Has Farty Pants,” South Park Season 5, Episode 9
Plato, Symposium – Richard Linklater, Waking Life (2001); John Cameron Mitchell, Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
Suetonius, Life of Nero – Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street (2013); Orson Welles, Citizen Kane (1941)
Aristotle, Poetics – Christopher Nolan, Memento (2000); Peter Howitt, Sliding Doors (1998)
Friedrich Nietzsche, Birth of Tragedy – Guy Maddin, The Saddest Music in the World (2004); Walt Disney, Fantasia (1940)
In terms of course structure, we will watch two films for every ancient text we read. (Daphnis and Chloe gets three.) Most of your thinking and ruminating will done independently, though the Discussion Board will provide an opportunity for you to hear other perspectives to measure against your own.
Assignments consist of one discussion post per week, each one is designed to be a meaningful experience to help you learn something. I have devised a grading scheme meant to signal to you how I think you’re doing with the material. Each discussion post is worth 9 points. A 9 out of 9 means I’m especially impressed with your engagement and the quality of your observations. An 8 out of 9 is the grade you can expect for doing a very solid, conscientious job. A 7 out of 9 indicates something fell short or was lacking. I won’t give any grades lower than a 7 if you submit the assignment on time, so you’re guaranteed a good course grade if you do all the work. Again, because of the size and nature of the class, I cannot accept late submissions, so if you fail to submit an assignment on time the grade will be a zero. Don’t let that happen. If for any reason you didn’t do the reading but watched the film or vice versa, say so in your post and offer what thoughts you have.
Important Dates
Note: These dates may change before registration begins.
Courses may be cancelled due to low enrollment. Show your interest by enrolling.
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