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Unit information: Comedy in 2023/24

Unit name Comedy
Unit code CLAS22370
Credit points 20
Level of study I/5
Teaching block(s) Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director Dr. Martin
Open unit status Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)

N/A

Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)

N/A

Units you may not take alongside this one

N/A

School/department Department of Classics & Ancient History
Faculty Faculty of Arts

Unit Information

Can we take the comedy of ancient Greece and Rome seriously? In this unit we will examine a range of comic discourse in the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome to discover how laughter functioned in antiquity both as subversive political critique and conservative social commentary. Theoretical readings on comic violence, carnival, and body humour will inform our seminar discussions and textual analyses on Homer, Philogelos, Aristophanes, Menander, Plautus, Terence, and Horace. Throughout the unit we will compare and contrast the classical tradition of comedy with modern comedic discourse including political satire, live comedy performance, TV sitcoms and cartoons.

Your learning on this unit

On successful completion of this unit students will be able to:

  1. demonstrate a detailed knowledge and in-depth understanding of comedy in the ancient world; its uses and contexts and an awareness of how these change over time.
  2. analyse critically the comedic texts of the ancient world and how they functioned in antiquity both as subversive political critique and conservative social commentary.
  3. construct coherent and analytical arguments on different aspects of the subject, at a standard appropriate to Level I/5.
  4. display skills in written communication appropriate to level I/5.

How you will learn

1 x 2 hour lecture per week

1 x 1 hour lecture per week

How you will be assessed

Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative): 

1x 2,500-word essay (100%) [ILOs 1-4].

When assessment does not go to plan 

When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the format or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are confirmed by the School/Centre shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the year. 

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. CLAS22370).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.

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