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Students may discuss with individual members of staff particular and mutual areas of literary interest, which could be run as an Honours course. Such a course can only be run when members of staff are willing and available.
This course focuses on what the Greeks and the Romans considered ‘funny’ in relation to their own society and in contrast to ours. What makes us laugh tells us much about the values, prejudices and experiences of individuals and the community they belong to. This course will include readings (in translation) from ancient comedy and Roman satire, and modern and ancient discussions on humour. Reference will also be made to more serious genres such as epic, tragedy, elegy and oratory. Students will compare ancient perspectives on humour with contemporary ones, and discuss how the similarities and differences reflect respective broader social norms. Staging and performance techniques will also be discussed.
Students who successfully complete this course will:Be presented with a range of Greek and Roman literary source material, and will gain a better understanding of how to analyse and interpret that materialCritically assess and use conflicting evidenceConstruct arguments and refine their abilities in oral and written expressionBe aware of what constituted the humorous for the people of ancient Greece and Rome and how both similar and different the concept was to and from more modern expressions of the humorous and comic.
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:
Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award
Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.
Globally aware
Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.
Subject to approval of the Head of Department.
Students must attend one activity from each section.
Enrica Sciarrino
Please check the course LEARN page for further details and updates.
Domestic fee $2,046.00
International Postgraduate fees
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see Humanities .