Courses :: Module, THE CLASSICAL WORLD IN MODERN MEDIA

	Overview
	Overview So many modern perceptions of the classical world � whether popular or academic � are crucially informed and shaped by the many and varied presentations in contemporary culture, whether in film, television, theatre, popular literature, graphic novels, video games � Repeatedly, in these representations, we see that the messenger shapes the message in significant ways. The Classical World in Modern Media considers the nature of the modern world�s ongoing engagement with antiquity, and asks what lies behind contemporary re-presentations of the ancients? How do processes of cultural production impact on our understanding of antiquity? How and why does each medium re-cast the Classical? In considering such questions, this module offers an introduction to classical reception studies (a crucial area of research in itself) and focusses on three key areas of study to help ground our review. Exploring thematic case studies drawn from film, theatre, and popular literature � from Gladiator to 300, from Antigone to Medea, from The Song of Achilles to The Silence of the Girls � we consider the way knowledge is produced and the part that select ancient narratives still play in shaping modern identities � and vice versa.

Overview

Overview
So many modern perceptions of the classical world � whether popular or academic � are crucially informed and shaped by the many and varied presentations in contemporary culture, whether in film, television, theatre, popular literature, graphic novels, video games � Repeatedly, in these representations, we see that the messenger shapes the message in significant ways. The Classical World in Modern Media considers the nature of the modern world�s ongoing engagement with antiquity, and asks what lies behind contemporary re-presentations of the ancients? How do processes of cultural production impact on our understanding of antiquity? How and why does each medium re-cast the Classical? In considering such questions, this module offers an introduction to classical reception studies (a crucial area of research in itself) and focusses on three key areas of study to help ground our review. Exploring thematic case studies drawn from film, theatre, and popular literature � from Gladiator to 300, from Antigone to Medea, from The Song of Achilles to The Silence of the Girls � we consider the way knowledge is produced and the part that select ancient narratives still play in shaping modern identities � and vice versa.

	Learning Outcomes
	On successful completion of the module, students should be able to: Show a sophisticated understanding of the presence of the classical world in modern culture. Demonstrate the ability to research diverse source materials (ancient and modern; textual, visual, and material evidence), to make critical distinctions, and insightful syntheses of that source material. Review and assess specific examples of classical reception, showing a sophisticated capacity to evaluate ancient sources while also analysing similarities, parallels and differences across time and place. Engage with important debates in modern scholarship on classical reception, showing a sophisticated understanding of key themes and concepts in relation to the review of that work. Demonstrate the ability to communicate complex ideas in both oral and written form.

Learning Outcomes

	Autumn Supplementals/Resits
	Yes, continuous assessment marks to be carried forward to August session, if coursework is only partially completed during the regular semester.

Autumn Supplementals/Resits

Search form

Courses / Module

THE CLASSICAL WORLD IN MODERN MEDIA

Semester 1

Semester 2