Monday 10/17: Ajax with Trinity

To attend this class on Zoom, go here. If prompted for a passcode, it is 319541

You'll find a recording of this class below, which is privately listed on YouTube.

Read before class:

• Sophocles, Ajax (review the play before class)

• Robert Meagher, “The World of Herakles,” Herakles Gone Mad. You'll find the PDF below. Click on the little box with the arrow pointed up and to the right, in the upper-right corner of the file.

Tonight we will be joined by Trinity Repertory Company Artistic Director Curt Columbus, as well as several actors from the company. Columbus will tell us about Greek theater, and then they will do a dramatic reading of several scenes from the play. A discussion will follow.

As you know from reading Ajax, the play is in part about the impact of military service on families and relationships. For that reason, you are most welcome to include a family member, friend, or colleague in our discussion. We can provide them with a copy of the play to read ahead of time -- you'll find a PDF version below, but we can get them a book if they prefer. Just ask Mark about it.

Prepare or organize before class:

• According to Meagher, how did Athens understand and grapple with the impact of war on returning soldiers? What role did theater play, and why/how?

• Meagher says the Greeks described the theater as “the house of truth.” This seems like a strange thing to argue – we usually think of the theater as a place where people pretend, make things up, and wear costumes. What do you think of his argument? How might we apply it to the play Ajax?

• Look for in the play: When does the climax occur? What forces are moving the action along in the play? What resolution is achieved or not?

• What larger meaning/message do you take away from the play as a reader?

• Is this play still relevant today? If so, how?