LIT102: Literature of the Western World – Ancient
Key details
| Accredited towards | Bachelor of Arts in the Liberal Arts Diploma of Liberal Arts |
| Unit type | Core unit |
| Credit points | 6 |
| Indicative contact hours | 3 hours per week |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Offered in | Semester 2 |
| Tuition fee | Learn more |
Overview
This unit presents an overview of ancient literature and explores the foundational works of the Western literary imagination from Homer to the close of classical antiquity. It also introduces students to the different traditions and themes of literary criticism and theory in classical times. Authors studied may include Homer, Plato, Aristotle, and Virgil. More specifically the topics and concepts may include: the characteristics of epic, as exemplified in the Iliad; the ideas of the poet in Plato’s Republic; Aristotle’s theory of tragedy in the Poetics; Sophocles’ Oedipus the King as the ideal tragedy in Aristotle’s terms; and the development of epic in Virgil’s Aeneid.
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes at this level are a growing awareness of the value and relevance of the study strand leading to a more consolidated understanding of presented material and reference texts. By the end of the unit students should be able to:
- describe some of the foundational ideas in selected works of Classical antiquity;
- understand the basis of the contributions of Classical authors to the development of the Western literary tradition and Western culture (in conjunction with later units in the course);
- describe and evaluate the historical context within which selected Classical works have been composed;
- review and appraise presented information and researched readings;
- undertake research, summarise and communicate in a logical and coherent manner
- demonstrate the importance of clear written expression, concise logical essay structure and the appropriate use of referencing and bibliography according to academic conventions;
- constructively participate in group work and tutorial events by undertaking required readings and contributing with clarity and coherence.
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