syllabus

1. Jamie Flathers Humanities 101.02 and 03, Fall 2019 Page 1 of 7
Humanities 101: Humanities in the
Ancient World
Classical Tragedy and Comedy
Fall 2019
Section 2: T/Th 12:00pm-1:15pm CUE 409
Section 3: T/Th 1:25pm-2:40pm TODD 302
Instructor Contact Information
Jamie Flathers (jamie.flathers@wsu.edu)
Office location: Avery Hall, Room 222
Office hours: Mondays and Tuesdays from 3-5 (if you can’t make it to my office hours, you can
always email me and schedule an appointment for another time)
Course Description
This course provides an introduction to the literature, philosophy, history, and culture of the
Greek and Roman worlds by way of classical theater. Western civilization has been telling itself
the same kinds of stories over and over for thousands of years, and through discussion, in-class
activities, and thoughtful engagement with primary texts and contemporary films, we’re going to
ask why those stories matter and why we’re still telling them.
Required Texts (in the order in which we’ll read them)
Plato, The Republic, translated by CDC Reeve. PDF distributed on Blackboard.
Aristotle, Poetics, translated by Ingram Bywater. PDF distributed on Blackboard.
Sophocles, Oedipus the King, translated by Stephen Berg and Diskin Clay. ISBN-13 978-
0195054934
Sophocles, Antigone, translated by Anne Carson. ISBN-13 978-1783198108
Aeschylus, The Oresteia, translated by Ted Hughes. ISBN-13 978-0374527051
Euripides, Medea, translated by Robin Robertson. ISBN-13 978-1416592259
Robert W. Corrigan, ed., Classical Comedy, Greek and Roman. ISBN-13 978-0936839851
Course Goals
• Thoughtful engagement with texts
• Understanding of the cultures that produced those texts
• The development of critical observation and analysis skills
• Understanding of the elements of classical tragedy and comedy and how those elements
are still used in contemporary storytelling

2. Jamie Flathers Humanities 101.02 and 03, Fall 2019 Page 2 of 7
• Leaning to convey original ideas about texts through class discussion, group work, and
individual writing

3. Jamie Flathers Humanities 101.02 and 03, Fall 2019 Page 3 of 7
Grade Distribution
Exams: 60%
Participation: 10%
Cultural Presentations: 10%
Study Guides: 20%
Grading Scale
Your grade will be determined using the university’s A-F grading scale.
94-100% A 84-86% B 74-76% C 64-66% D
90-93% A- 80-83% B- 70-73% C- 0-63% F
87-89% B+ 77-79% C+ 67-69% D+
WSU Grading Standards
This course follows WSU standards:
A: Outstanding achievement- awarded only for the highest accomplishment
B: Praiseworthy performance- above average in most respects
C: Satisfactory performance- work meets the standards for competency
D: Minimally passing- effort and achievement less than satisfactory
Attendance Policy
Be present at every class, or as close to every as you can possibly get. Attendance is part of your
participation grade. If, for any reason, you won’t be in class, please send me an email to let me
know. You are allowed four absences total, regardless of the reason. I expect you to keep track
of your own absences; however, I will notify you by e-mail after your fourth absence, and that
will serve as your only warning. For every missed class after that, unless you have been
communicating with me and have a very good reason for your absences, you will lose a letter
grade.
Class Communication
I will answer all student emails within twenty-four hours. This includes weekends. I expect you
to answer any emails from me within twenty-four hours. This also includes weekends. I will not
answer emails (nor will I expect you to answer emails) sent after 6:00pm on any day, unless the
email is sent during digital office hours (see “Instructor Contact Information”).
Note: All official WSU communications are sent to students’ WSU email addresses. Check your
email often for news and updates. Students must use their WSU email accounts when writing to
instructors; due to FERPA regulations, instructors will not respond to inquiries sent from non-
WSU email accounts.

4. Jamie Flathers Humanities 101.02 and 03, Fall 2019 Page 4 of 7
Personal Electronics
In order to ensure a productive learning environment, you are required to turn off or set your
personal communication device to silent during class time. Use of cell phones, pagers, PDAs, or
similar communication devices is not allowed during classes unless such use supports class
activities. Exceptions to this policy may be considered upon request.
Laptops may be used in class but only for class-related activities (e.g., taking notes, completing
in-class or group writing assignments). If it becomes apparent you are using the computer for
non-class activities (checking your email, playing games, Facebooking, etc.) then you will be
asked to turn off your computer and refrain from bringing it into class in the future.
Classroom Etiquette
Be a respectful adult human.
Reading
You will be expected to bring your books to class every day, as well as printed copies of
materials posted to Blackboard that are relevant to the day’s discussion. To prepare effectively,
take notes as you read—this will help you to actively participate in class discussions.
You may find many of the readings for this class challenging. Don’t worry if you get confused,
or if you aren’t sure what the author is talking about. Mark the places in the text where you’re
unsure or confused; we’ll use these as jumping-off points for class discussions.
Reasonable Accommodations:
Students with disabilities: Reasonable accommodations are available for students with
documented disabilities or chronic medical conditions. If you have a disability and need
accommodations to fully participate in this class, please visit the Access Center website to follow
published procedures to request accommodations: http://www.accesscenter.wsu.edu. Students
may also either call or visit the Access center in person to schedule an appointment with an
Access Advisor. Location: Washington Building 217; Phone: 509-335-3417. All disability
related accommodations MUST be approved through the Access Center. Students with approved
accommodations are strongly encouraged to visit with instructors early in the semester during
office hours to discuss logistics.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is the cornerstone of higher education. As such, all members of the university
community share responsibility for maintaining and promoting the principles of integrity in all
activities, including academic integrity and honest scholarship. Academic integrity will be
strongly enforced in this course. Students who violate WSU’s Academic Integrity Policy (based
on State of Washington Code) will fail the course and not have the option to withdraw from the
course pending an appeal, and will be reported to the Office of Student Conduct.

5. Jamie Flathers Humanities 101.02 and 03, Fall 2019 Page 5 of 7
WSU Safety Statement
Classroom and campus safety are of paramount importance at Washington State University, and
are the shared responsibility of the entire campus population. WSU urges students to follow the
“Alert, Assess, Act,” protocol for all types of emergencies and the “Run, Hide, Fight” response
for an active shooter incident. Remain ALERT (through direct observation or emergency
notification), ASSESS your specific situation, and ACT in the most appropriate way to assure
your own safety (and the safety of others if you are able). Please sign up for emergency alerts on
your account at MyWSU. For more information on this subject, campus safety, and related
topics, please view the FBI’s Run, Hide, Fight video and visit the WSU safety portal.
Office of Equal Opportunity Syllabus Statement
Discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, sexual harassment, and sexual misconduct
(including stalking, intimate partner violence, and sexual violence) is prohibited at WSU (See
WSU Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct (Executive
Policy 15) and WSU Standards of Conduct for Students). If you feel you have experienced or
have witnessed discriminatory conduct, you can contact the WSU Office for Equal Opportunity
(OEO) and/or the WSU Title IX Coordinator at 509-335-8288 to discuss resources, including
confidential resources, and reporting options. (Visit oeo.wsu.edu for more information). Most
WSU employees, including faculty, who have information regarding sexual harassment or sexual
misconduct are required to report the information to OEO or a designated Title IX Coordinator
or Liaison. (Visit oeo.wsu.edu/reporting-requirements for more info).
Course Calendar
This course calendar is intentionally vague. To get specific information about reading assignments,
see “Readings” on Blackboard.
Course Calendar: HUM 101.02 and 03, Fall 2019
Tuesday Thursday
Week 1 Aug. 20
Introduction to Class
August 22 – the value of humanities
Read: Plato’s Republic
Due: Doodle poll for office hours (link in
your email)
Week 2 August 27 – Translation and the
importance of studying culture
August 29 – Greek and Roman culture:
small group presentations (groups 1-4)
Week 3 September 3 – Greek and Roman culture:
small group presentations (groups 5-8)
September 5 – Aristotle

6. Jamie Flathers Humanities 101.02 and 03, Fall 2019 Page 6 of 7
September 3 (cont’d)
Due: assessments for groups 1-4
September 5 (cont’d)
Read: Aristotle’s Poetics
Due: assessments for groups 5-8
Week 4 September 10 – Oedipus the King
Read: Oedipus the King
Due: Plato/Aristotle study guide
September 12 – Oedipus the King
Read: Oedipus the King
Due: group 1 assessment
Week 5 September 17 – Antigone
Read: Antigone
Due: Oedipus study guide
September 19 – Antigone
Read: Antigone
Due: group 2 assessment
Week 6 September 24 – Agamemnon
Read: Agamemnon
Due: Antigone study guide
September 26 – Agamemnon
Read: Agamemnon
Due: group 3 assessment
Week 7 October 1 – exam review
Due: Agamemnon study guide
October 3 – exam 1
Week 8 October 8 – Medea
Read: Medea
Due: group 4 assessment
October 10 – Medea, Act III
Read: Medea
Week 9 October 15 – The Fellowship of the Ring
Due: Medea study guide
October 17 – The Fellowship of the Ring
Due: group 5 assessment
Week 10 October 22 – The Birds
Read: The Birds
October 24 – The Birds
Read: The Birds
Week 11 October 29 – The Menaechmi
Read: The Menaechmi
Due: The Birds study guide
October 31 – The Menaechmi
Read: The Menaechmi
Due: group 6 assessment

7. Jamie Flathers Humanities 101.02 and 03, Fall 2019 Page 7 of 7
Week 12 November 5 – exam review
Due: The Menaechmi study guide
November 7 – exam 2
Week 13 November 12 – The Mostellaria
Read: The Mostellaria
Due: group 7 assessment
November 14 – The Mostellaria
Read: The Mostellaria
Week 14 November 19 – Date Night
Due: The Mostellaria study guide
November 21 – Date Night
Due: group 8 assessment
Week 15 November 26 – Thanksgiving November 28 - Thanksgiving
Week 16 December 3 – final review December 5 – last day of class – final
review
Week 17 December 10 - finals December 12 - finals