REQUIRED READING
The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature

Oedipus the King: 981-1037
A Doll House: 1137-1196

RECOMMENDED READING:
Notes on this site. Specifically:

The Birth of Drama
Aristotle's Tragic Hero
Stepping Through Oedipus the King
The Relevance of Oedipus Today
Oedipus the King - Study Questions
Ibsen's Theater
A Doll House - Study Questions

Oedipus the King (981-1037)

• Who was Sophocles? How many plays did he write, and how many have survived? In what ways did his work stand out and how was he innovative?
• What were the theatrical conventions of Greek theater? Based on your reading of the play, which of these conventions are used in Oedipus the King?
• How were ancient Greek plays structured? Define prologue, parados, episodia, stasimon, exodus.
• What is literary tragedy (Michael Meyer's definition)? How did Aristotle define the tragic hero? What effect should tragedy have on its audience? What is catharsis?
• What is dramatic irony and where is it present in Oedipus the King?

After studying the play, you should be prepared to answer questions about:

• the names, identities, character traits of all the characters in the play (you should know who is who, to the extent that you can identify the character given an example of his/her/their speech)
• details concerning what happens throughout the play and how certain scenes advance the plot or develop character

After studying the play, you should be prepared to answer questions which ask you to analyze or interpret:

• the role of the chorus, how it responds to the action in the play, particularly on pp. 993, 1001-02, 1011-12, 1017-18, 1029.
• the ways in which the play illustrates Aristotle's declarations about tragedy and tragic character

A Doll House (1137-1196)

• What is realism? What is a "problem play"?
• What are some of the theatrical conventions of modern drama?
• Who is Henrik Ibsen and what is the "common denominator" in many of his dramas?

After studying the play, you should be prepared to answer questions about:

• the names, identities, character traits of all the characters in the play (know who is who, to the extent that you can identify the character given an example of his or her speech)
• details concerning what happens throughout the play and how certain scenes advance the plot or develop character

After studying the play, you should be prepared to answer questions which ask you to analyze:

• Nora's character, particularly what her personality traits are and how she changes from the beginning of the play to the end
• The roles Nora and Torvald play in their marriage
• The way in which Krogstad and Kristine provide a contrast to Nora and Torvald
• Nora's relationship with Dr. Rank