The course introduces students to Attic comedy, with a focus on Aristophanic comedy and Menandrian New Comedy. It aims to familiarise students with theatrical terminology, the main features of the comic genre, and the dramaturgical characteristics of Aristophanes, Menander, and their contemporaries. A key objective is to develop students’ ability to interpret comic texts critically and understand the specificity and artistic value of comedy as a dramatic form.

After the completion of the course, students will be able to:

• understand the origins and development of comedy (Old, Middle, and New Comedy); 
• use appropriate literary and theatrical terminology;
• identify and analyse the dramaturgical features of Aristophanes and Menander; 
• interpret the structure and plot development of Attic and New Comedy; 
• explain the function of the Chorus in ancient comedy (e.g. parabasis);  
• discuss key features of political comedy, including themes such as utopia, satire, metatheatre, and comic types; 
• engage with relevant scholarly literature on Attic and New Comedy; 
• understand the challenges of translating ancient Greek comic language into Modern Greek.