PRESENTATIONS: Part I + 1/31 Notes & Part II
Classics 28: Classical Mythology, Spring 2008

GSI: Cai Thorman
Email: cthorman@berkeley.edu
Phone: 916 595 7232
Office Hours: M 4-5, F 1:30-2:30, or by appointment
Office: 359A Dwinelle
Discussion Sections:
(101) M 2-3; 83 Dwinelle
(106) M 5-6; 105 Dwinelle

PART I: The First Presentation: Gods and Goddesses

-This first presentation should be 5 minutes long. There will be a timer, so you won’t be able go over. Whatever has been said at the end of five minutes is it.
-All members of the group should speak.
-Use lots of visuals. If you have electronic images, e-mail them to me by Saturday and I will project them for you. Tell me the order. If you have a useful handout and want copies made, bring it to my office hour the Friday before or e-mail it to me by Saturday.
-Gather your information from the assigned readings and sources (you can read ahead), and cite them (when helpful) in your presentation so that other students know where to look. I will post links and bibliography for image resources.
-Be very efficient, concise and pointed.

Your goal: To help us recognize and *know* (in images and literature) the god or goddess you are presenting.

1) Tell us the most essential things we should know about your god or goddess to understand his or her role in a) the Greek pantheon (or “family”) and b) the mythical stories we will be studying.

o Examples. Who is Zeus? What is his relationship to the other gods? Why is he important? What kind of things is he prone to doing? Why (if a reason can be discerned) does he do what he does? What seems to motivate him? What is his position in the divine hierarchy? Who can overrule him? How can he be outwitted? What is his personality? What are his proclivities? What happens when he does not do his job? What does he do for humans?

2) Teach us how to recognize that god or goddess in the a) imagery and b) literature, if he or she is not named.

o E.g. What are Zeus’ attributes? What does he hold and what does he wear? How is he pictured? What are the characteristic scenes he’s shown in? What positions or activities is he shown in? How is he described? What phrases and epithets are used in poetry/literature to clue us in that he is being described?

3) Tell us the most bizarre or hilarious thing you learn about your god or goddess.

Essentially ...intrigue us, educate us, immerse us… until we can never mistaken your god or goddess for any other.

***

Notes: 1/31/08

Hi Everyone,

Here are some notes about the Gods and Goddesses presentations for our section.

1) First of all, if you make a powerpoint presentation, I can post in on the website afterwards so everyone can review it later. In fact, any sort of study aid – a handout, photographs, etc – I will be happy to post on the website later, and I’m sure it would be appreciated by the other students.

2) Second of all, please use only images of the gods from ancient art (vase painting, sculpture, gemstones, coins) rather than any modern artwork in your presentations. Professional drawings of ancient art are ok as well.

3) Thirdly, be sure keep a record of your sources so that if we have a question about any fact that you come up with, you can tell us where exactly you got the information from (like a footnote – book title, author, year, page number – but they don’t need to be formatted… just know where you got the information from).

4) I am attaching a link to images below. Perhaps the very best source for images, however, is the: “Lexicon iconographicum mythologiae classicae”. This series has an index that will allow you to find all of the recorded ancient images of a god at once. The series is located in the Art History/Classics library on the 3rd floor of Doe (NX650.M9 L48). You may need to get special permission to use this library, however. If anyone would like to look at these books, please come to my office hour (Friday 1:30-2:30) or call me Friday afternoon (916 595 7232) and I will take you in there. We can do this next Friday as well.

5) Pretty much all the links you could possibly want for images can also be found on Professor Bulloch’s website:

http://www.greekmyth.org/

Be sure to double-check any information you find on the web against our class texts and document your sources.

Good luck and see you Monday!

Cai

*******

PART II: The Second Presentation: Heroes & Heroines [top]

This assignment entails 3 parts:
A. Study Questions
B. Performance/Activity
C. Discussion

For group members and plays, see: 101 and 106

A. Study Questions

All groups are required to prepare study questions for their play which will be posted on the website, DUE THURSDAY THE WEEK before your presentation. (If you are not among those giving a presentation, your study questions will be due the Thursday of the week before your play is due to be read on the syllabus reading list.)

Requirements:
1. all members of the group should contribute study questions (divide responsibilities as you like)
2. questions should include information from the preface, footnotes, and lecture if it has happened
3. questions should include reference PAGE NUMBER/s in the play for answers/issues of each question
4. questions should be thorough, covering the entire play
5. questions should call attention to important characters, places, events, themes, symbolism, plot issues, and turning points
6. you should submit (as a group) no less than 40 questions (for students not in groups doing presentations, submit no less than 20 questions per student) - don't forget page numbers!

Tips:
-use my study questions on the website as a model: http://www.articleserver.info/MYTH28/study.htm#readings
-make the questions as you read the play
-use the questions to call attention to important points for the exam
-also make questions for things you simply have questions about

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B. Performance/Activity

Length: 12-15 minutes
Purpose: To emphasize for your fellow students (in an utterly memorable way) the essence, spirit and key aspects of your play and myth.
Requirement: All members of the group should participate
Format: Choose from among the following or get approval for your own.
-a performance of key or pivotal scenes from the play (with explanatory narration)
-dramatic readings from key scenes of the play (with narration to explain context)
-a puppet show of the play (in synopsis, high-speed, or key scenes w/narration)
-a staged debate about key issues in the play (with or without audience participation)
-a modern day interpretation of the play set in the 21st century (in synopsis or key scenes)
-charades for key scenes of the play with audience participation

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C. Discussion

Have 2-3 questions or issues ready to pose to the class for the discussion following your performance or activity.