English 105/Drama is designed to be an introductory course in the study of Western (European and American) dramatic literature. Students will read a selection of plays which will provide samples of some of the major styles of drama, ancient Greek through contemporary. An introductory survey course like this cannot (without overburdening the reading requirements) cover all aspects of all styles of drama, but the course aims at introducing students to the development of drama and the vocabulary and other skills needed to discuss drama intelligently. The key objectives are that students will be able to:

	Identify the characteristics of drama that distinguish it from fiction or lyric poetry.
	Articulate the historical development of Western drama.
	Distinguish among the various types of Western drama.
	Use a suitable vocabulary for discussing dramatic texts.
	Discuss issues related to drama in response to assigned theoretical readings.
	Identify dramatic characteristics in selected texts.
	Analyze how selected texts develop themes and ideas.
	Evaluate selected dramatic texts according to criteria appropriate to the texts.