Classics-English - Colorado College

Professor CRAMER, Classics;
Adjunct Assistant Professor HUGHES, Comparative Literature/English

This major starts from the observation that English and Classics reinforce each other. Classical genres underlie modern poetry, drama and fiction, and most writers in English, into the 20th-century, have studied classical languages (at least Latin) and literature, so that Classics is an important interpretive context for them. Moreover, English literature responds to Classics in ways that are important for Classics itself. We therefore allow students to complete slightly less work in each department than they would need to graduate with the single major.

Normal requirements are between 10 and 14 units as follows:

• Introduction to literary study and to poetry (2 units): English 250 — Critical Practices (or Comparative Literature 210—Introduction to Literary Theory), and English 221 — Introduction to Poetry
• Senior work (2-3 units): English 480 (Senior Seminar, 1 — 2 units) plus either English 485 (Senior Project) or Classics 431 (Senior Thesis)
• The Classics Department written and oral examination over the department’s reading list
• English courses at the 300 or 400 level covering three of the following five periods:
• Medieval-Renaissance
• Shakespeare
• 1660 — 1830
• 1830 — 1914
• 20th-Century
• English or Classics courses covering the genres of poetry, drama and narrative fiction
• One year’s work beyond the intermediate level in one classical language (normally two 1/2 unit courses at the 300 level in extended format).

Total units required: 10 — 14, assuming that Latin or Greek is begun in college, that the classical reading courses are done in extended format, and that the genres are covered in courses that count also under the period or classical reading requirement. Both departments strongly recommend study of a modern language to a level allowing literary reading.