Classical Literature

CLASSICAL
LITERATURE
Classical literature and
classic literature are
oftentimes confused
with one another.
However, the two are
actually different from
each other.
For instance,
“classical
literature”
refers to literary
works that were
produced by the
ancient Greeks,
Romans, and
other ancient
civilizations.
Meanwhile, classic
literature are
literary works which
are known by many,
hence gaining an
iconic status. (ex.
The Shining, Harry
Potter series, The
Godfather, etc.)
The purpose of learning Classical
literature
The classical purpose for teaching
literature is the same as the classical
purpose for teaching anything: to
cultivate wisdom and virtue.
Classical literature exposes the

student to models of virtue. It also
places demands on his intellect, thus
developing his intellectual virtues.
.As the intellectual virtues are
developed, the student’s capacity
to know and understand facts,
ideas, relationships, and persons
is nurtured. Furthermore, classical
literature cultivates what James
Taylor and John Senior have called
Poetic Knowledge.
Classical literature also includes
literary works which are
influenced by the ancient Greek
and Roman literature, like the
works produced during the
Renaissance period, and also the
works of William Shakespeare.
Let’s see if you’re familiar with what we are about to
show you. *laughs in Dio*
So, how many did you
get?
Poetic knowledge is the type
of knowledge children gain when
they read, e.g. The Chronicles of
Narnia or fairytales. It is an
intuitive knowledge of the nature
of things, but the reader may not
always–or even often–be directly
aware of what he is learning or
how he is being nourished by it.
Poetic knowledge removes the
reader from the realm of
pragmatism (love of power) and
lifts him to the realm of genuine
ideals (love of virtue). By
presenting models of virtues,
training the intellectual virtues,
and nourishing poetic knowledge,
classical literature cultivates
wisdom and virtue in the student.
DIFFERENT FORMS
OF CLASSICAL
LITERATURE
Classical Greco-Roman
mythology, Greek and Roman
mythology or Greco-Roman
mythology is both the body of and
the study of myths from the ancient
Greeks and Romans as they are used
or transformed by cultural reception.
Along with philosophy and political
thought, mythology represents one of
the major survivals of classical
antiquity throughout later Western
culture.
Poetry
Classical poems typically consist of a
combination of thought and passion.
Emotions are analyzed from an
intellectual standpoint and passion is
balanced out with reasoning and
rationalizations. The result is a
blending of emotions, intellect and
often love. Classical poems frequently
imply colloquial speech because the
text diction may be grandiose.
Plays
Comedy- the first comedies were
mainly satirical and mocked men in
power for their vanity and foolishness.
The first master of comedy was the
playwright Aristophanes. Much later
Menander wrote comedies about
ordinary people and made his plays
more like sit-coms.
Tragedy- deals with the big themes of
love, loss, pride, the abuse of power
and the fraught relationships between
men and gods. Typically the main
protagonist of a tragedy commits some
terrible crime without realizing how
foolish and arrogant he has been. Then,
as he slowly realizes his error, the world
crumbles around him. The three great
playwrights of tragedy were Aeschylus,
Sophocles, and Euripides.
Epic
A lengthy narrative poem
which a time beyond living
memory in which occurred the
extraordinary doings of the
extraordinary men and women
who, in dealings with the gods
or other superhuman forces,
gave shape to the moral
universe for their descendants,
the poet and his audience, to
understand themselves as a
people or nation.
We’re gonna watch an intermission video!
(To prove that classical literature is not b o r i

n g!)
Admittedly, classical literature is
quite hard to understand and can
easily bore the younger generation.
Yet we fail to notice that much of
these classical works contributed to
the modern novels , movies, and
music that we have today.
How to catch your students’ attention
The present students are visual learners and possessing a short attention
span, thus we need to find ways to allure them to study classical literature.
- Find a movie adaptation of the said classical text.
Create an infographic of a story the class is studying.
Option One: You, the teacher, can create infographics in advance to

prepare students. Create them to show the characters, plots, and elements
of the story to give to students instead of notes. In this way, students have
a visual model to reinforce what the class is learning.
Option Two: Give the class an infographic on all of the above elements,

except remove the characters, plots, or elements, having students fill them
in like a note outline as the class studies the story. In this way, students are
piecing together the story as the plot emerges.
Pure fun.
Have you ever studied the Shakespearean insult?
Shakespeare’s characters had more wit than the
modern day ‘Yo Mama’ joke. Make an infographic–
Rated PG please–showcasing some of the more biting
Shakespeare retorts along with a modern-day
equivalent.
Examples of Shakespearean insults that you can modify
Villain, I have done thy mother!
Poisonous bunch-backed toad!
Away, you three-inch fool!
Thou sodden-witted lord! Thou hast no
more brain than I have in mine elbows.
I'll beat thee, but I would infect my hands.
I am sick when I do look on thee
Methink'st thou art a general offence and
every man should beat thee.
VILLAINS!
Villains in Literature.
If you’ve studied a lot of literature and you’re
heading toward the end of the year, why not
have a capstone assignment showing off all
the villains from the major novels you’ve read.
Or, if you’re a glass-half-full person, show the
good guys, too.
Some popular classical writers
Aristophanes- known as the Father of Comedy
Aeschylus- the Father of Tragedy
 Sophocles and Euripides: two of the most iconic
writers of tragedy
• Aesop – a Greek storyteller who uses animals as
characters in his stories. His fables were then
gathered into a compilation titled “Aesop’s
Fables”.
• William Shakespeare- a poet, playwright, and
actor who was known as the greatest writer in the
English language.
Dante Alighieri- one of the greatest writers
and the leading name in the literature of the
Late Middle Ages and of the Renaissance
Period. He is known for writing the long Italian
poem named, “The Divine Comedy”, which
details Dante’s fictional journey to Hell,
Purgatory, and Heaven.
Homer- a blind poet who is believed to have
written Iliad (a history of the Trojan War), and
the Odyssey, which details Odysseus journey
home, despite the wrath of some gods against
him.
Virgil- a Roman poet who composed the
“Aeneid,” which tells the story of a Trojan
prince named Aeneas who after escaping the
destruction of Troy, had escaped with his
remaining family and companions to Italy,
where he became the descendants of the
founders of Rome.

Classical Literature

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Classical Literature

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CLASSICAL

Classical literature exposes the

(To prove that classical literature is not b o r i

- Find a movie adaptation of the said classical text.

Create an infographic of a story the class is studying.

Option One: You, the teacher, can create infographics in advance to

Option Two: Give the class an infographic on all of the above elements,

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