Classics 24, Section 3
Helens (1 unit, P/NP)
Professor Leslie Kurke
Wednesday 3:00-4:00, 262 Dwinelle Hall, CCN: 14733

This course will focus on the figure of Helen in classical Greek texts. Helen is a strange figure in Greek mythology—the only daughter born to Zeus and a mortal woman, a being of uncanny and terrible beauty, and a universal object of desire. I am particularly interested in exploring how Helen is associated with mimesis, and how persistently she destabilizes the narratives in which she appears. In narrative terms, she is a locus of ambiguity; in anthropological terms, she is a sign exchanged between men—but a sign that has become wayward and uncontrollable. I wish to consider the intersection of these social and narrative problematics. We will trace her portrayal through excerpts of Homer, Greek lyric, tragedy, and rhetorical texts. This course does not require any previous knowledge of ancient Greek literature, but ideally seeks students who are interested in the complexities of literary texts, the workings of narrative, signification, and gender.

Leslie Kurke is Professor of Classics and Comparative Literature, specializing in ancient Greek literature and culture.