SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF LITERARY STUDIES
1ST YEAR 2ND SEMESTER 2025
MAIN CAMPUS
COURSE: ALI 110:CLASSICAL THEORIES OF
LITERATURE
COURSE LECTURER: B OTIENO-OMWALO
CONTACT: 0733563812
0713711110
E-MAIL:
[email protected]----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GROUP TASKS
1. ‘Plato raises fundamental issues on the nature and function of Literature that
are still relevant to modern studies of Literature.” Write an essay in support
of this statement drawing on Plato’s The Republic.Illustrate your work with
relevant examples from the works you have read.
GROUP 1-Week 4
GROUP 2-Week 4
GROUP 3-Week 4
GROUP 4-Week 4
GROUP 5-Week 5
2. “Aristotle responds to Plato’s views on the nature and function of literature
and raises more fundamental issues on the nature and function of literature.”
Under the following headings discuss the issues Aristotle raises in his book
The Poetics and show theier relevance to the study of literature today.
GROUP 5-On classification of literature-Week 5
GROUP 6-On Tragedy-Week 5
GROUP 7-On Plot-Week 5
GROUP 8-On Character-Week 5
GROUP 9-On Diction and style-Week 6
GROUP 10-On Emotions and imitation-Week 6
3. “Longinus raises fundamental issues on the nature and function of Literature
in his treatise titled On the Sublime that are relevant to the study of
Literature in modern times.”Write an essay titled Sources of the Sublime and
highlight the relevance of the issues Longinus raises in this document to the
study of Literature in the 21st Century.
GROUP 11-Week 6
GROUP 12-Week 7
GROUP 13-Week 7
GROUP 14-Week 7
4. “Horace’s theoretical formulations in Ars poetica are practical pieces of
edvice to writers that address a wide range of issues on the nature and
function of literature.” With this statement in mind,and with ample
illustrations from the works you have read,write an essay to demonstate the
validity of this statement.
GROUP 15-week 8
GROUP 16-week 8
GROUP 17-week 8
5. “Undertake a reading of Sophocles’ play King Oedipus basing on any of the
principles raised by the following:
GROUP 18-Plato in The Republic-Week 9
GROUP 19-Aristotle in The Poetics-Week 9
GROUP 20-Horace in Ars Poetica-Week 9
GROUP 21- Longinus in On The Sublime.-Week 10
6. “The Course Classical Theories of Literature lays a solid foundation for the
scholarly engagement with Literature.” In support of this statement, write an
essay titled:Classical theories of Literature:An Overview
GROUP 22.-Week 10
GROUP 23.-Week 10
GROUP 24.-Week 10
GROUP 25.-Week 10
NB.
1.Group presentations shall take averagely 10 minutes per group and all members
of the group must participate in the group discussions and presentation in class.The
group leader must ensure compliance and will submit group discussion attendance
record to the course lecturer.
2.Each group is assigned a particular task BUT all members of the class are
expected to be familiar with issues raised across the entire course.
