Units 3 & 4

AOS 1 – Individual Study
AOS 1 incorporates close analysis of a text (1 in Unit 3 and 1 in Unit 4) with the purpose of promoting the interpretation of classical texts as a means by which we can better understand the past and the present. You will analyse the ideas presented by classical writers and/or artists and the techniques which they use to express them. You will also draw on the socio-historic contexts of both the period in which the text was created, and the period which it depicts, to propose why the writer/artist had such ideas and why they used those particular techniques.
For example, in studying the play Trojan Women (Euripides), you will discover the traditional characteristics and techniques used in Greek tragedies and how these portray the themes of war, women, and suffering.
Similarly, in studying Annals (Tacitus), you would draw on your knowledge of the Domitiaric Tyranny to suggest why the author chose to present the themes of the abuse of power, hypocrisy, and corruption.

AOS 2 – Comparative Study
This area of study enables students to explore ways in which the same concept is presented by different works (2 works are studied in Unit 3 and 2 in Unit 4).
Not only will you be comparing the themes, but also the techniques used by the writers or artists. Then you will draw on the socio-historic contexts of the works to justify the similarities and differences between them.