How does Sophocles evoke fear and pity in the reader/audience and what significance does this have?
Sophocles evokes fear and pity through the crowd with his use of syntax and with the readers knowledge. He plays around with this concept of having the reader fully understand and aware of what's going to happen within the story. In our minds the events are to be set up in chronological order, by birth to death. So Sophocles starts out by dropping the reader in the middle of an event, yet later on tells us about the past while other events were occuring. With that he throws event at as in a way that we know what would happen yet the characters doesn't, almost as if the reader wants to do something about it but is helpless. As some readers would say "I want to jump into the book/movie and talk to that character", whether out of anger or other feelings. This thought of unable to do anything makes do nothing more but to read on to see what the conclusion would be, how things turn out. Even though the reader may know, and when they read the truth they still feel as if why does this happen. So this structure of events create this tension that slowly builds up to how the reader slowly goes through these emotion changes.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Oedipus Journal 4
Various images are used throughout the play to portray a message or help create a better understanding of the message. The image that I chose is the image of being blind.
"Blind, lost in the night, endless night blind that nursed you!"(425)
"You with your precious eyes, you're blind to the corruption of your life, to the house you live in, those you live with ..."(469-470)
"Blind who now has eyes, beggar who now is rich, he will grope his way toward a foreign soil, a stick tapping before him step by step."(516)
Sophocles uses the image of being blind to show this seperation between this sence of reality and fantasy world. For example although Oedipus denies the truth that Tiresias had told him about being the murder of his own father, he's living within reality and he excepts it just doesn't wanna believe it. Asthe first quote states, after he realizes the truth he starts feeling as if he's lost in his own word. Another place where blindness is shown, is through Tiresias. Although he's blind which means that he can't see what so ever, yet he claims that he sees all. By that he means the future, the destiney of a person. This idea of blindness help portray the idea that man kind are blinded by their own fantasy world. While what they should be doing is focusing on what is happening to them in reality.
"Blind, lost in the night, endless night blind that nursed you!"(425)
"You with your precious eyes, you're blind to the corruption of your life, to the house you live in, those you live with ..."(469-470)
"Blind who now has eyes, beggar who now is rich, he will grope his way toward a foreign soil, a stick tapping before him step by step."(516)
Sophocles uses the image of being blind to show this seperation between this sence of reality and fantasy world. For example although Oedipus denies the truth that Tiresias had told him about being the murder of his own father, he's living within reality and he excepts it just doesn't wanna believe it. Asthe first quote states, after he realizes the truth he starts feeling as if he's lost in his own word. Another place where blindness is shown, is through Tiresias. Although he's blind which means that he can't see what so ever, yet he claims that he sees all. By that he means the future, the destiney of a person. This idea of blindness help portray the idea that man kind are blinded by their own fantasy world. While what they should be doing is focusing on what is happening to them in reality.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Oedipus Journal 3
Who speaks to which gods and what does the connection suggest?
The citizens of Thebes often talked to Apollo, whom is a god that they focused most about for praying and communicating with. They stated that when they are in danger, they would turn to Apollo because he is nearest and they would pray for him. They think that Apollo is easier to communicate with, all of this suggest that the people of Thebes are in a time of need. Turning to whom ever so to get the quickest help possible.
How does Sophocles use metaphors and symbols? What do characters believe about the gods' role in society?
Sophocles uses metaphors in a way that portrays this image of religious gods coming to protect the citizens of the town and they would always watch over them. The characters believe that the gods are like their fathers, the one who sees all. They but their trust in the gods to protect them and help them in the time of need and that whatever happens the gods had already planned it, their destiney.
The citizens of Thebes often talked to Apollo, whom is a god that they focused most about for praying and communicating with. They stated that when they are in danger, they would turn to Apollo because he is nearest and they would pray for him. They think that Apollo is easier to communicate with, all of this suggest that the people of Thebes are in a time of need. Turning to whom ever so to get the quickest help possible.
How does Sophocles use metaphors and symbols? What do characters believe about the gods' role in society?
Sophocles uses metaphors in a way that portrays this image of religious gods coming to protect the citizens of the town and they would always watch over them. The characters believe that the gods are like their fathers, the one who sees all. They but their trust in the gods to protect them and help them in the time of need and that whatever happens the gods had already planned it, their destiney.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Oedipus Journal 2
Does Oedipus demonstrate the qualities of a proficient or deficient leader?
Oedipus demonstrates a proficient leader, because he shows kindness and care for the Thebes. Trying to demolish this plague that has been put upon the villagers. Hearing about what the oracle had said, Oedipus attempts to solve the mystery of Laius's murder which the oracle had said that that is what cause the plague.
How does your impression of Oedipus change?
He became furious when he asked the Thebes about the Laius's murder. No one responds, and Oedipus furiously curses Laius's murderer and anyone who is protecting him. He then curses himself and his family that if the murderer are to be a person within his family that they shall receive the same consequence and no pity.
How would you describe the personalities of Creon and Teiresias?
Creon seems to be a man where he loves taking the easy path, when needed to report or when he had been assigned somewhat of a difficult task. He lacks effort and will to complete what he was told to do. While Teiresias seems to be a very tempered person, anything can easily set of a spark and cause him to be furious.
Oedipus demonstrates a proficient leader, because he shows kindness and care for the Thebes. Trying to demolish this plague that has been put upon the villagers. Hearing about what the oracle had said, Oedipus attempts to solve the mystery of Laius's murder which the oracle had said that that is what cause the plague.
How does your impression of Oedipus change?
He became furious when he asked the Thebes about the Laius's murder. No one responds, and Oedipus furiously curses Laius's murderer and anyone who is protecting him. He then curses himself and his family that if the murderer are to be a person within his family that they shall receive the same consequence and no pity.
How would you describe the personalities of Creon and Teiresias?
Creon seems to be a man where he loves taking the easy path, when needed to report or when he had been assigned somewhat of a difficult task. He lacks effort and will to complete what he was told to do. While Teiresias seems to be a very tempered person, anything can easily set of a spark and cause him to be furious.
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