pg. 24
"Such ties swear me to his side as if he were my father. I shall not rest until I've tracked the hand that slew the son of Labdacus"
I caught this specific line quite amusing due to the amount of irony that it had. Throughout this whole page, Oedipus speaks of how he will courageously bring down the killer of Laius. He shows just how determined he is to find the murderer saying " such ties swear me to his side as if he were my father". To pretend to have that kind of strong relationship, shows how serious he really is in finding the murderer. Though what makes this whole speech of his so off is that he is the one who killed Laius. So him expressing how infuriated he is and what he's going to do when he finds this killer can't be taken seriously. what makes this even worse is that this statement "as if he were my father" adds more irony. That actually was his father. Oedipus soon finds out that the killer is himself on page 21 from Tiresias, but highly doubts him. Oedipus shouldn't have done that.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
AP English Literature at MHSIS 2010-2011: Blog HW #1: Oedipus
"Such ties swear me to his side as if he were my father." p. 15
In this quote, Oedipus is speaking to the chorus about why he is taking such as crime like the murder of the previous king so seriously. As the new king, he feels obligated to finding out the truth. He is committed to doing so mainly because of his pride, which we can predict will be his downfall in the story. This statement however, is very ironic because those familiar with the Oedipus myth know that he is the true person responsible for committing the crime. "As if he were my father" is what makes the quote so significant because other relatives rather than a father could have been used to represent closeness, for example, a brother. Sophocles' diction makes the audience want to see how Oedipus finds out the truth even more since he is saying such things that will come back to haunt him.
Blog HW #1: Oedipus Response
" But not for you, you purblind man: in ears and mind and vision" (pg 22)
To me, this just screams irony. It's ironic for Oedipus to refer to Tiresias as a "purblind" man, in ears, mind, and vision, when in fact, he is also blind in all of these aspects. He is stubborn and refuses to listen to Tiresias claims. He gets angry and annoyed whenever Tiresias calls him out and label him as the killer. Also, he is so determine to find Laius murderer, that he doesn't think things through properly. His decisions are rash, and he doesn't think before he talk. Finally, he claims that he "lives in the light" and he doesn't. He is so blinded by his pride and eagerness that he doesn't know when to quit, and as a result of that, he eventually finds out that he is the one who murdered Laius, who is his father in actuality. He addresses and teases Tiesias for his blindness, when, that is one of his biggest flaw as well.
To me, this just screams irony. It's ironic for Oedipus to refer to Tiresias as a "purblind" man, in ears, mind, and vision, when in fact, he is also blind in all of these aspects. He is stubborn and refuses to listen to Tiresias claims. He gets angry and annoyed whenever Tiresias calls him out and label him as the killer. Also, he is so determine to find Laius murderer, that he doesn't think things through properly. His decisions are rash, and he doesn't think before he talk. Finally, he claims that he "lives in the light" and he doesn't. He is so blinded by his pride and eagerness that he doesn't know when to quit, and as a result of that, he eventually finds out that he is the one who murdered Laius, who is his father in actuality. He addresses and teases Tiesias for his blindness, when, that is one of his biggest flaw as well.
Blog HW #1: Oedipus
"And those who disobey, I'll ask the gods to curse, with fields that never sprout and wombs that never flower..." -p.16
In this quote Oedipus is speaking to his people, asking the murderer of King Laius to come forth. When no one responds to his nice punishment of only banishment and not physical punishment he gets angry and wishes bad upon the king's murderer. It is ironic because he is wishing things such as the things that plague his kingdom. He wishes bad harvest and fertility to the king's murderer(s). The Greek audience familiar with the myth would know that this is ironic because it is what Oedipus's punishment is for killing the King. The Oracle said that the plague would continue until the blood of Laius's murderer(s) was spilt. So now Oedipus is determined to find the murderer in order to save his kingdom and be seen as a great king. But little does he know that he is searching for himself.
Irony in Oedipus
Blog Hwk #1: Oedipus
"I speak of course as a stranger to the story
and stranger to the crime..." (14)
This whole page is full of Irony. This is when he is talking to the people (I think at the alter of Zeus) and he wants someone to confess to the crime and come forward. No one moves and he continues talking about how they shouldn't fear punishment besides being banned or that it's because they're covering for the guilty one - the Irony is that the one talking is the guilty one, and he doesn't even know it! I think Sophocles chose the diction he did because the double use of stranger has a meaning and an implication both which are different but go hand in hand. He says he is a stranger to the story, he doesn't know what's causing the plague, and stranger to the crime but as I read it, it seemed to me, he was implying that the action of murdering is a strange one for someone like him. I think if you read it in that sense, it emphasizes the Irony because he did kill the man. Obviosly, if you're a stranger to the story you're a stranger to what took place in it (the murder). Or so he thinks. Little does he know.
Blog Hwk #1: Oedipus
Find a quote (no more than 3 sentences) from Oedipus the King that would be viewed ironically by a Greek audience familiar with the Oedipus myth. Why is the quote ironic? Why might Sophocles have made those particular word choices (diction)?
For example:
For example:
"This quest that throngs you here, poor needy children, is no new quest to me. I know too well, you all are sick, yet sick, not one so sick as I" (7).
Oedipus is telling the people of Thebes that no one is as "sick" over the plague in their city as he is. He means that he is deeply disturbed and worried about his people. Of course, the word "sick" also has other meanings, such as psychologically and/or physically ill. Oedipus is also "sick" in this sense of the word. He has committed murder and incest; acts that most cultures would consider quite disturbed and "sick."
Dystopias for Teens: My Thoughts
This article had many interesting points and ideas but I chose to elaborate on this excerpt:
"Dystopian fiction may be the only genre written for children that’s routinely less didactic than its adult counterpart. It’s not about persuading the reader to stop something terrible from happening—it’s about what’s happening, right this minute, in the stormy psyche of the adolescent reader."
I think all teenagers should read dystopias especially after reading Brave New World and The Handmaids Tale. These two dystopias don't seem entirely too didactic to me and do evoke a "stormy" psyche in the reader - in The Handmaid's Tale, feeling for Offred as she explains in elaborate and wrenching metaphors about her emotional wants and losses stemming from her family, and in Brave New World - Our shifted sympathies from Bernard, The Black Sheep, to John, the black cat among sheep, and how we come to realize the World State is just a fancy lie hidden by illusions.
"Dystopian fiction may be the only genre written for children that’s routinely less didactic than its adult counterpart. It’s not about persuading the reader to stop something terrible from happening—it’s about what’s happening, right this minute, in the stormy psyche of the adolescent reader."
I think all teenagers should read dystopias especially after reading Brave New World and The Handmaids Tale. These two dystopias don't seem entirely too didactic to me and do evoke a "stormy" psyche in the reader - in The Handmaid's Tale, feeling for Offred as she explains in elaborate and wrenching metaphors about her emotional wants and losses stemming from her family, and in Brave New World - Our shifted sympathies from Bernard, The Black Sheep, to John, the black cat among sheep, and how we come to realize the World State is just a fancy lie hidden by illusions.
I think the Teen Dystopias is a genre specifically it's own because not many teenagers, unless it's for an AP English class, will pick up The Handmaids Tale because the question comes up how can I relate to a married woman who lost her husband and child? Or Brave New World and how they implement stability, identity, and community to their world? The only stability I seek is stability of my math grades at school. Despite this, I found myself deeply engrossed in these Dystopia's because at first even though I couldn't really relate to them, as I read them and analyzed them, realized that I could relate in some shape or form and I appreciated the intellectual gain I obtained from them. These novels show what direction society can take if certain situations keep going they way they are. However, they may seem a bit exaggerated in their likelihood however it doesn't bring down the overall enjoyment of reading the books.
Classic Dystopia's like the Handmaids Tale and Brave New World should be introduced first because of the bare and stripped nature of the books. That's what we need to be reading nowadays. Dystopoian Fiction like the Hunger Game is clouded by the glam and glitz of a free wardrobe and scrumtious food to the kids playing the violent games. In a review of The Hunger Games, the article states,
"As a tool of practical propaganda, the games don’t make much sense. They lack that essential quality of the totalitarian spectacle: ideological coherence. You don’t demoralize and dehumanize a subject people by turning them into celebrities and coaching them on how to craft an appealing persona for a mass audience."
I haven't read the book but I would think that If I can't get a deeper, muilti-layered lesson or message out of it, then it is not a Dystopia I would want to read my first time around. I'm not saying all Dystopia Fiction is like that (let's hope not) but I rather stick to the originals being introudced first instead of telling your English class to get a copy of The Hunger Games and analyze it as a Dystopia.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Guidelines for Posting to this Blog
1) All postings should be written carefully and professionally. No "LOL" or "u" instead of "you." This is a blog, but it is also an AP Literature class and preparation for posting like this you might be asked to do in college. Spell words correctly (this site has Spell Check) and use correct grammar, punctuation, etc.
2) All postings must relate to our class. Please do not post links to funny youtube videos, your facebook page, etc.
3) When responding to what other students write, be respectful and constructive. Do not write: "What Sarah wrote was stupid." Instead, "I disagree with Sarah's idea that _____ because ________."
4) When responding to what other students write, it is fine to say "I agree with Mark." However, this needs to be followed with an explanation AND the presentation of A NEW IDEA.
5) Cite when you quote from a text. If it is clear what text you are citing from, the page # is sufficient. Otherwise, author and page #.
6) Posts that count for homework credit must be a minimum of 100 words.
7) Your name on this site should be your real first and last name.
8) Be thoughtful, daring and creative!
2) All postings must relate to our class. Please do not post links to funny youtube videos, your facebook page, etc.
3) When responding to what other students write, be respectful and constructive. Do not write: "What Sarah wrote was stupid." Instead, "I disagree with Sarah's idea that _____ because ________."
4) When responding to what other students write, it is fine to say "I agree with Mark." However, this needs to be followed with an explanation AND the presentation of A NEW IDEA.
5) Cite when you quote from a text. If it is clear what text you are citing from, the page # is sufficient. Otherwise, author and page #.
6) Posts that count for homework credit must be a minimum of 100 words.
7) Your name on this site should be your real first and last name.
8) Be thoughtful, daring and creative!
New Yorker article on dystopias for teens
Interesting article that mentions Brave New World and focuses specifically on dystopias written recently for teen readers. Thoughts?
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2010/06/14/100614crat_atlarge_miller
Margaret Atwood on goodreads.com
Margaret Atwood (author of The Handmaid’s Tale) will be on Goodreads answering questions about her past books and new novel, The Year of the Flood, on her Goodreads Author discussion group, Q&A with Margaret Atwood. She will be available from September 20 - 24, 2010. Check it out!
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/37292.Q_A_with_Margaret_Atwood
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/37292.Q_A_with_Margaret_Atwood
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