Prompt: Stylistic techniques (imagery, figurative language, sensory detail)
There's a plethora of stylistic techniques that Lorca uses throughout Blood Wedding. However, in this journal I will be going over the some of the colors that Lorca uses in his play.
Lorca begins the play with the color yellow. The color yellow is used to describe the Bridegroom's "painted room" in Act I. Lorca associates the Bridegroom with the color yellow throughout Blood Wedding. The color yellow can be concluded as something that symbolizes wealth because gold is tint of yellow. Yellow can also be used to demonstrate class because it is the color of wheat and butter, necessities that demonstrate luxury. *SPOILER ALERT* Yellow also symbolizes the Bridegroom's death because his lips turn yellow when he dies.
Pink is used to describe the Bride and Leonardo. The color pink/red is usually associated with hearts and roses, carrying connotations of a more positive color. The liveliness of the color pink is used to show the passion and vibrant feelings that the two feel for each other. This, however, can also be used to symbolize the blood that the two individuals' relationship eventually bring forth.
As the play progresses, the colors that Lorca uses become darker. The colors also become duller, from yellow through the full spectrum and ultimately back to yellow. It is interesting how one can generally predict the overall feeling and end result of the scene by knowing the color presented in the setting.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Journal Comments
Taylor Farquhar - Oedipus 1
Good journal. When you say third person, do you mean omniscient or limited? You mention that the fact that "not having an audience" intensifies the conflicts between characters. However, doesn't the Chorus act as an outside "audience?" Similarly, wouldn't a first person account of a situation add more intensity than a third person's account, due to the fact that they are in the midst of the whole situation?
Kevin Li - Wild Duck 2
Good creative post Kevin.
I really enjoyed the first couple lines of the poem, where you compared Gregers to negative concepts like dirt, dark clouds and things that clog up one's lungs. I think that idea encompasses how Gina most probably feels by the end of the play; it's the idea that Gregers only brings pain and harms others. I also like how your interpretation of the end result is that of Gina seeking revenge on Gregers, whether it be physically or mentally
Omar Rahal-Arabi - Wild Duck 3
Hahah. I'm confused. So you have Gregers say that he can't tell his dad why he's departing, but earlier in the journal entry he says that he's leaving to tell Hjalmar about his dad's affair. Doesn't that provide a reason for him leaving? It's a good journal post though. It encompasses Gregers' motivation that propels the play onward and even allows your interpretation of Gregers' unwillingness to forgive his dad.
Good journal. When you say third person, do you mean omniscient or limited? You mention that the fact that "not having an audience" intensifies the conflicts between characters. However, doesn't the Chorus act as an outside "audience?" Similarly, wouldn't a first person account of a situation add more intensity than a third person's account, due to the fact that they are in the midst of the whole situation?
Kevin Li - Wild Duck 2
Good creative post Kevin.
I really enjoyed the first couple lines of the poem, where you compared Gregers to negative concepts like dirt, dark clouds and things that clog up one's lungs. I think that idea encompasses how Gina most probably feels by the end of the play; it's the idea that Gregers only brings pain and harms others. I also like how your interpretation of the end result is that of Gina seeking revenge on Gregers, whether it be physically or mentally
Omar Rahal-Arabi - Wild Duck 3
Hahah. I'm confused. So you have Gregers say that he can't tell his dad why he's departing, but earlier in the journal entry he says that he's leaving to tell Hjalmar about his dad's affair. Doesn't that provide a reason for him leaving? It's a good journal post though. It encompasses Gregers' motivation that propels the play onward and even allows your interpretation of Gregers' unwillingness to forgive his dad.
Ibsen - The Wild Duck: Journal #3
Prompt: Readers are attracted to moments of intensity in a writer's work. By what means and with what effect have writers in your study offered heightened emotional moments designed to arrest the reader's attention?
In both the plays Wild Duck and Oedipus, both Ibsen and Sophocles use similar techniques in order to draw the reader's attention during heightened emotional moments. Both authors use repetition of phrases to amplify the characters' feelings of despair. Gina says, "Hedvig! No, no, no!" and "Relling! Relling! Dr. Relling, come up as quick as you can!" to better show Gina's sense of panic and to provide a distinct reaction during this heightened emotional moment. (Ibsen 213-214) This anguish that Gina feels draws the reader's attention by establishing a connection or a sense of similarity with the reader.
Similarly, Sophocles has Oedipus repeat phrases to convey a similar message. Oedipus says "Oh, Ohh / the agony! I am agony / [...] where does all this agony hurl me?" and "No / don't take them away from me, not now! No no no!" as he finds out the truth about his life and as his daughters are taken away from him. Like Gina, Oedipus repeats specific words in order to better show the emotion that Oedipus is feeling. He feels pain and sorrow as he finds out about the truth, and in conjunction with the actor's movements, the dialogue provides a strong sense of emotion. Similarly, when he repeats the word "no," Oedipus shows his vehement desire to keep his children.
Both authors use repetition at least once in their plays to amplify the feeling of a character as they lose a child of theirs. This amplification affects the reader in the sense that they gain an idea of how society would have reacted to a certain situation; this also ties into our current society because people still act the same way if they lose their children.
In both the plays Wild Duck and Oedipus, both Ibsen and Sophocles use similar techniques in order to draw the reader's attention during heightened emotional moments. Both authors use repetition of phrases to amplify the characters' feelings of despair. Gina says, "Hedvig! No, no, no!" and "Relling! Relling! Dr. Relling, come up as quick as you can!" to better show Gina's sense of panic and to provide a distinct reaction during this heightened emotional moment. (Ibsen 213-214) This anguish that Gina feels draws the reader's attention by establishing a connection or a sense of similarity with the reader.
Similarly, Sophocles has Oedipus repeat phrases to convey a similar message. Oedipus says "Oh, Ohh / the agony! I am agony / [...] where does all this agony hurl me?" and "No / don't take them away from me, not now! No no no!" as he finds out the truth about his life and as his daughters are taken away from him. Like Gina, Oedipus repeats specific words in order to better show the emotion that Oedipus is feeling. He feels pain and sorrow as he finds out about the truth, and in conjunction with the actor's movements, the dialogue provides a strong sense of emotion. Similarly, when he repeats the word "no," Oedipus shows his vehement desire to keep his children.
Both authors use repetition at least once in their plays to amplify the feeling of a character as they lose a child of theirs. This amplification affects the reader in the sense that they gain an idea of how society would have reacted to a certain situation; this also ties into our current society because people still act the same way if they lose their children.
Ibsen - The Wild Duck: Journal #2
Prompt: What is a question that underlie at least two of the works that you have read and how have the authors sought to answer those questions?
1) What is the cultural significance of exile/isolation in both Oedipus and Wild Duck?
In the play Oedipus, author Sophocles demonstrates the cultural significance of one's exile through the character of Oedipus, Tiresias and Creon. Throughout Oedipus' journey to find the truth, he threatens to exile both Creon and Tiresias from his city-state because he believes that they are conspiring to remove him from power. This threat of exile and the characters' reactions show how being placed in exile is not only frowned upon in society, but it is also a loss of one's place of power in it. Sophocles further proves this point through the character of Oedipus. He concludes the play with Oedipus wanting to make himself suffer. Oedipus asks Creon to place him in exile because he knows that exile, rather than death, guarantees more prolonged suffering when compared to the quick suffering of death.
However, in the play Wild Duck, Ibsen uses exile and isolation in a way that provides a sense of escape for the character. On page 196, Hjalmar tells Hedvig that he must leave in order to get away from everything. He cannot handle the severity of the situation and Ibsen shows that when individuals run away from their problems, it ends up having negative repercussions. Ibsen also mentions on page 156 that exile/isolation are both "humiliating," showing that Ibsen believes, in the context of the society in Wild Duck, that isolation is a negative concept frowned upon by society.
1) What is the cultural significance of exile/isolation in both Oedipus and Wild Duck?
In the play Oedipus, author Sophocles demonstrates the cultural significance of one's exile through the character of Oedipus, Tiresias and Creon. Throughout Oedipus' journey to find the truth, he threatens to exile both Creon and Tiresias from his city-state because he believes that they are conspiring to remove him from power. This threat of exile and the characters' reactions show how being placed in exile is not only frowned upon in society, but it is also a loss of one's place of power in it. Sophocles further proves this point through the character of Oedipus. He concludes the play with Oedipus wanting to make himself suffer. Oedipus asks Creon to place him in exile because he knows that exile, rather than death, guarantees more prolonged suffering when compared to the quick suffering of death.
However, in the play Wild Duck, Ibsen uses exile and isolation in a way that provides a sense of escape for the character. On page 196, Hjalmar tells Hedvig that he must leave in order to get away from everything. He cannot handle the severity of the situation and Ibsen shows that when individuals run away from their problems, it ends up having negative repercussions. Ibsen also mentions on page 156 that exile/isolation are both "humiliating," showing that Ibsen believes, in the context of the society in Wild Duck, that isolation is a negative concept frowned upon by society.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Ibsen - The Wild Duck: Journal #1
“Although doubt is not a pleasant condition, certainty is an absurd one.” In the light of this statement, explore the impressions of doubt and/or certainty conveyed in at least two works you have studied.
Having an irking feeling of not knowing something is one of the worst feelings someone can have. The feeling of not knowing claws at one's self until they are forced to find the truth in some way. However, is the end goal of answering that doubting feeling always worth it? If one finds something contrary to what they were hoping for, was it worth the journey?
This quote, which essentially speaks about the idea of knowledge, criticizes the idea that the search for truth should not always been one sought after by individuals. The author of the quote seems to believe that the uncertainty one might feel about a subject, and the unpleasant feeling that comes with it, must be bearable in order to prevent further suffering.
This idea can be shown in the play, Oedipus the King, where Oedipus feels doubtful toward his fate and his prophecy. This "[un]pleasant condition" that he experiences throughout the play can be shown through his dialogue with the shepherd, Creon, Tiresias and other characters. The idea that he might have possibly killed his father and had sex with his mother torture his whole self, especially when having dialogue with these individuals. They use logic and the truth once Oedipus gets pushed to the brink of his "sanity." He threatens to exile Creon, expels Tiresias from his home and threatens to torture the shepherd in his journey to end his doubt. In the end, Oedipus finds out for "certain" that the prophecy came true and he suffers eternally for his actions. This proves the statement that "[a]lthough doubt is not a pleasant condition, certainty is an absurd one."
Similarly, in Ibsen: The Wild Duck, the first act alone can be used to prove the statement that "[a]lthough doubt is not a pleasant condition, certainty is an absurd one." For example, Gregers Werle, son of Hakon Werle who is a wealthy merchant and industrialist, begins by experiencing feelings of doubt as he speaks to his long lost friend, Hjalmar Ekdal. As Ekdal speaks to Gregers about his present life, like his occupation and recent marriage, Gregers doubts that Ekdal himself would be able to accomplish everything in such a short amount of time. This unpleasant feeling that he experiences leads him on a journey for the truth. He eventually finds out the "certain" truth, that his father, Hakon Werle, had arranged Ekdal and Gina together as well as finding him his job as a photographer. This "truth" that Gregers finds out about puts him into a rage. This is how Act One ends.
Having an irking feeling of not knowing something is one of the worst feelings someone can have. The feeling of not knowing claws at one's self until they are forced to find the truth in some way. However, is the end goal of answering that doubting feeling always worth it? If one finds something contrary to what they were hoping for, was it worth the journey?
This quote, which essentially speaks about the idea of knowledge, criticizes the idea that the search for truth should not always been one sought after by individuals. The author of the quote seems to believe that the uncertainty one might feel about a subject, and the unpleasant feeling that comes with it, must be bearable in order to prevent further suffering.
This idea can be shown in the play, Oedipus the King, where Oedipus feels doubtful toward his fate and his prophecy. This "[un]pleasant condition" that he experiences throughout the play can be shown through his dialogue with the shepherd, Creon, Tiresias and other characters. The idea that he might have possibly killed his father and had sex with his mother torture his whole self, especially when having dialogue with these individuals. They use logic and the truth once Oedipus gets pushed to the brink of his "sanity." He threatens to exile Creon, expels Tiresias from his home and threatens to torture the shepherd in his journey to end his doubt. In the end, Oedipus finds out for "certain" that the prophecy came true and he suffers eternally for his actions. This proves the statement that "[a]lthough doubt is not a pleasant condition, certainty is an absurd one."
Similarly, in Ibsen: The Wild Duck, the first act alone can be used to prove the statement that "[a]lthough doubt is not a pleasant condition, certainty is an absurd one." For example, Gregers Werle, son of Hakon Werle who is a wealthy merchant and industrialist, begins by experiencing feelings of doubt as he speaks to his long lost friend, Hjalmar Ekdal. As Ekdal speaks to Gregers about his present life, like his occupation and recent marriage, Gregers doubts that Ekdal himself would be able to accomplish everything in such a short amount of time. This unpleasant feeling that he experiences leads him on a journey for the truth. He eventually finds out the "certain" truth, that his father, Hakon Werle, had arranged Ekdal and Gina together as well as finding him his job as a photographer. This "truth" that Gregers finds out about puts him into a rage. This is how Act One ends.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Oedipus the King, Journal #3
Prompt: A poem written by one of the characters, or a found poem on a character or the environment.
FML by Oedipus
Darkness
Is engulfing my life.
My fate, pre-determined,
pre-planned, pre-arranged
by the gods, was inevitable.
This feeling of black in my soul
is everything I deserve.
Unknowingly, unwittingly, I gave in.
Running, running, running,
only to find out that I was running in circles.
Like a bird in a zoo, I believed I could escape.
With such an enormous amount of space, I believed I was gone.
Freedom from fate? More like entering the seventh gate.
Blinded by my arrogance, blinded by my zealousness,
I could not see what was presented before my own eyes.
Like a naive child, I could not put the pieces together in time.
My blindness is my own.
Friends, family, I pushed them away.
Even though I realized today.
King of Corinth, Jocasta, Tiresias and the shepherd,
You were the shining light in my life
Yet I did not embrace you
It let to this
Darkness.
FML by Oedipus
Darkness
Is engulfing my life.
My fate, pre-determined,
pre-planned, pre-arranged
by the gods, was inevitable.
This feeling of black in my soul
is everything I deserve.
Unknowingly, unwittingly, I gave in.
Running, running, running,
only to find out that I was running in circles.
Like a bird in a zoo, I believed I could escape.
With such an enormous amount of space, I believed I was gone.
Freedom from fate? More like entering the seventh gate.
Blinded by my arrogance, blinded by my zealousness,
I could not see what was presented before my own eyes.
Like a naive child, I could not put the pieces together in time.
My blindness is my own.
Friends, family, I pushed them away.
Even though I realized today.
King of Corinth, Jocasta, Tiresias and the shepherd,
You were the shining light in my life
Yet I did not embrace you
It let to this
Darkness.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Oedipus the King: Journal #2
Setting: This includes cultural as well as geographical and historical setting. What effect does the setting have on story, character, theme?
Sophocles, the author of Oedipus the King, set the play in the city-state of Thebes. Thebes is located north of the Cithaeron mountain range, the place where Oedipus was left to die. Sophocles' Oedipus the King took a stance on current Athenian issues. For example, the plague in Thebes was a reference to a recent plague in Athens. The distance between the Thebes and Athens, which was the hometown of many playwrights, was used to downplay the significance of events brought up in the play. However, Thebes' main rival was Athens, which influenced Sophocles' writing of Oedipus the King. According to Wikipedia, (yeah, I know) Thebes had a history of conflict with Athens because they sided with the Persians' Xerxes (yay 300). Greece was embroiled in this war and it definitely affect Sophocles' writing in a manner that made Sophocles portray the people of Thebes in a more negative manner.
The majority of the play takes place inside/near the king's castle in Thebes. This observation carries significance because it provides the notion that it is difficult for the audience to gain perspective into Oedipus' private life. Everything that the reader sees Oedipus doing is said by the chorus or the people of Thebes.
The effect of having only one main type of setting provides the audience no way to sympathize with Oedipus because he is always in the public spotlight; there is never a time where Oedipus is allowed to reflect on his internal emotions. The audience is not allowed to see Oedipus in a place he is more comfortable and more secluded from the people of Thebes. This makes the audience have a more harsh opinion towards Oedipus because of his arrogance and his inability to trust anyone that could be wrong, and because the reader cannot establish a direct, personal connection to him.
Sophocles, the author of Oedipus the King, set the play in the city-state of Thebes. Thebes is located north of the Cithaeron mountain range, the place where Oedipus was left to die. Sophocles' Oedipus the King took a stance on current Athenian issues. For example, the plague in Thebes was a reference to a recent plague in Athens. The distance between the Thebes and Athens, which was the hometown of many playwrights, was used to downplay the significance of events brought up in the play. However, Thebes' main rival was Athens, which influenced Sophocles' writing of Oedipus the King. According to Wikipedia, (yeah, I know) Thebes had a history of conflict with Athens because they sided with the Persians' Xerxes (yay 300). Greece was embroiled in this war and it definitely affect Sophocles' writing in a manner that made Sophocles portray the people of Thebes in a more negative manner.
The majority of the play takes place inside/near the king's castle in Thebes. This observation carries significance because it provides the notion that it is difficult for the audience to gain perspective into Oedipus' private life. Everything that the reader sees Oedipus doing is said by the chorus or the people of Thebes.
The effect of having only one main type of setting provides the audience no way to sympathize with Oedipus because he is always in the public spotlight; there is never a time where Oedipus is allowed to reflect on his internal emotions. The audience is not allowed to see Oedipus in a place he is more comfortable and more secluded from the people of Thebes. This makes the audience have a more harsh opinion towards Oedipus because of his arrogance and his inability to trust anyone that could be wrong, and because the reader cannot establish a direct, personal connection to him.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)