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.
Showing posts with label Oedipus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oedipus. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
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.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Oedipus the King: Journal #1
Point of View
Oedipus the King, also known as Oedipus Rex, is not told from any character's perspective; it was written to be performed as a play so the only type of narration is that of dialogue. The reader only gains the perspective of what each character says, therefore attaining knowledge from all different angles of the book. The reader understands what other characters in the book might not. As a result, it can be concluded that Sophocles wrote Oedipus the King with a third person omniscient point of view. The narrative voice is reliable because the audience already knows how the story will play out; this opens the door for dramatic irony. From what we have read in the book, Sophocles only provides basic background information for each character. Oedipus is a very well-respected and powerful man. He is revered highly as a king among the general populace because he successfully solved the riddle of the Sphinx. Creon, Oedipus's uncle, is more logical and thought oriented than Oedipus. His logic makes his dialogue credible. Tiresias, a blind prophet, is portrayed as being a very wise old man, his blindness is ironic in that he is the most knowledgeable of all the characters, yet he is unable to see. Tiresias is probably the most credible of the characters due to the fact that the audience is familiar with his blessing and his curses. Sophocles persuades the reader into liking Oedipus through Oedipus's aggressive actions. His extreme determination of being good leader regardless of the possible sacrifices he might have to make allow the reader to gain a sense of trust toward Oedipus.
Oedipus the King, also known as Oedipus Rex, is not told from any character's perspective; it was written to be performed as a play so the only type of narration is that of dialogue. The reader only gains the perspective of what each character says, therefore attaining knowledge from all different angles of the book. The reader understands what other characters in the book might not. As a result, it can be concluded that Sophocles wrote Oedipus the King with a third person omniscient point of view. The narrative voice is reliable because the audience already knows how the story will play out; this opens the door for dramatic irony. From what we have read in the book, Sophocles only provides basic background information for each character. Oedipus is a very well-respected and powerful man. He is revered highly as a king among the general populace because he successfully solved the riddle of the Sphinx. Creon, Oedipus's uncle, is more logical and thought oriented than Oedipus. His logic makes his dialogue credible. Tiresias, a blind prophet, is portrayed as being a very wise old man, his blindness is ironic in that he is the most knowledgeable of all the characters, yet he is unable to see. Tiresias is probably the most credible of the characters due to the fact that the audience is familiar with his blessing and his curses. Sophocles persuades the reader into liking Oedipus through Oedipus's aggressive actions. His extreme determination of being good leader regardless of the possible sacrifices he might have to make allow the reader to gain a sense of trust toward Oedipus.
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