English Journal - Greek Play Unit
For this unit we studied Oedipus the King. Here is my journal entries, again, feedback is GREATLY appreciated.Journal 25
Assgined: Write an analysis of the character of Oedipus
Oedipus is a man of swift action and great insight. At the opening of Oedipus the King, we see said qualities, which make him an excellent ruler who anticipates his subjects' needs. When the citizens of Thebes beg him to do something about the plague, for example, Oedipus is one step ahead of them he has already sent Creon to the oracle at Delphi for advice. But later, we see that Oedipus's habit of acting swiftly has a dangerous side. When he tells the story of killing the band of travelers who attempted to shove him off the three-way crossroads, Oedipus shows that he has the capacity to behave rashly. At the beginning of Oedipus the King, Oedipus is hugely confident, and with good reason, he has saved Thebes from the curse of the Sphinx and became a king virtually overnight. He proclaims his name proudly as though it were itself a healing charm: Oedipus's confidence continue to the very end of Oedipus the King. We see him interrogate Creon, call for Tiresias, threaten to banish Tiresias and Creon, call for the servant who escaped the attack on Laius, call for the shepherd who brought him to Corinth, rush into the palace to stab out his own eyes, and then demand to be exiled. He is constantly in motion, seemingly trying to keep a faster pace than his fate, even as it eventually out runs him.
Journal 26
Assigned: Identify a theme of the play, and give 3 examples to show how the theme is illustrated.
The theme of fate is alive before the play even begins. Jocasta and Laius discover that their son will be the killer of his own father and will then marry his mother. Attempting to alter the fate of the family, they try to kill their son. He does not die though; a shepherd finds the boy and gives him to a messenger. The baby is then given to a couple in Corinth. They name the baby Oedipus, meaning “swollen feet.”
Many years later, Oedipus is told that he will kill his father and marry his mother. Upon hearing this, he flees from Corinth. In his travels he gets into a fight with a stranger and kills the man. Resuming his journey he arrives at a city called Thebes. Oedipus saves the city from a sphinx and marries the queen. The play starts here in Thebes with Oedipus as the king and the city his plagued once again.
Oedipus is awaiting the return of Creon who was sent to the Delphic Oracle to find out how to stop this epidemic. When he returns, he tells Oedipus that the killer of the previous king of Thebes must be found. King Oedipus seeks help from Tiresias who then tells him that he, Oedipus, is the killer. Oedipus is outraged and begins to point fingers at Creon and Tiresias for plotting against him. He believes that Creon wants to be King, but Creon explains to Oedipus that he has all the same privileges without any of the headaches, so he has no desire to be king. Oedipus’ hubris is causing him to deny his own fate, and it is also shielding him from the truth.
Further into the play, a messenger comes to Oedipus and tells him that his father dead, and the people of Corinth would like Oedipus to be their king. He also reveals to Oedipus that Polybus and Merope are not his real parents. The messenger received the baby from a shepherd, and he then gave the baby to the king and queen of Corinth. This baby was, of course, Oedipus. As the messenger mentions this shepherd, Oedipus sends for him; he wants to know who his real parents are. The shepherd unhappily informs him that the baby he gave to the messenger was Laius and Jocasta’s son. By moving away from Corinth, Oedipus thought he was safe, but “fate” is indeed unavoidable.
The same basic prophecy of Oedipus is proven in many characters. No matter how many times a specific character tries to deter fate and purge the situation at hand, the character constantly fails. Tiresias, the oracle, knows the end of all fate. He knows that fate controls every minute of an individual’s life. Sophocles probably had a strong belief in pre-destination because this is a perfect demonstration of the inescapable from birth. This story is one that is held together by the belief that fate is more determined than anyone’s free will. Everything that happens is somehow meant to be and nobody can modify the eventual outcome.
Journal 27
Assigned: Explain the purpose of the chorus, and explore your own reaction to a chorus passage.
The chorus both leads audiences to ponder issues that might arise from the information given; as well as simplifying the situation so that we are more able to understand the plot. The role of the chorus is very different from being a hindrance to our understanding of the play, rather they actually help in that they guide in our analysis on the actions of the characters. This in turn offers us a more intimate relationship with the characters.
I personally enjoyed the chorus, for me it was a new approach to theatre/literature and appreciated the dynamic they introduced.
Journal 28
Assigned: Find an example of dramatic irony; did you recognise it at the time, or did you have to finish reading the play and think back to understand it?
In Oedipus the King, dramatic irony is often present in Oedipus’ long speeches. Oedipus constantly sees things incorrectly, and is in denial that he has, in fact, killed his father and married his mother. This is first apparent when he demands the death of the man who killed Laius. Oedipus calls the man who did this an evil murder. Oedipus assumes that, as he became a citizen of Thebes after the murder, though he did kill someone, he cannot be a suspect in Laius’ death. In another speech, Oedipus accuses Creon of setting him up in order to get the throne, by framing him as the murderer. At this point, Oedipus is in denial that he is guilty, even though all of the evidence points to him. In reality, Creon does not want to be king at all; he enjoys his current position of wealth and power without any real responsibility. A third occasion of irony in the speeches is Oedipus’s firm belief that the people who raised him were his biological parents. Oedipus refuses to believe that Jocasta is his mother, and that by escaping to Thebes, he did not escape the fate foretold of at Delphi. It was intriguing to read this story because of the irony. The prophecies did a lot of foreshadowing, which was easy to pick up on, so I knew what was going on, but still wanted to see how it unfolded.
Journal 29
Assigned: Develop 2 essay questions that you think might be on the final exam.
Essay Question 1 – Was Oedipus a victim of hubris or a victim of the gods?
Essay Question 2 – How is denial a theme of Oedipus the King or how is it not?
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