...Pig-headedness IV. Downfall V. Conclusion Dramatic Research Paper “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles “Oedipus Rex” was a Greek Tragedy written by Sophocles in the fifth century BC. It was the first of a trilogy of plays surrounding the life of Oedipus. Sophocles wrote over 120 plays approximately 100 years before Aristotle even defined a tragedy and the tragic hero. Aristotle’s definition of a tragedy is “… an imitation of an action of high importance, complete and of some amplitude; in language enhanced by distinct and varying beauties; acted not narrated; by means of pity and fear effecting its purgation of these emotions” (Kennedy and Gioa 2010). According to Aristotle there were six elements to a tragedy: the plot, the character, the thought, the spectacle, the diction, and the music. He believed that “[t]he plot, then, is the first principle, and, as it were, the soul of a tragedy; character holds the second place” (Aristotle 1999). The character (tragic hero) being the second most important element of the tragedy, he must be of nobility, he is not infallible and his downfall is due to an error in judgment, and is capable of making his own choices and, most important, accepting the consequences for those choices. “Oedipus Rex” is not only a classic example of Aristotle’s definition of a tragic plot; Oedipus (the protagonist) has all the characteristics of a tragic hero. Oedipus is the son of a king and eventually becomes a King; his character is also that of...
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...Works Cited Page: Sophocles, Dudley Fitts, and Robert Fitzgerald. The Oedipus Cycle. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1958. Print. The Alabama A&M University World Literature Anthology. New York: Pearson, 2009. Scodel, Ruth. "Oedipus the King." An Introduction to Greek Tragedy. New York: Cambridge UP, 2010. Print. What defines an epic hero? There are many things that do, and I’m going to break the Epic Hero Cycle down describing how Job from the bible qualifies as an epic hero in the following passage. I will first list, and describe each step in the Epic Hero Cycle, then give a brief summary of the story, then describe each step of the Epic Hero Cycle using references of Oedipus from the Oedipus the King. The first step of the Epic Hero Cycle is meeting the main character, who usually possesses some type of supernatural power. The character is introduced, sometimes with an introduction. Occasionally there is a brief background on the character. The hero’s family may be introduced. The hero’s life may be good at the time, or it may be going bad. The second step of the Epic Hero Cycle is when the hero is charged with a quest. Usually given by a king or someone in high power, the hero is sent off on a voyage. Sometimes the hero is a figure such as an ultimate warrior, and the king sends him on a voyage since he is the bravest. The third step in the Epic Hero Cycle is when the hero is challenged with...
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...Texts and Ideas: Antiquity and Enlightenment Dr. Jeffrey Rubenstein Paper #1 Outline and Rough draft due in recitation sections on October 2-3 and will be returned Oct 8-10. Final Papers due October 15. No late submissions will be accepted without prior approval. Papers should be emailed to NYU classes AND a hardcopy turned in. Directions: * Select one out of the following three questions. Write an essay of approximately and no more than 1200 –1500 words. (Use the “word count” function in your word processor). * Quoting: you should quote from the text. Make sure that the quotes do not take up too large a part of your paper and only supplement (rather than substitute) your own words. Whenever you quote, you MUST provide a citation in parentheses. Here are some examples: (Symposium, 175E), (Exodus 22:1). Quotes should not stand on their own. They should be attached to some part of a non-quoted sentence (it can be as short as: For example, “……..” or Sophocles states, “…………”). * How to begin your paper: Jump straight to answering the question. Do not summarize the text, but rather write with a reader who is familiar with the text in mind. Also avoid general sayings such as “In human history, women have always been subordinated” or “Leaders tend to be very interesting figures.” One way to start your paper is with a question you will be answering. But don’t use the same wording – try to rephrase it, paraphrase it, or break it up. * Make sure you have a thesis...
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...background should deny a person their own unique way of learning to recover from the suffering of the loss of a loved one. Gilgamesh, Achilles, and Oedipus are all tragic heroes who throughout their stories, show their companions. Throughout the epic poems/play, each person suffers tremendously with the grief of their loved ones. This is extremely important to today’s society and the past that people have empathy and sympathy for others, especially the ones we truly care about. To be a hero, a person must have a heart, if not then they would be considered abnormal or self-centered. A true hero will have these specific characteristics. Gilgamesh’s story is super important and interesting because he relates to society so much by the trauma he has been through. He lost his companion, whom was at first his enemy. Enkidu was a strong man; he was Gilgamesh’s equal. One hero was lost, so the other had to step up to the plate. Like many people, after losing a loved one,...
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...Creon has returned from the Oracle at Delphi. He comes back telling Oedipus that the plague that has come upon Thebes will be lifted once the man that killed the former king is banished. The prophecies of the Oracle are an overwhelming theme of Oedipus Tyrannus. This is the question of fate versus free will. Or in the case of the Greeks, it corresponded to how much the gods may have meddled in their lives. At one point, Oedipus and Jocasta talk about whether prophecies from the Oracle at Delphi should be believed or not. During this conversation, Oedipus tells Jocasta about the prophecy he found out when he was young that he would kill his father and sleep with his own mother. Jocasta tells her of a similar prophecy that Laius was told about their son killing him. What is surprising is that Oedipus and Jocasta do not realize the remarkable coincidence about what they just told one another about those prophecies. Either they realize the possibility or they are blinded by the fact that they don’t believe either of those prophecies will come true. Sophocles could be inserting his own beliefs while writing this play. He could be trying to stress to everyone that the prophecies of the Oracle at Delphi are to be taken seriously. What is somewhat paradoxical in the play is that although it feels like Oedipus and his family had their fates pre-determined by the gods, the choices made by Laius, Jocasta and Oedipus themselves led directly to what happened. Was this all a part of some...
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...lesson is somewhat consoling—the way of the world cannot be bent to match the whims of those in authority—it is also very disturbing. The prospect of free will seems rather remote, and even acts of great valor and bravery seem completely useless. The myths provide an interesting counterpoint to this uselessness, however. In virtually all the stories in which a character does everything in his power to block a negative fate, and yet falls prey to it, we see that his efforts to subvert fate typically provide exactly the circumstances required for the prescribed fate to arise. In other words, the resisting characers themselves provide the path to fate’s fulfillment. A perfect example is the king of Thebes, who has learned that his son, Oedipus, will one day kill him. The king takes steps to ensure Oedipus’s death but ends up ensuring only...
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...THE DRAMATIC IRONY OF SOLOMON’S REQUEST FOR WISDOM INTRODUCTION King Solomon was a scholar and intellectual who knew the importance of discernment and wisdom in governing the people of Israel. He knew that it was important enough to ask God to grant him this wisdom rather than health, wealth or prosperity. The granted wisdom would ultimately lead to his downfall from God’s grace. Solomon, born to David at the height of his reign, never knew simplicity, David had erred once in fidelity, resulting in marriage to Solomon’s mother; Solomon erred many times over by marrying hundreds of pagan wives. Any service Solomon did perform for his people was more self-centered than other-centered. Living a lifestyle so far outside of God’s protective ideals resulted in a growing love for self, rather than for God. Solomon differed greatly from David, even early on, in his seeming lack of the passionate love for God that David possessed. His choices did nothing to kindle a growing love for the God he honored (Foster, 2005, 492). This paper will discuss how Solomon’s request for wisdom is an example of dramatic irony on the part of the Kings historian. This will be accomplished by defining what dramatic irony is and then examining Solomon’s character and the early years of his reign as king of Israel. The wisdom that he requested led to choices that he made in his personal and professional life that ultimately...
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...middle class background -He was trying to live as a scientist. He was angry because science wasn’t respected. -Says science is all facts while religion is something where you can say whatever you want. -He pushes Darwin to publish “On the Origin of Species” (he doesn’t publish it until 20 years later) -He was aggressive and said he would defend Darwin -This all leads to religious doubt Scientists are agnostics – don’t know if there is a God or not. There is no proof and evidence is not available to determine if there is or isn’t a God. German Higher Criticism -A bunch of philosophers of the 1870s basically trying to save the Bible from science fiction -Argue that you have to get rid of the things that are purely supernatural elements to save the Bible -You don’t want to throw out the whole Bible – there’s still a lot of relevant things -Morals, ethics and legal codes are still relevant Social Darwinism -Application of Darwins idea to society -“Survival of the fittest” – competition in natural world Realism (Naturalism) -Realistic art vs idealized art...
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...Dear Senior: In less than a year, you will be preparing for your freshman year of college. By that time, you should be familiar with a wide range of English, American, and Global literatures. The list of masterworks on the back of this sheet offers a guide for what are considered seminal works in the English-language tradition. We will read and discuss several of the texts during next year’s Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition course. (I AM NOT ASKING YOU TO READ THEM ALL – DON’T BE SILLY!) Reading ahead and reading a work twice is always advisable. In any case, a broad background of reading will benefit you on the AP English Literature test, as well as in your college English classes. Summer Reading: Bulfinch, Thomas The Age of Fable: Stories of Gods and Heroes^^ Foster, Thomas C. How to Read Literature Like a Professor* Hamilton, Edith Mythology^^ Shakespeare, William MacBeth Optional: Cotterell, Arthur & Storm, Rachel The Illustrated Encyclopedia of World Mythology# These books should all be available at your local library or bookstore (you may also order online). *If you do not already own a copy of How to Read Literature Like a Professor, you should get a copy. We will be referring to it throughout the year as we dissect and discuss literary works. ^^I have provided .PDF copies of these works through Edmodo. Please do NOT print copies of these works. #This book is a great resource to have for college, particularly if...
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...made his sons judges over Israel… Yet his sons did not follow in his ways… Then all the elders gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him… Appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations” (I Samuel 8.1-5). Israel had been led by an array of figures, starting with the patriarchs, followed by enslavement in Egypt, and then liberation under Moses. The Israelites entered the Promised Land under his successor, Joshua. After that, the first kind of permanent office was that of the judges, but the biggest change came with the establishment of the office of king, which constituted the most powerful form of leadership. It was hereditary, continuous, and it granted the incumbent almost absolute power. Much of the Bible consists of the juxtaposition or intertwining of several versions of the same story. There are, for example, successive stories of creation and an intertwined story of the Garden of Eden. The life of King Saul is an intertwined story, which runs through much of the first book of Samuel (from which I quote in this piece). In one strand, as mentioned, the people demand a king, doing so in defiance of God, who had in effect been their king. God therefore takes the demand as a repudiation of Him leading to the eventually fatal opposition between God and Saul. In the other strand, God himself initiates kingship. While here, too, Saul loses the confidence of God, his fall is not fated. In both strands, Saul eventually fails and loses the support...
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...Creative+Writing, Critical, Deductive, Definition, Descriptive, Description, Dialog, Division, Exploratory, Expository, Informative, Interview, Inquiry, Journalistic, Narration, Observation. Personal Narrative, Place, Profile, Process, Proposal English Literature and Literary Analysis - Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, A & P, Antigone, Apocalypse Now, Araby, The Awakening, Barn Burning, Beowulf, Beloved, Bible, Birthmark, Blade Runner, The Bluest Eye, Candide, Canterbury Tales, Catcher in the Rye, Cathedral, Chrysanthemums, A Clockwork Orange, The Color Purple, Comparing Literary Works, Crime and Punishment, Death of a Salesman, Death in Venice, Desiree's Baby, A Doll's House, Dr. Faustus, Epic of Gilgamesh, Everyday Use, A Farewell to Arms, Frankenstein, The Grapes of Wrath, Great Gatsby, Great Expectations, Glass Menagerie, Gulliver's Travels, The Handmaid's Tale, Heart of Darkness, The Iliad, Invisible Man, Jane Eyre, The Joy Luck Club, The Lottery, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, Metamorphosis, My Antonia, My Papa's Waltz, Neuromancer, The Odyssey, Oedipus Rex, On the Road, Oresteia, Paradise Lost, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Pride and Prejudice, A Raisin in the Sun, A Rose for Emily, The Scarlet Letter, Siddhartha, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Slaughterhouse-Five, Song of Solomon, The...
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...these artifacts in particular in which plays a fundamental role towards the religions of Christianity and Judaism (“Ten Commandments”). Although this artifact pertains to both religions, this essay will focus on Christianity’s interpretation of this sacred artifact due to this being the religion I know best. By analyzing this sacred artifact, the Ten Commandments, one can understand the significant role it plays into the religion of Christianity based on the fascinating history behind the object, how each commandment pertains to one’s life, and if society interprets dishonoring these principles as taboo actions. The Ten Commandments first appeared in the Book of Exodus ("The Ark"). In this section of the Old Testament written in the Holy Bible, Moses progressively received the Ten Commandments from God himself on Mount Sinai for forty days and forty nights (Guenther). God did not appear to Moses as a man, but as a thick thunderstorm using lightning to write these set of biblical principles on two stone tablets (“Ten Commandments”). The creation of this artifact was also accompanied by natural disasters and ear-shattering loud noises (Bennett). This occurred due to God wanting to display an extreme importance on these sacred principles (Bennett). However, as this amazing phenomenon was occurring, there was sinful corruption proceeding below the mountain. The children of Israel had increasingly become impatient and uneasy about Moses not returning for a long duration of time. Due...
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...considered the oldest work of Western literature. Even the Greeks themselves recognized Homer for his influence and did not consider themselves educated unless they had read his works. It’s disputed whether Homer actually is a historic person. Absolutely nothing is known about him or his life and some scholars believe that the Iliad and the Odyssey are the works of multiple authors rather than just one. No matter who wrote them, both the Iliad and the Odyssey have had a huge influence on literature. In fact, even Shakespeare based one of his plays on the Iliad. Sophocles ca. 496 – 406 BC Sophocles was a tragedian who wrote 123 plays during his life. Only seven have survived in entity, but they include classics such as Antigone, Oedipus the King and Electra. He developed theater by adding a third actor, reducing the importance of the chorus, and introducing scenography. Sophocles also abolished the traditional trilogic form of tragedies and made each play complete in itself – this added dramatic value to the plays. Herodotus ca. 484 – 425 BC Herodotus is considered the father of history in Western culture. He approached history as a science by collecting his material systematically and testing its accuracy. Herodotus was also a gifted narrator. The word history itself comes from Herodotus’ book The Histories, which means “inquiries” in Greek. This book is also considered the first work of history in Western literature. Euripides ca. 480 – 406 BC Euripides...
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...From How to Read Literature Like a Professor Thomas C. Foster Notes by Marti Nelson 1. Every Trip is a Quest (except when it’s not): a. A quester b. A place to go c. A stated reason to go there d. Challenges and trials e. The real reason to go—always self-knowledge 2. Nice to Eat With You: Acts of Communion a. Whenever people eat or drink together, it’s communion b. Not usually religious c. An act of sharing and peace d. A failed meal carries negative connotations 3. Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires a. Literal Vampirism: Nasty old man, attractive but evil, violates a young woman, leaves his mark, takes her innocence b. Sexual implications—a trait of 19th century literature to address sex indirectly c. Symbolic Vampirism: selfishness, exploitation, refusal to respect the autonomy of other people, using people to get what we want, placing our desires, particularly ugly ones, above the needs of another. 4. If It’s Square, It’s a Sonnet 5. Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before? a. There is no such thing as a wholly original work of literature—stories grow out of other stories, poems out of other poems. b. There is only one story—of humanity and human nature, endlessly repeated c. “Intertexuality”—recognizing the connections between one story and another deepens our appreciation and experience, brings multiple layers of meaning to the text, which we may not be conscious of. The more consciously...
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...gay or lesbian, has existed throughout history. There have been many different attitudes towards homosexuality including tolerance in some societies, open encouragement in others, but in most societies this behavior has been condemned. While homosexuality has mostly been condemned, this was not always the case. A couple of examples are the ancient Greece and Rome. In Greece is was common for established males to form sexual relationships with adolescent males at about eh age of the adolescents growing their first beard. “Romans described highly feminine gay men who dressed flamboyantly, had showy hair styles and mannerisms, and cruised certain neighborhoods, searching for partners.” (Rathus, Nevid, & Fichner-Rathus, 2011, p. 287) The bible has many verses that explain how God feels not only about sin in general but about homosexuality specifically, Ezekiel 16:49-50 declares the people of Sodom as haughty and detestable which Leviticus 18:20 uses to refer to homosexuality as an “abomination”. Other religions, most Christian and Jewish denominations and Islam, also...
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