Blood Wedding Journal #1

To what extent have you found it possible, in your consideration of literary works, to separate the individual from his or her public role? In you answer you should refer to any two or three works you have studied.

The authors, Sophocles and Lorca, approached this topic very differently in their respective plays. For Sophocles the public figure was a reflection of the character of a person; for Lorca, the person presented on the outside may only kowtow to cultural customs and family expectations. In Oedipus the King, the play takes place mostly in the public, under the presence of the chorus. Publicly, Oedipus is a saint and a public servant as King. He proclaims that he suffers along with the city as it is plagued by curses from Othello. He is extremely zealous as he attempts to discover the identity if the murderer of the old king Laius. He curses the murderer(s) personally, asking for the destruction of his (their) families. He even asks for personal reprimands if they existed near him. We do not see Oedipus is private very much, but a private scene with Jocasta reveals the extent of his integrity. During this scene he reveals his suspicions that he is Laius’ killer, but he never considers not apply the punishments he laid out to himself. This sense of integrity permeates throughout Oedipus, regardless of the situation.

In Blood Wedding, everything is the opposite in the character of the Bride. Lorca creates two sides of her; one in which she is an obedient girl and another where she gives in to her impulses. Examples of this comes from the testimony of the Father, Bridegroom, and various Neighbors to the Mother of how good the Bride is. Among other things, they claim she makes bread early in the morning and is very quiet. In Act 2, however, we see the rebellious side of her. Cracks begin to appear in her pristine image; she expresses doubts in marriage to the bridegroom. Finally, in the last pages of the Act, she runs away with Leonardo, in an apparently impulsive act. Overall, Lorca creates a character that successfully hides who she really is under the exterior of an obedient girl.

COMMENTS!!!!!!!1!!!!1!

Comments

Enjoyed this post/journal. I can see that TOK has definitely influenced your writing and thinking processes. The second paragraph is some excellent analysis. I may be wrong, but your third paragraph could use some work. Language is off the charts. - Jordan G.

I like how you turned something as simple as repetition of words into something more complicated. I did not previously see the connections between the two plays. Your observations and analysis is very thought provoking. I like how you structured this post, definitely shows the structure of a 5 paragrapher. - Anthony Q.

I really like this post. It really has a voice and definitely contained personal interpretation and inclusion of outside info into analysis. That makes this post great. - Montana A.

Wild Duck Journal 3: Comparison

“Not rounding off, but opening out.” Comment upon the way the writers deal with the ending in relation to the whole. In your answer you should refer to two or three of the works you have studied.

In both Oedipus the King and the Wild Duck, the play ends with tragedy. However, that is the first and last of their similarities. Both authors, Sophocles and Ibsen, use their endings to convey different messages.

In Oedipus the King, the play ends with the fall of the main character Oedipus. The end of the play parallel's Oedipus's fall from grace. Creon takes away Oedipus's daughters which symbolizes the fact that Oedipus has fallen so far from his once mighty position as king to not be able to choose when he can meet his daughters. This event allows the play to come to head as this completes Oedipus's fall. Creon's comments vocalizes Oedipus's transformation:

"Still the king, the master of all things?
No more: here your power ends.
None of your power follows you through life."
-Sophocles 250

In relation to the rest of the play, the last scene is part of a linear descent that fate assigns to Oedipus. It is interesting to note however, that the tragic events that happen to Oedipus are beyond his control. Juxtaposed against this storyline is Oedipus's personality. Even as he his at his lowest point, he begs for his daughters to be taken care of and for his exile. This displays the importance of honor for Oedipus; he abides by the curses that he announced to Thebes. The end of Oedipus the King plays a dual role. The first is to show the inevitability of fate, but also to display the ability of man to face the "black sea of terror" with honor (1528).

The end of the Wild Duck finds Hedvig, Hjalmar's daughter, dead by her own hand. In the final pages is a dialogue between Gregers, the meddling idealist, and Rellings, Gregers' foil and cynic. Here Ibsen places two conflicting ideas on the inherent goodness of human nature. Although Ibsen is sympathetic to the optimistic ideals of Gregers, Ibsen ultimately sides with Rellings' belief that humans are inherently flawed. This conversation between Gregers and Rellings ultimately serves as an analysis of Gregers' motivations for his actions and the examination of the nature of man through the character of Hjalmar. Ibsen uses Gregers' idealistic interpretation of the tragedy of Hedvig and the reconciliation of Hjalmar and Gina to point out the existence of nobility in humans. However, he immediately contradicts himself with Rellings' claim that "[i]n less than a year little Hedvig will be nothing more to him that a pretty theme for recitations" (216). Rellings' belief that the glory in Hjalmar is a temporary state displays Ibsen's cynicism in man. At the end of the conversation Gregers appears to concede, hinting that Ibsen's belief aligns with Rellings more than him. However, the play ends without the knowledge of the eventual outcome of Hjalmar, casting doubt on Ibsen's cynicism.

Wild Duck Journal 2: Comparison

A dramatist often creates a gap between what the audience knows and what the characters know. With reference to at least two plays, discuss how and to what effect dramatists have used this technique.

In Oedipus, Sophocles makes use of the gap between the characters' knowledge and the audience for dramatic and thematic effects. Sophocles uses the Ancient Greek audiences' knowledge of the myth of Oedipus to create the effect of a slow motion train wreck as Oedipus gets closer and closer to discovering his true identity. Most of the audience would have know the general premise of the myth of Oedipus, but Sophocles plays with the canon of the myth and works the play up to a climax that the reader/audience can feel, despite knowing the end of the story. More importantly, Oedipus's ignorance allows Sophocles explore the way men react to fate and other themes. In Oedipus's case, he carries himself in a dignified manner to the events fate has brought to him, which he is powerless to change. This speaks to the particular temperament of man to face fate in a honorable manner.

On the other hand, in Ibsen's Blood Wedding, the audience's lack of insight into the characters' thoughts creates ambiguity around the characters and their motivations. For instance, the mystery of the fall of Lieutenant Edkal begins the story. Although it is hinted that both Edkal and the old Mr. Werle share the blame, we never find out the facts behind the whole indecent that ruined both the lives of Edkal and his son. It seems as though this mystery was created to create a setting and act as a hook to draw the audience in. However, the play never reveals what actually happened. Another mystery for the audience is Hjalmar's "invention" that we never see or here about. It seems that in the beginning of the book the "invention" is the only thing keeping Hjalmar optimistic about life. However, the audience never actually sees the invention. Later in the book, it is implied that it was Dr. Rellings' invention to keep Hjalmar sane. By shrouding this "invention" in mystery, I believe that Ibsen creates a symbol for the audience to project their hopes onto, creating a deeper and more personal connection to the play.

Wild Duck Journal 1: Comparison

“What is drama but life with the dull bits cut out?” To what extent do you find this statement applicable in at least two plays you have studied?

Our brain is amazing thing. It is the most complicated thing in the known universe; more complicated than quantum mechanics, supercomputers, and teenage lives. It is extremely efficient and surprising at times. One of its areas of expertise is that of memory. Although our senses gives our brain an enormous amount of information, the brain is smart enough to discard the unimportant parts, remembering only the notable events of the day.

Plays do this as well. In order to keep the audience entertained, playwrights usually only write scenes that are entertaining in some way. When they use ordinary events, they add something into them to give them literary or artistic significance. To an extent, both the plays Oedipus the King and Wild Duck conform to this notion.

In Oedipus, most of the play's focus is on the drama of the curse that Apollo lays on the cities. The play is definitely lacking in the areas of ordinary life, instead, focusing on a gripping drama. The beginning of the play starts with dramatic procession of priests that claim that "Thebes is dying. Alight on the fresh crops / and the rich pastures, cattle sicken and die, / and the women die in labor, children stillborn." This certainly not dull in any sense of the word. The rest of the story concerns with an investigation of divine and huge consequences for Oedipus and the city of Thebes.

Even the in the very first scene of the Wild Duck, Ibsen weaves dramatic elements into his play. The scene begins with a dinner party, but is twisted almost immediately with an ancient mystery and several conflicts. This ordinary event, a dinner party, is intertwined with elements from a soap opera. First, the audience sees the mystery of the family of Edkal and the disgrace of Lieutenant Edkal. This adds intrigue and mystery into the play. We also see the conflict that arises out of this mystery between Edkal and his son. Later, the animosity between Gregers and Werle is show through a back room argument.

Oedipus Journal #3: Diary

Diary entries from any of the characters
Oedipus


Dear Diary,

Thebes is in ruins. Plagues sicken our population, Babies are stillborn, mothers die in childbirth, and we receive news of new horrors that wreak havoc on our city of seven gates. I am racked with guilt that I cannot do anything about this. Only the gods can. Why Apollo must you lay these curses on our city? Have we offended you in some way? Does our youth disregard the wisdom of your words? Are our temples not majestic enough? Have we neglected in some ancient rite, lost in the sands of time?

I have received news today from the Oracle at Delphi that our curses stem from an unpunished murder. The former Thebian king, Laius, was murdered on the highway by some brigands. Oh the hate that I am filled with for those rabble rousers! Those dishonorable men have brought untold sadness to my people, oh how I hate them so. I do not yet know the identity of these criminals, but I shall find out! They deserve no mercy. May their houses be cursed! Apollo, let curses inhabit the houses of their families! Let them see no mercy, no happiness, no hope.

I wonder how these wicked men live with themselves. Disgusting filth. If I were them, I would blind myself with my own hands! These men must inhabit the lowest part of society, learning hardness from their hard lives. They must have no sense of duty, and laugh at the idea of serving their city. I hope they are no citizen of Thebes. If they are I would be ashamed of myself. If they are known to me, I shall be double shamed.

No time to write anymore, I must continue my quest. I must find these criminals. I have called upon the lone survivor of Laius’s doomed entourage. He is a shepherd now. I believe he holds the key to this whole affair. We will soon find out whole has caused all these problems to glorious Thebes.

Oedipus Journal #2: Setting

Setting:

This includes cultural as well as geographical and historical setting. What effect does the setting have on story, character, theme?

Oedipus the King is set in ancient Greece, in the city state Thebes. Most of Sophocles' Oedipus trilogy takes place, or involves Thebes in some way. Thebes is located north of the Cithaeron mountain range; which is where young Oedipus was left to die. The city is located on the Boeotian plains which is separated by the mountains from the Attica, where Athens was located. For most of its existence, Thebes was a major city state of Greece. Its main rival was Athens, which probably influenced Sophocles' writing of Oedipus. Thebes also has a history of conflict with Athens, first by siding with Persians, and later in the Greek civil war, allied with Sparta. During the latter part of Sophocles life, Greece was embroiled in this war and it definitely affect his writing. Up until Alexander the Great's conquest of Greece, Thebes was one of the most powerful city on the Balkan Peninsula.

The city of Thebes and its conflict with Athens heavily inspired the plot, characters, and themes of the Oedipus trilogy. Sophocles portrays Thebes in a negative manner, and praises Athens. Oedipus's body is phrophised to bring fortune and a military victory to the city where he is buried. The character of Theseus (in Oedipus at Colonus) is a romanticized character that displays the characteristics of Athenians.

Traditional Greek, or perhaps Homeric, values heavily inspired the trilogy. Oedipus, despite his struggles, maintains a sense of duty to his family and city. He is especially zealous to help his city in the beginning of Oedipus the King. As mentioned above, Theseus also contain these values of honor and pride that most Greeks valued.

During the time of Sophocles, Athens, due to its sea and commercial dominance, attracted talented people from all over Greece, and developing its culture in the process. The fine arts were sponsored by the government of Athens with its profits acquired from sea trade and the Delian League. Without these factors, the wealth of Hellenistic literary art wouldn't have existed.

Discussion Questions:

1. Does Sophocles believe in free will? Since everything prophetised happens, but also Oedipus blinds himself, which he said was of his own hand.

2. Why is there the reoccurring motif of Thebes and its seven great gates? Is seven significant, and/or the gates?