Comparing Themes (Journal 16)

Theme 1: There is a theme of family through out most of these plays. They all support a strong unity among family members and all plays show how if a family is tightly knit they can over come most problems. In both Antigone's there is a sense of family loyalty. Antigone wants to bury Polynices even though he was not the best family member. In the same play Ismene wants to help Antigone later on in the book because she is afraid of being alone when Antigone dies. In Oedipus the whole play revolves around his family life and how it has affected him negatively. In Medea, Medea is angry with Jason because of his lack of compassion towards her; this leads to Medea killing her two sons. All these plays exhibit a large role of characters who are closely related together.

Theme 2: Gender roles were seen through out most of these plays. They were very different because of the conflicts presented and who they involved. In Oedipus, Jocasta was the only female who played a some-what major role in the story. She was there to aid Oedipus and she seemed to have a lot of power at her hands. In Medea the gender roles switch a little bit. Since she is the person most people hate women are looked down upon. Jason tells Medea how he dislikes women and how they are no good besides giving birth to children. In both Antigone's the gender roles are a mix between Oedipus and Medea almost. Antigone and Ismene commanded some power but they were still expected to do very little in the story because they are women, it is a surprise to Creon how Antigone acted because he never expected it from a women.

Antigone Word Choice (Journal 15)

In the first argument between Creon and Antigone there are sharp contrasting viewpoints between the two characters. Antigone devoted to helping her brother believes it the right thing to do. Creon on the other hand believes that it is illegal and Antigone should be put to death for it. This conflict brings about a yes/no argument. The two characters are so different Anouilh chooses to have them say they exact opposite thing, yes and no. This also brings about the idea of Creon becoming the king, he talked about how it was hard to decide yes or no on taking up the role of the leader; this can apply itself to Antigone's situation on whether she should have buried her brother or not.

This book was originally written in French and then translated into English; The fact that it is translated means that the authors voice was lost somewhere between the two versions, no matter how minuscule the change is it will still make a difference. In the English version of Anouilh's Antigone there are a lot of vague terms; this could leave the book up for interpretation to the reader/audience. One vague term mentioned was the idea of happiness. Creon and Antigone argue over what it actually means to them. They both come to their own conclusion about the idea and it is very different. This demonstrates how the characters view the situation they are in and also gives us some insight on how that person is. Antigone seems more like a person who does not care about the rules and does what she thinks is right. Creon on the other hand is the king so he has to take a lot of responsibility and cannot please everyone because there are certain things he must do as a king.

Character Traits (Journal 14)

In the play, Oedipus the King, I will be playing the part of the messenger. The messenger does not come from Thebes so he is not familiar with most of the things there except he knows that Oedipus is the king of the city. The messenger is most likely a humble person since he is speaking to royalty. He still brings bad news to Oedipus though so he messenger might have a worried tone.

"Strangers, please, I wonder if you could lead us to the palace of the king... I think it's Oedipus. Better, the man himself-you know where he is?" (211) This sentence shows that he is not from this area so he will be new to the whole experience and he will not know what has been going on.

"Polybus was nothing to you, that's why, not in blood" (218). The messenger might have a concerned tone since he knows more about Oedipus's past than most people.

Antigone 4 Literary Techniques (Journal 13)

Repetition: "He will do what he has to do, and we will do what we have to do" (11). The repetition of the word "do" shows how Antigone and Creon have different view points on the subject at hand. They will act on their own thoughts and this foreshadows future events.

Metaphor: "Wasn't I a miserable little beast when we were small?" (10). Antigone used to think of herself as a little beast when she was small. This gives us some background information on her past and shows how she thinks about her self.

Simile: "[...] clawing away like a hyena [...]" (25). Antigone is again described as an animal. She is also being related to a hyena, a wild dog that is very aggressive. This simile gives us insight on how Antigone might behave if she does not get her way.

Hyperbole: "A thousand arms will seize our arms. A thousand breaths will breathe into our faces" (12). Ismene tells Antigone how she feels about the situation and how Creon might react if they disobey his law. This hyperbole shows how fearful Ismene is of Creon, this also shows a difference in the characters of Ismene and Antigone because they might react differently to this law.

1940s Antigone (Journal 12)

The biggest thing going on in Europe during this time period was probably WWII. Jean Anouilh was also from France so he will have been affected by this war. This event will probably play a major role in the story itself. He will probably be more sympathetic towards Antigone and probably be more stern on Creon since he ruled like a dictator in the first version we read. The future outcome of Thebes might be an important topic in this book as well since France was devastated by the war.

Roles of the Characters in Antigone (Journal 11)

Antigone / Mother Teresa

"Never share my dying, don't lay claim to what you never touched. My death will be enough" (87).

"Decide. Will you share the labor, share the work?" (61)

I chose Mother Teresa to represent Antigone because they seem very devoted to their creed. They both made a lot of big sacrafices, and helped people that could not help themselves. Physically they do not share much in common though, besides the fact that they are both female.

Creon / Christian Bale

"Why, you degenerate - bandying accustaions, threatening me with justice, your own father!" (98)

"What? The city is the king's- that's the law!" (97)

Christian Bale plays Creon because they both seem to use negative words when in an arguement. They also seem to shout out a lot in angry outbursts. Physically again they are both male and hold more power than the average citizen.

Ismene / Oprah

"What? You'd bury him- when a law forbids the city?" (61)

"What's the matter? Trouble, clearly... you sound so dark, so grim" (60).

Oprah and Ismene are both females. They both seem to be law abiding citizens who follow the government or person in charge. They also both care for people, they both make a lot of sacrafices for someone.

Sentry / Newman from Sienfeld

"She's the one, she did it single-handed- we caught her burying the body. Where's Creon?" (78)

"She's the one. With my own eyes I saw her bury the body, just what you've forbidden. There. Is that plain and clear?" (79)

Newman and the Sentry both seem to care only about themselves. They will inflate a story so that they get an edge over whatever they are doing. They are again both men.

Haemon / Ice T (from Law and Order)

"What threat? Combating your empty, mindless judgments with a sword?" (99)

"You really expect to fling abuse at me and not receive the same?" (99)

They both seem very protective over people. They both make comments that could anger someone easily. They are both men, and they say negative things to people in a higher position than themselves.

Two Questions for the Tragedy (Journal 10)

Knowledge Level

1. Who was supposed to marry Antigone?
2. Who does Creon's son side with at the end of the reading?

Comprehension Level

1. Why does Antigone want to bury her brother?
2. Why does Creon become angry at Haemon?

Application Level

1. Is there a situation when the public outcry was silenced by a dictator?
2. Are there any present day countries that oppress people because of their sex?

Analysis

1. Has the power of the throne gone to Creon's head?
2. What does the Sentry symbolize in the story?

Synthesis

1. How do the actions of Ismene and Antigone contrast and compare? How does it reveal the ideals of each character?
2. The story is revealed in a way to show pity and sorrow for Antigone or for Creon?

Evaluation

1. Does Antigone pity or celebrate the fact that she will die alone without her sister (Ismene)?
2. Does Creon attack Antigone's crime because of her sex or because it was a law?

Literary Devices in Antigone (Journal 9)

Setting: "Fighting on opposite sides, the sons of Oedipus, Eteocles and Polynices, have killed each other in combat" (59). Right from the start of the play we see a negative setting set. Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus, the man destined to live a cursed life, along with that her two brothers have just died fighting each other in a war in Thebes. This setting will probably add to the tragic elements in the story later on.

Symbol: "Great eye of the golden day [...]" (65) The eye is used as a symbol for the sun. Along with that there are some other positive words surrounding it such as "great" and "golden". This holds a positive connotation to the sun. The sun could possibly be a symbol of hope and change for the story.

Repetition: "Seven captains marshaled at seven gates seven against their equals, gave their brazen trophies up to Zeus [...]" (66) In Thebes there is a legend about seven warriors so the repetition of the word seven may also be an allusion to them. This creates a violent mood as the Chorus who said this line usually foreshadows future events.

Foreshadowing: "You're wrong from the start, you're off on a hopeless quest" (64). Ismene tells Antigone about her actions and how they will not be fruitful. This line could possibly foreshadow certain events in Antigone's life, most likely a negative event.

Conflict: "[...] I swear to Zeus as I still believe in Zeus, if you don't find the man who buried that corpse, the very man, and produce him before my eyes, simple death won't be enough for you [...] (74) Creon threatens to kill the sentry if the person who buried Oedipus's son's body is not found. This shows how there is a conflict already with Creon and Antigone (the protagonist in the story and the person who buried the body).

Comparing Medea and Oedipus (Journal 8)

Even though Medea and Oedipus are both tragic stories they differ in many different ways. The use of catharsis still remains through out both of the plays and more noticeably at the end of the plays. Showing that tragic situations can occur in many different places.

Oedipus

In Oedipus we see him as the savior of Thebes and that he can solve the case of the murdered king (Laius). Later in the book we find out that he has been destined to a cursed life. We notice foreshadowing done by Tiresias and the Chorus to show how Oedipus avoided this fate of his but it was still fulfilled by the very actions he took. It is tragic how we see a person of such prestige and knowledge, who saved the city of Thebes before transformed into a blind beggar exiled from the city he once ruled. As stated in the thesis statement this feeling of pity and sorrow is evoked near the end of the story. This is when we learn about Oedipus and his actions and how they tie into the prophecy. We pity his children, his dead wife and mother, and the tragic fate of his own life.

Medea

Medea has many differences with Oedipus; we tend to take pity more on Oedipus than on Medea because we see Oedipus as a person locked in by destiny. We consider Medea a person of free-will. Never the less Medea's story is still tragic. She once was a princess related to the God of the sun (Helios). In the beginning she betrays her native land by killing her brother. As we move on in the story we feel pity for Medea because of her husband's actions. Even though this may seem tragic we still see Medea in a negative light because of all of her scheming thoughts against her sons. Near the end of the story we feel pity and sorrow for Medea, she kills her own two sons and then leaves the land. Medea's inability to care for her sons show how treacherous of a women she is. The audience frowns upon her actions and looks on her negatively.

In both tragedies we notice the catharsis element in the end of the story; showing that the audience must first be able to relate to the tragic hero before they can feel sympathetic and sorry for them.

The Gods role in Medea and Jason (Journal 7)

Both Jason and Medea reference and talk to the gods. Medea who is the granddaughter of Helios seems to talk to the gods on a less formal platform compared to Jason. Medea addresses them for help and guidance through her difficult times; she even asks them for some sort of intervention by them. Jason on the other hand talks to the gods more formally but less often. He seems more distant to the gods compared to Medea but still believes they play a role in his life.

Medea talks to the gods on a more personal level, revealing her desperation over the current state of her life to show how tragic her situation is, Jason on the other hand uses the gods against Medea to try and distance himself from her; this sharp contrast in view points creates a conflict between Medea and Jason.

Medea

"Your father was a king: his father, Helios the Sun..." (46) Medea is directly related to the Gods unlike Jason. Medea uses this to her advantage by calling on the Gods for assistance much more than Jason.

"O mighty Themis, and Artemis, Queen [...]" (38) Medea pleads with the Gods and tells them how she was betrayed by a loved one.

"O Zeus, remember the author of this crime" (43). Medea directly talks to Zeus and asks him to avenge her.

"I shall not shrink from such a step, by Hectate [...] (45) Medea plots to kill her husband and his new wife, she seems hesitant at first but then references a God to give her strength to do this unwholesome deed.

Jason

"Well, as far as I am concerned, it was Aphrodite and no one else in heaven or earth who saved me on my voyage" (50). Jason tries to distance himself from Medea by telling her the Gods saved him and not her. He seems to believe the Gods play a very important role in his life and that they should.

Medea and the Chorus (Journal 6)

In Oedipus the chorus seems detached from the story. They relate ideas to the Gods and the audience rather than to the characters in the book. In Oedipus they also foreshadow many events that will happen. The chorus in Oedipus is also comprised of citizens from Thebes; a leader is also present in the chorus to interact with the characters. Overall the chorus summarizes what happens in the story. In Medea the chorus is very different. They talk directly to the characters present in the book and seem to talk about present happenings rather than the future. The chorus in Medea also seems more attached to her than in Oedipus. "Oh, my poor Medea-" (44). The fact that they are all women can also be used as a symbol to represent feminism since the main character in the story so far is Medea.