Man's Quest For Immortality Presentation

IMMORTALITY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfTqXL0d9Ls

5 Steps to prolonging life, leading to immortality
1) Eat a healthy diet.
2) Be active everyday.
3) Take supplements such as vitamins or iron supplements, anything to keep your body's needs in check and balanced
4) Take good care of your body's parts that could be susceptible to early deterioration and your entire body in general. Don't over exert yourself very often, don't get too lazy though. Keep that healthy balance between the two.
5) Cyronics: This is the use of technology to either live longer, forever, or even bring back the dead. Freezing yourself is thought to be a possible way to be able to do these things. (freezing is done by injecting a solution into your system that will preserve your insides; a little like formaldehyde)

I've discovered that some people believe immortality to really happen someday, maybe even within the next 10,000 years, due to advanced technology and newly found knowledge. However, there are some who think that immortality will never be obtainable to any of us. The people who strive for this goal may have a fear of death or maybe they are just driven to do something that has, for years, been considered impossible.

Presentation

"Mad, perhaps insane, he tried to bring Enkidu back to life to end his bitterness, his fear of death. His life became a quest to find the secret of eternal life which he might carry back to give his friend" (Mason, pg. 55).
The quote above describes Gilgamesh's objective or reason for desiring immortality. Today people desire immortality for almost the same reasons as Gilgamesh does. There are three main reasons why people seek immortality: a fear of death, time, and to do what has always been said to be impossible. The biggest common element is fear of death, which ties right into Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is afraid of dying and being forgotten. The same goes for people today. The fear is caused by the thought that one day you will simply stop breathing, you will no longer exist, at least not in life. Although we don't know when we will die, we plan on having a long time before we die. This still isn't reassuring, though, because people know that time will run out eventually. People want to have endless time; time to waste, time to do countless things they've always wanted to do. With a time limit on our life span, we begin to feel rushed, pressured to do the things we want before our time runs out. Another reason people want immortality is because it is said to be impossible. To achieve what is thought to be impossible would be a great accomplishment, a tremendous achievement for people. People desire this success.

1) fear of death
2) running out of time
3) attain the impossible

Themes in the Theban Plays

Proper burial of the dead: Antigone goes against the law to “properly bury” her brother because she feels she has the right to bury a loved one. He didn’t die doing a necessarily “honorable” thing, (attacking Thebes to gain control of it) but he is family and he cannot be replaced because his parents are dead. This is why she wants to give him a proper burial.
“It was by this service to your dear body, Polynices, I earned the punishment which now I suffer, though all good people know it was for your honour. O but I would not have done the forbidden thing for any husband or for any son. For why? I could have had another husband and by him other sons, if one were lost; But, father and mother lost, where would I get another brother?” –Antigone (pg. 150)
Individual vs. State: Antigone against the law; all of Antigone is a good example of this. Antigone defies the law to give her brother, Polynices a proper burial.
“Gods of our fathers, my city, my home, rulers of Thebes! Time stays no longer. Last daughter of your royal house go I, his prisoner, because I honoured those things to which honour truly belongs.” –Antigone (pg. 151)
“You cannot mean…to bury him? Against the order?” –Ismene (pg. 127)
Hubris: Creon rules Thebes with a great amount of pride. He seems to think that the state is a “one man state” in which only his rulings matter.
“The people of Thebes! Since when do I take my orders from the people of Thebes!” –Creon (pg. 146)
“Why, doesn’t every state belong to its ruler?” –Creon (pg. 146)
Purpose of Prophecy: The purpose of prophecy in the Theban plays is that it tells people of their fates. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus hears from a prophet that his fate is to kill his father and marry his mother. However, he could not keep his prophecy from coming true. His fate was pre-determined and his actions through the story only ensured his fate rather than change the course of it.
Theban Legend “…for Apollo’s oracle had nothing but ill to foretell of him: he was destined one day to kill his father, and to become his own mother’s husband. Could any mortal device be proof against the god’s prediction? Could any mortal be so presumptuous as to try to thwart it it?” Theban Legend (pg. 23)
The Blind See: The only one who seems to ever really know what’s going on is the one who cannot see. The prophet, Tiresias, sees things more clearly than everyone in the plays without the use of his eyes.
“You are pleased to mock my blindness. Have you eyes, and do not see your own damnation? Eyes, and cannot see what company you keep? Whose son are you? I tell you, you have sinned-and do not know it-against your own on earth and in the grave. A swift and two-edged sword, your mother’s and your father’s curse, shall sweep you out of this land. Those now clear-seeing eyes shall then be darkened….” –Terisias (pg. 37)
Loyalty: Antigone is loyal to her brother, Polynices when she goes against the law to bury him honorably.
“Is he not my brother, and yours, whether you like it or not? I shall never desert him, never.” –Antigone (pg. 128)
Free will versus Fate: Oedipus believes that he can change the course of his prophecy and he believes that all the actions he makes will bring him to whatever fate he so chooses. He does not believe that the gods choose fates or that fate is a pre-determined thing for people.
“Cithaeron! Foster-mother! Did you shelter me for this? Could you not let me die that instant, instead of saving me to tell the world how I was got? Corinth, and Polybus, My seeming home and parent, did you think what foul corruption festered under the bloom of your adopted son’s young loveliness?-Now found all evil and of evil born.” –Oedipus (pg. 64)
Ritual: It is a ritual to bury the dead. Antigone performs a burial ritual to honor her brother.
“Go your own way; I will bury my brother; And if I die for it, what happiness! Convicted of reverence- I shall be content to lie beside a brother whom I love. We have only a little time to please the living, but all eternity to love the dead. There I shall lie forever. Live, if you will; live and defy the holiest laws of heaven.” –Antigone (pg. 128)
Integrity: Antigone is a person of integrity. This is because she stands by her morals. She is a girl of morals when she is willing to die for what she believes to be right. This is the opposite of her sister, Ismene. Ismene didn’t want to partake in burying Polynices, but still wanted the credit for it later on and wanted to die honorably with Antigone. But Antigone wouldn’t stand for it.
“Whose was the deed, Death and the dead are witness. I love no friend whose love is only words.” – Antigone (pg. 141)

Oedipus as the Tragic Man

1) A Belief in His Own Freedom- Oedipus believes that he is solely responsible for himself. He makes his own choices and accepts any outcomes of those choices. He doesn’t believe that he has a pre-determined fate by the gods, rather, that the choices he makes will eventually lead him to his fate by his own hand and none other than himself decides this. The biggest example of this is when he hears his prophecy that he is to murder his father and marry his mother. Oedipus doesn’t know that his supposed parents are adopted parents. So, in believing them to be his real parents and upon hearing his prophecy, Oedipus runs away to avoid this from happening when really his running away is what led him to destruction and proved the prophecy true. He did not succeed in changed the course of his “pre-determined” fate, rather he ensured it. However, Oedipus, upon learning of his big sin, accepts the outcome of the whole mess and does not try to deny anything.
2) Supreme Pride/Hubris- Oedipus demonstrates a supreme pride in the respect that he feels as though he is above everyone. He (thinks that) he escaped/avoided his prophecy. He solved the riddle of the Sphinx and saved Thebes. His life has been fairly happy and successful up to this point, and that’s one of the main reasons he doesn’t consider Thebes’ recession to be anywhere near his fault. He’s too “high and mighty” in his mind (although he doesn’t display this obnoxiously) to think he could possibly be the one responsible for Thebes’ bad fortunes.
“There was a riddle too deep for common wits; A seer should have answered it; but answer came there none from you; bird-lore and god-craft all were silent. Until I came-I, ignorant Oedipus, came-and stopped the riddler’s mouth, guessing the truth by mother-wit, not bird-lore.” –Oedipus (pg. 37)
3) Capacity for Suffering- Oedipus suffers most upon learning that his prophecy came true after all. He is then living with the knowledge that he killed his own father, married his mother, and they had children together. He is also having to endure the fact that he is the “sinful” or the one responsible for his town and people’s suffering. Oedipus justifies that his actions were all done through his ignorance, but he feels that he deserves severe punishment for those actions nonetheless. Oedipus endures the heavy burden that is placed on him and is strong enough to live with it.
4) A Sense of Commitment- First, Oedipus is committed to avoiding his prophecy, so he runs away from home and later ends up in Thebes. However, the choices he makes from the moment he leaves home up to the time Thebes begins to suffer all move him towards his fate or his “resolution.” So, really, his commitment to escape from his prophecy only ends up making the prophecy come true in the end. Secondly, Oedipus tells the citizens of Thebes that whoever killed King Laius will be banished from Thebes, nothing more, and that would be the “punishment” for the crime. Oedipus commits to this same punishment when the criminal who murdered Laius turns out to be none other than himself. He stands by what he told the people of Thebes the punishment would be and doesn’t try to change it or dismiss it merely because he is king and in charge. He banishes himself and gouges out his eyeballs in his despair which is like an added punishment that he administers to himself.
5) Vigorous Protest- Oedipus speaks with the prophet Tiresias who tells him (after a lot of pestering and egging on by Oedipus) that he, Oedipus is the one who is responsible for the suffering in Thebes. Oedipus is outraged at this and objects, thinking that there is no possible way that he, king of Thebes, is the cause for these hard times. Even upon his first learning that his prophecy came true, Oedipus objects and tries to justify his objection with the fact that he ran away from his parents long ago and hasn’t seen them since.
6) Transfiguration- When Oedipus learns the truth about his real parents and that he actually did kill his father and marry his mother, he suffers greatly from this knowledge. It is through this suffering that Oedipus’ character is transformed. He learns that in trying to avoid his prophecy, he only made it come true and that he couldn’t have possibly avoided it unless he had known who his real parents were, and they hadn’t even know he was alive anyway. With his painful knowledge, he goes from being a man who thought himself on a higher level than others to a man who has lived and who has suffered just as others do. He also sees though that although he could not/did not keep his prophecy from coming true, he still did good things, and he didn’t have to have the same power as the gods to do any of what he did.
7) Impact- The impact on the other characters in the book and what I got out of Oedipus’ story was this: Oedipus is only human. He's just a man. He unknowingly made mistakes in his life and upon recognizing his mistakes, he learns from them just as any person should do. We learn that in trying to be perfect or “god-like” we obtain nothing because we have nothing to learn from. If Oedipus had done everything correctly in his life and not made any major mistakes, what then, would be the point of the story? His actions through the book and at the end also affect his offspring, who are now "damned" without even having done anything merely because they came to be through sin.We learn from our experiences, good and bad, and try to accept when we do things wrong, accept the consequences and move on with our lives and try to do things better or differently the next time. We only have so much time to live before time runs out.

Despair

Question:

What is the meaning of "Despair" and how does this theme manifest itself in both plays?

Answer:

The literal meaning of despair is to lose hope, to be without hope. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus despairs because he finds out that he is the sole cause of his land’s suffering/recession. He also despairs because he learns that he has committed an enormous sin. He learns that he killed his real father and married his own mother for which the gods punish him by spoiling his lands and making the people of Thebes, including Oedipus, suffer. Now he understands that he has been the sole cause for all the suffering, and he has this burden to carry on his shoulders until he dies. He is to be banished from Thebes, which was his own original punishment before he found out the true villain was none other than himself. Oedipus has lost any hope he ever had that he had changed his pre-determined fate. He despairs because he has failed in trying to avoid his prophecy even though he tried very hard to change the course of it. After Jocasta hears of this, she despairs and kills herself. Oedipus then despairs because his wife/mother has killed herself and he gauges his eyes out with golden brooches from her dress. It is his despair that leads him to do this. Oedipus must leave Thebes, his own punishment, and Creon lets him say goodbye to his children/siblings. He despairs because he must leave his family, his home. By the end of Oedipus the King, Oedipus is a perfect example of a hopeless, deeply burdened man who can hardly bear being alive. In Antigone, despair plays a large role in Antigone’s life. She defies the law and buries her brother, Polynices. She despairs because she believes Polynices deserves an honorable burial; he is family, he is irreplaceable to Antigone. Antigone is also in despair about Creon. Creon rules Thebes as a “one man state” otherwise known as the king is always right merely because he is king. Antigone is really upset about this because she did what she believed to be an honorable and respectful thing by burying her brother. Creon views her actions as being unlawful, and that is it. He doesn’t really consider the reasons why she disobeyed the law, and he doesn’t consider the “laws of heaven.” He just thinks that she should be punished because she knowingly broke the law and Antigone is in despair over this. Haemon and Antigone are betrothed, and after Haemon finds out that Antigone will be killed for her “crime,” he gets mad at Creon. (his father) He says if she is to die, then so shall he. Antigone actually hangs herself in her tomb, and at the sight of this, Haemon kills himself. Creon witnesses this and is in much despair over having sentenced Antigone to her death and Haemon by association. Now his son is dead. When Creon’s wife finds out, she too, goes into the palace and kills herself. By this point, Creon is in so much pain and despair that he cries out for the gods to kill him, he prays to be killed, because he cannot bear the pain he feels inside. However, Creon lives and is merely lead away from his dead wife. There is a lot of despair there at the end of Antigone what with everyone killing themselves on account of Creon. It is all very tragic and dramatic, which is what makes the story even more interesting.
So despair really plays a huge part in both Oedipus the King and Antigone.
“I am nothing. I have no life. Lead me away…That have killed unwittingly my son, my wife. I know not where I should turn, where look for help. My hands have done amiss, my head is bowed with fate too heavy for me.” –Creon (pg. 161-162, Antigone)
“O dark intolerable inescapable night that has no day! Cloud that no air can take away! O and again that piercing pain, torture in the flesh and in the soul’s dark memory.” –Oedipus (pg.62, Oedipus the King)

Antigone - Conscientious Objection

Question:

What is "conscientious objection"?In what ways does Antigone demonstrate conscientious objection?In your opinion, did she do the right thing? Explain your view in terms of how 21st Century citizens might view her actions.

Answer:

Conscientious objection is going against the established law to better suit your personal beliefs/morals. Antigone defies the law by burying Polynices whom she believes deserves an honorable and proper burial. I think she did do the right thing in terms of her time period and in terms of today's society. She says that because her and her brother's parents are dead, her brother is someone she can never replace as you could a husband or wife. She uses this to justify her actions, that although her brother may not have been performing honorable acts (going against his brother Eteocles, fighting for Thebes/against Thebes) he was still family and still deserved to be buried properly/justly. The same goes for today's society. Even if one of my family members was considered not honorable or good, they are still family, and if they died, they would not be left unburied and forgotten. They would still receive some kind of burial or funeral, properly.

"It was by this service to your dear body, Polynices, I earned the punishment which now I suffer, though all good people know it was for your honour. O but I would not have done the forbidden thing for any husband or for any son. For why? I could have had another huband and by him other sons, if one were lost; But, father and moster lost, where would I get another brother?...." -Antigone (pg. 150, Antigone)

"What law of heaven have I transgressed? What god can save me now? What help or hope have I, in whom devotion is deemed sacrilege?" -Antigone (pg. 150, Antigone)

Ignorance vs. Guilt- GRADE THIS ONE.

Question: If a person does not know, is that person still guilty of grievous crime?

Consider the plight of Oedipus and a modern day example.What would you do if you were on the jury at the Oedipus trial? What would you do if you were on the jury in a modern day trial?What would cause you to vote one way or another? Values? Beliefs? Evidence? Society Norms? Other information?

Answer:

I don't think a person can truly be guilty of a crime if they are not aware that their actions are unlawful. How are you to avoid doing what's wrong if you are uninformed of its severity? However, if you are able to be knowledgeable and aware of the law and choose not to be, that's a completely different thing.
If I were on jury at Oedipus’ trial, I would first consider the fact that Oedipus was not ignorant of the law, but ignorant of his actions pertaining to the law. So, he knew the law existed, but did not know that he broke the law because he thought he had successfully avoided that route when he first ran away from “home.” Then I would wonder if there was any kind of way he could have known that his actions were unlawful. His real parents thought he was dead, therefore would never even think to expect his return. His adopted parents did not tell him they were not his real parents. So, really, if he had known that he was adopted, he most likely could have avoided his prophecy and avoided law breaking. However, since he was never informed of this, (which was not his fault) he ran away right after hearing his prophecy to avoid breaking the law. But through his ignorance of his true origin, he only ends up making the prophecy come true. I don’t think that he is truly a guilty man, because it was he who was not informed about his being adopted. How then, was he supposed to know that what he was doing was exactly what he shouldn’t be doing?
Regarding modern day situations, I would probably go through the same thought process as with Oedipus. I would rule that a person who could know the law, but chose not to and committed a crime would still be guilty. They were ignorant about the law, but there wasn’t anything keeping them from knowing it. So that would be the person’s own fault, and ignorance would not be an excuse in that case. However, just like in Oedipus’ case, if a person knows the law, but doesn’t know his actions are wrong due to some miscommunication or missing information, (like with Oedipus not knowing he was adopted) then I would say that person is not guilty.
So, basically, if a person knowingly commits a crime, they are guilty. If a person chooses to not know the law, although they easily could, and commits a crime, they are still guilty because they made the choice to not know the law. Ignorance would not be a valid excuse in this case. If a person knows the law, but breaks it unknowingly due to other key factors, they are not guilty. A person can be aware of the law, but not be aware of key information that could keep them out of trouble, and that is what lands them in a bad place, just as with Oedipus.
These are examples that I believe are valid in deciding if a person is guilty or not guilty. I wouldn’t necessarily base my decisions off of my own values or follow society’s example. I would base my decisions mostly on the key evidence of a case; what makes a person guilty of crime and what doesn’t. Of course, there is other information and evidence that play into a person’s case, but in Oedipus’ case, I believe that he is not truly guilty of his crime because although he did do it, he really was ignorant that his actions were in any way wrong.

"Had I any way to dam that channel too, I would not rest till I had prisoned up this body of shame in total blankness. For the mind to dwell beyond the reach of pain, were peace indeed."

-Oedipus (pg.64, Oedipus the King)

"Apollo, friends, Apollo has laid this agony upon me; not by his hand; I did it." -Oedipus (pg. 62, Oedipus the King)

From the Theban Legend: "But by chance he came to hear, again from the mouth of Apollo's ministers, the terrible prediction concerning him. Again, as his parents had done, he sought to give the lie to the oracle. He fled from Corinth, resolved never again to set eyes on his supposed father and mother as long as they lived...." -Theban Legend (pg. 24)

"There passed some fifteen years of seeming prosperity. But beneath the deceptive surface a hideous depth of shame and infamy lay concealed...." Theban Legend (pg. 24)

Antigone

Antigone

Eteocles and Polynices, Antigone and Ismene’s brothers, killed each other in fighting for ownership of the land of Thebes. Eteocles is put to rest via a proper burial, whereas Polynices is to go unburied as a form of punishment. Antigone is determined to bury her brother, Polynices, as she believes he should be buried honorably as Eteocles was. However, her sister, Ismene, tells Antigone that this action will not go unpunished. Ismene tells Antigone that if she indeed buries Polynices, the punishment is death. Antigone doesn’t care, and says she will bury him anyway, as it is the right thing to do; she asks Ismene to help her in the act, but Ismene refuses saying that she will have no part in this scheme, she will not choose death like Antigone so chooses.
Eteocles died defending Thebes from Polynices, who fought against the city and nearly brought about its destruction. This is why Eteocles was given a proper burial upon his death whereas Polynices was left to rot above the earth and not below it. Creon decides that this is the just route to take.
A sentry brings a message to Creon that is urgent, but he is afraid to relate the news because he doesn’t know how the king will react to it. He finally tells Creon that an unknown person has properly buried Polynices. The Chorus suggests that the gods may have done this on their own, but Creon disagrees with this saying that the gods would never do such a thing for a traitor like Polynices. Creon grows suspicious that one of the sentries watching over the burial grounds took a bribe to defy the law/rule of Creon,and illegally buried Polynices. He begins to suspect the current sentry of this crime and threatens him saying that if the real criminal is not found out, he will put the sentry to death. The sentry, in his innocence, is totally freaked out by this and leaves.
The chorus sings about men and their powers, but how men should not always make choices of their own accord, but rather listen to the gods who are the real powers in the world and abide by the laws and rules of their lands.
The sentry returns with Antigone. The sentry tells Creon that he and the other sentries dug up Polynices and left him to lie there. They were then caught up in a storm, but when the storm passed they saw Antigone bent over Polynices, attempting to rebury him. The sentries caught her and asked her if she was the one who originally buried Polynices, and she said she was; she denied nothing they accused her of. And again, when Creon asks her if she committed this crime, she replies that she did, and denies no accusation cast upon her. Creon lets the sentry go, free of all charges and suspicions, and asks Antigone if she was aware of his strict rule that none shall bury Polynices. Antigone replies that she was well aware of this rule, but doesn’t believe she did any wrong by the gods. She says she only broke the rule of Creon, who she believes to be unjust anyway. Creon calls up Ismene and then sentences both sisters to death. Antigone says that her burying Polynices was an honorable act and therefore, she will gladly die for it. She says that most of the town has taken her side against the king’s on the issue, they are just too afraid to confront the king about it. Creon asks Antigone if she thought that burying Polynices was an insult to her other brother Eteocles because they were enemies, and she replies that both brothers, despite their motives, deserve proper burials. She does not want to hold any grudges, but to love. Ismene then says that she will share her sister’s punishment although she had to no part in the rule breaking. Antigone, however, tells Ismene not to do this and that she is a coward for not helping until now and still wanting to die in glory. Ismene still tries to save Antigone by appealing to Creon’s softer side and bringing his son into play because Haemon and Antigone are promised to one another for marriage. Creon, however, does not soften under her words, and orders that the two sisters be tied up and taken away.
The chorus sings a song about how Oedipus’ house is now again full of sadness, death, and deception.
Haemon learns of Antigone’s arrest, and Creon speaks to him about it. Haemon says that he would abide by his father over any woman, and that he is loyal to his father. Haemon also says that the town does not want Antigone to be punished for a deed that is seemingly honorable in most aspects. Creon gets mad at this, that his own people be questioning his ruling/decisions. Haemon then tells Creon that he is shallow and too proud which only infuriates Creon further. Creon then begins to insult Haemon, and the two begin to argue. In doing this, Haemon hints that Creon’s killing Antigone could bring about the death of another person. Creon, enraged, asks for Antigone to be brought out and murdered right infront of Haemon’s eyes, but Haemon gets out of there fast. Creon then decides that Ismene should not have to die, but Antigone will die slowly, locked inside of a tomb alive.
The Chorus sings about love and its powers and how it cannot be overthrown by weapons or warfare and can drive people to insanity. The chorus regards Antigone’s “nobility” as sheer pride as she walks to her tomb.
On the way to her tomb, Antigone declares that she would not have broken Creon’s rule if the person that was not to be buried was her husband or her child because both of those can be replaced. However, a brother whose parents are dead could not be replaced, and that is her justification of the whole situation. She is put into the tomb, and the Chorus sings about other figures in myth who have been put in tombs alive to die, just like Antigone is now.
Tiresias, the blind prophet, is led in by a boy who describes to him everything he sees. The boy is eyes for the both of them. Creon asks for Tiresias’ advice, and Tiresias tells him that his actions towards Polynices’ burial and death punishment for Antigone will make the gods send a “curse” down on Thebes and all who inhabit it. Creon gets angry at this and says that accuses Tiresias of being a blind fool who gives poor advice. Tiresias tells Creon that the gods are to take care of the dead, whether they are honorable or dishonorable; the gods are to decide that. People are limited to rule only within the world’s boundaries. Tiresias, insulted by Creon, asks the boy to lead him away from there. However, Tiresias’ prophecy has shaken up the Chorus and Creon also admits to being a little weary of what is to come. Creon decides he will do what the people of Thebes think he should do. The people tell him to free Antigone of her sad fate, and Creon goes off to do so. The Chorus begins to pray for the protection of Thebes because he is scared about that Tiresias’ prophecy will come true.
A messenger enters and tells the Chorus that Haemon has killed himself. Eurydice, wife to Creon, mother to Haemon, overhears part of the messenger’s news and asks to hear it all, and she says she can bear it no matter how grieving the news may be. The messenger relays the news of her now deceased son who had been heard wailing and crying at the sight of Antigone, who had hung herself in her tomb. Haemon was heard wailing by Creon who had been reburying Polynices, and Creon had gone done to the tomb to see what the sound was. Haemon had then taken a sword and made a plunge for Creon, but Creon ran away. Haemon then plunged the sword into his own self. After hearing this news, Eurydice walks silently back into the palace.
Creon enters the palace, holding Haemon’s body and blaming himself for his death. The messenger then tells Creon that Eurydice has committed suicide due to her extreme grief of her son’s death. The messenger tells Creon that Eurydice blamed Creon for all the death and destruction that had take place due to his extreme pride; this she did just before she stabbed herself in the heart. Creon, overwhelmed by grief, prays and begs for death.
The Chorus sings a song about how the gods are not especially appreciative of the proud and hold no rewards for such persons.

Oedipus the King

Oedipus the King

The book starts off with the townspeople gathering around Oedipus' palace in Thebes and inquiring of Oedipus the despair that has lately been surrounding their lives. One of the eldest men speaks to Oedipus about the town's poverish state and asks him to help the townspeople, the citizens, get out of such a mess. Oedipus tells the old man that he will do all in his power to help and bring the town back to its propserous state. Creon, Oedipus' brother-in-law is sent to speak with Apollo and returns. He speaks to Oedipus about there being a cursed person in the town that is bringing bad fortune to their lands; they say the one, or few, who killed Laius, king before Oedipus, are condemned by the gods and now bring hardship to the land where they reside. Creon says that the murderers of Laius were a band of theives, robbers. He says they must be run out of Thebes in order for the land to once again prosper. Creon says that no one tried to find out the murderers before because the town was being terrorized by a Sphinx who spoke only riddles.

Oedipus tries to find out the murderer himself by promising that whoever confesses will be punished no further than banishment from Thebes. No one confesses, all are quiet. Then Oedipus gets angry and reprimands the citizens for not finding and punishing the murderers long ago, as they rightly should have been at that time.

Oedipus then calls and speaks to Tiresias, the blind prophet. Although he cannot see, he seems to see more than the average man. Tiresias tells Oedipus that he knows of the murderer, but cannot say who he is. This greatly angers Oedipus, and the angrier he gets, he begins to insult Tiresias and finally accuses him of being the murderer. At this Teiresias says that he-Oedipus, king of Thebes-is Laius' muderder. Oedipus is, of course, outraged to hear this accusation, and begins to think that Tiresias and Creon are conspiring against him, to overthrow him.

Tiresias keeps talking, saying that Oedipus does not know of his true parents. Although this makes Oedipus more angry, it also intrigues him, and he asks Tiresias who are his real parents. Tiresias replies that the murderer of Laius will be the brother and father of his children, the son and husband to his mother.

After Tiresias leaves, Creon enters, and Odysseus sort of banishes him under the suspicion of his conspiracy to overthrow him and take his place as king because it was he who told Oedipus to summon Tiresias. However, Jocasta, Oedipus' wife, enters and talks Oedipus out of that madness and Creon leaves.

Jocasta tells Oedipus that all prophets are wrong. She then relates a story in which a prophet told her and Laius that Laius would be killed by their own son. They had their son removed from their home and abandoned, feet pinned together, on a mountainside. Or so they thought. This story sounds somewhat familiar to Oedipus and he asks Jocasta to describe to him the scene in which the king was killed. Jocasta does so, and Oedipus is relieved to know that king Laius was killed by a band of theives, not he, for Oedipus, too, killed a man among other men in a carriage at a three-way crossroads. Oedipus tells Jocasta about when he was child, that one of his father's men drunkily told him that his parents were not his true parents. Oedipus questioned his parents who assured him they were. He was still not sure, though, and traveled to the oracle. The oracle of Delphi did not tell him if his parents were his true parents, but he did tell him that he would eventually kill his own father and sleep with his mother. Oedipus ran away thus coming to Thebes and to rule, and on the way there, is met by a carriage of men who provoke him and he kills all but one or two who escape him. He then traveled to Thebes. (He also solves the Sphinx's riddle, and the town is finally rid of her.)

Oedipus begins to send for those who may know what happened at the three-way crossroads, but no one knows. A messenger arrives and tells Jocasta that Oedipus' father, Polybus, is dead of natural causes. Oedipus and Jocasta are very happy to hear this on account that Oedipus is the rule over Polybus' lands as well now. Oedipus does get weary, though, when he thinks back to the prophecy that he is still to sleep with his mother. The messenger assures Oedipus that no such thing will take place because Merope and Polybus are/were not his real parents.

The messenger then instills fear once again in Oedipus when he speaks about his younger years as a shepherd and how he was given a little baby by another to raise, who's feet had been pinned together. He had delivered that baby to Polybus and Merope, and together they raised him.

Jocasta is slowly piecing together the story and leaves the scene, returns to the palace.

The shepherd who originally took the baby to dispose of it, but could not, is brought forth. He explains that it was he who brought the baby Oedipus from Polybus and Merope themselves. Oedipus finally understands what's going on here, and leaves in an instant, runs back into the palace.

It turns out that Oedipus unknowingly murdered his own father, and married his own mother, and they had children together. Jocasta committs suicide, and at this, Oedipus gouges out his eyes with 'golden brooches.' Oedipus asks to be banished from Thebes, and Creon grants him this, if the gods allow it. Oedipus believes the gods do not want him dead. Oedipus' girls enter so that Oedipus may say goodbye to them. Creon ends the goodbyes and tells Oedipus that it is time for him to go.

Introduction to Oedipus the King

The Introduction

Dramatic Irony: In Oedipus the King, dramatic irony is significant because the main story line is the ignorance of Oedipus versus the well informed-reader/other characters in the book. The reader is filled in on what is going on in the book, whereas Oedipus remains in blissful ignorance until the end when he finds out the truth of his origin and family. The reader, however, is informed of this in the introduction, before the story/play begins.

The introduction also talks about Sophocles, his being a respectable sort of person in prosperity and in hard times up until his death. The introduction mainly sets up the background of the play: the time period, the prosperity, the land's recession, the type of government, and the peoples' struggle to overcome their poverty although without success. This gives the reader the knowledge to better understand Oedipus the King as they read through it.
The chorus acts as a bystander, every once in a while presenting the main themes of the play. The chorus also comments or holds conversation with the other characters in the play.

The Odyssey-Book Twenty

Book Twenty

Odysseus is worried that there are too many suitors for he and Telemachus to overthrow, but is then calmed by Athena who reminds him that the gods will help. Penelope cannot sleep because she is very upset about Odysseus and really doesn’t want to have to remarry, so she asks Artemis to kill her. Odysseus hears her and asks Zeus to send a sign that is good. Zeus sends thunder and a maid nearby gets angry at the suitors. The next day, the suitors meet, and Amphinomus tells them to call of Telemachus’ murder because they all see an eagle with a dove in its talons. This is a sign of doom, they think. Odysseus tries very hard to not lose his temper over the suitors. One of the snobby and wealthy suitors throws a cow’s hoof at Odysseus and Telemachus loses his cool and threatens to kill this man. However, the suitors only laugh. Little do they know of their inescapable doom.

The Odyssey-Book Nineteen

Book Nineteen

As soon as the suitors go to sleep, Telemachus and Odysseus go to work collecting and hiding all the weapons. Athena provides light for them to see. Telemachus tells the nurse, Eurycleia, that they are getting the weapons out of harm’s way, out of the way so they won’t get damaged at all. Telemachus then goes to bed, and Odysseus (still disguised as a beggar) is joined by Penelope who wants to ask him questions about his family, his homeland..etc. She wants to know if the “beggar” really has met Odysseus, and she asks him to describe Odysseus and any men that may have been with him as a test to see if he really had met Odysseus. The beggar, Odysseus, describes in detail the clothing he was wearing and the name of one of the men that accompanied him. Penelope believes him because his discriptions are correct. He then tells Penelope the same story he told Eumaeus about how he met Odysseus and how he came to Ithica although he changes the story just slightly. He tells Penelope that Odysseus is indeed still alive and will probably be home very soon. Penelope insists that one of her maids should wash his feet, and Eurycleia does so. Eurycleia was Odysseus’ and Telemachus’ nurse/ a kind of nanny to them their whole lives. She knows everything about Odysseus, and as she is washing his feet, she feels a familiar scar above his knee from when he was little and went boar hunting with his father. She recognizes immediately that this beggar is Odysseus disguised and gets really excited and tearful. Odysseus tells her she must not tell anyone, or it could bring about her own ruin. She promises not to tell anyone. Penelope (who was distracted by Athena during Eurycleia’s discovery of Odysseus) then describes to Odysseus a dream that she has had in which an eagle comes down by her geese and kills them. After the eagle does this, it comes to her and speaks. It says to her that it is her husband, Odysseus, and that it just killed all of her suitors. Penelope doesn’t know what this dream means, but she has finally decided to choose a new husband. She will choose the first man that can shoot an arrow through twelve loop holes in a row.

The Odyssey-Book Sixteen

Book Sixteen

When Telemachus arrives at Eumaeus’ home, he sees Odysseus (still disguised). Eumaeus explains the “stranger’s” story to Telemachus and asks Telemachus if Odysseus might stay at the palace. But Telemachus knows of the suitors’ schemes and doesn’t think it’s a safe idea for either of them to stay there. He sends Eumaeus to the palace to inform Penelope that her son has returned to Ithica safely. When Eumaeus has left to deliver the message to Penelope, Odysseus is left alone with Telemachus. Odysseus is called outside by Athena and while outside she transforms him to a younger, more heroic-looking form of himself. When he goes back inside the hut, Telemachus is shocked and asks who this person is. Telemachus asks Odysseus if he is a god or accompanied by a god to be able to disguise himself and change his appearance so quickly. Odysseus tells Telemachus the truth: that he is his father. At first, Telemachus doesn’t believe him, but is finally convinced that it is true, and they both hug. Then Odysseus begins to form an idea, a plot, of how they are going to get rid of the suitors. He plans to disguise himself again as a beggar in the city. Telemachus will hide all the weapons until the time is right, and then they can both use all the weapons to their advantage to kill the suitors. Eumaeus doesn’t get to Penelope in time to inform her of Telemachus’ return because a messenger from the ship informs the whole city first. The suitors are bummed because they had this plan to kill Telemachus upon his return, but didn’t foresee his sneaky entrance onto Ithica through the countryside. The suitors quickly begin devising a new plan to kill Telemachus. Amphinomus (one of the better suitors) says that everyone should wait for a sign from the gods before doing anything. Later on, Penelope yells at Antinous for plotting to kill her son. Another suitor, Eurymachus, calms her down by lying and saying that Telemachus will be safe.

The Odyssey-Book Fifteen

Book Fifteen

Athena warns Telemachus that he must return home soon to prevent the suitors from marrying his mother. She also warns that the suitors are planning to kill him upon his return so she gives him a route that he must take when he returns to Ithica. He must go first to Eumaeus, and he will tell Penelope that her son is home safe. Telemachus prepares to leave immediately after waking up, and his hosts give him great gifts and send he and his men on their way. Before departing, an eagle carrying a goose swoops down near Telemachus. His hostess, Helen, says it is an omen that Odysseus is going to come back and get revenge on the suitors. Telemachus and his men make a couple of stops on the way to Ithica, before boarding their ship, to rest.
Odysseus (still disguised as an old man) continues to stay with Eumaeus. Eumaeus tells Odysseus of how he first came to Ithica.
Meanwhile Telemachus and his men board their ship and sail to Ithica. Upon arriving in Ithica in the morning, Telemachus takes the separate route to Eumaeus just as Athena told him to do, and his men go on up to the city. Before his men depart from Telemachus, however, they all see a hawk carrying a dove in its talons fly by. One of Telemachus’ men interprets this as a sign that Odysseus’ home and people are strong.

The Odyssey-Book Fourteen

Book Fourteen

Odysseus is back in Ithica disguised as a weary, old man. He goes and stays with the swineherder, Eumaeus. Odysseus is disguised because he doesn't want the suitors to attack him, and also because he wants to know how loyal his people have been while he's been away. Eumaeus begins fill Odysseus in on how faithful Penelope has been and how the suitors are constantly diminishing his goods, eating all the meat. Odysseus listens intently to Eumaeus and knows that he is a loyal and trustworthy man, always praising him (Odysseus) and watching over his goods. Eumaeus feeds Odysseus and gives him clothes to keep him warm. Eumaeus says that Odysseus is most likely dead, and Odysseus disagrees saying that he is probably alive and coming home soon. Eumaeus says that he no longer believes this because so many suitors have come to Penelope and asked for gifts in exchange for news of her Odysseus. But all news is a scam, and Penelope is beginning to lose faith that the real Odysseus will ever return home. Odysseus, when asked about how he came to arrive in Ithica, makes up a story about how he fought at Troy with Odysseus and later went to Egypt, but only to end up poor. However, it was during his trip to Egypt that he claims he heard news that Odysseus was still alive.

The Odyssey-Book Eleven

Book Eleven

Odysseus arrives at the River of Oceans and performs a sacrificial ceremony as he was instructed to do by Circe. Odysseus performs this ritual by digging a hole, and in that hole he first pours milk and honey then wine and water. Over this he then pours white barley meal. He then promises the dead that when he returns to Ithica he will sacrifice a female cow, laden with many gifts. He also promises Tiresias the best black ram that he has. Souls begin to appear and speak to him. A few of the souls that appear include Elpenor, who wants Odysseus to go back to Circe's island and bury him properly. He then learns from Tiresias that Poseidon is punishing he and his men for blinding his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus' eye. Next, Odysseus is told that he will return home only to see his wife, son, and to get rid of the suitors, but then he must travel to another island to please Poseidon. Odysseus is warned to not touch "the flocks of the sun" when he arrives in Thrinacia because if he does, he will go through many more hardships and face challenges that will eliminate all of his remaining men. Odysseus then speaks to his mother, Anticleia, who first fills him in on the happenings in Ithica since he's been away, and then tells him how she died of grief waiting for his return to Ithica. Odysseus speaks to many other heroes and famous men as well. When in Hades, Odysseus meets many different souls. Achilles, who inquires inquires after his son. Ajax who refuses to speak to Odysseus on acount of the incident when Ajax lost a competition/contest against Odysseus, this which led Ajax to kill himself. Many spirits begin to ask him many questions, and Odysseus is frightened by this. He runs back to his ship and sails away at once.

The Odyssey-Book Ten

Book Ten

Odysseus continues to tell his story. After the whole Cyclops episode, Odysseus and his men sail to yet another island. Here they meet Aeolus who rules the winds. He gives them great hospitality, and then sends them on their way home to Ithica with a bag full of all the wind types incase Odysseus would be in need of it. Odysseus’ ship leaves for Ithica and when Ithica finally comes into view, sleep overtakes Odysseus. His men are certain that Aeolus gave Odysseus gold and riches in the bag. Since Odysseus is sleeping, the crew opens up the bad and lets all the wind out at once which forms a great storm that blows their ship back to Aeolus. Odysseus is disheartened and asks help from Aeolus again, but Aeolus is convinced the gods are against Odysseus and therefore, will not help him any further and sends him on his way abruptly. Odysseus and his men then sail to the land of the giants who make an immediate dinner out of the men Odysseus sent to check out the place. Odysseus and his men try to leave the place immediately, but are attacked by giants, and the only ship that survives the attack is Odysseus’ ship. After that, Odysseus’ one ship arrives at the land of the witch-goddess Circe. Odysseus sends scouts to check the island out, but they drink a drugged drink that Circe gave to them, and they begin to turn into pigs. Odysseus hearing of this happening by Eurylochus, (who knew his fellow men were walking into a trap and went back to the ship instead of joining them in Circe’s house) decides to go try and get his men back. Eurylochus is against going back, and Odysseus tells him that if he doesn’t want to go along, then he can stay and guard the ship. Eurylochus ends up going along instead of staying behind alone. On the way to Circe, Odysseus meets Hermes who informs him of all the dangers that lie ahead in Circe’s house and what he must do to save himself and his men. He tells Odysseus that he must eat this special herb called “moly” before drinking Circe’s drugged drink, and that will keep him from turning into a pig. Then when she tries to stab him with her sword, he is to jump at her as if to attack and take her by surprise. Odysseus does all of these things, and Circe is surprised that her drugged drink didn’t work on Odysseus. She swears a might oath not to harm Odysseus and sets his men free. They return to their human form, younger and more handsome than ever. Odysseus then beds with Circe and stays with her for a year. After a year has passed, Odysseus’ men want to go home to Ithica and persuade Odysseus to leave as well. They all leave the next morning, and leave behind Elpenor who was passed out on Circe’s roof and fell to the ground the morning of their departure, breaking his neck. Odysseus tells his men of the specific pathway they must take in order to get home. They are to go to Hades and Persephone and see Tiresias of Thebes.

The Odyssey-Book Nine

Book Nine

Odysseus is now telling his tale of trials that he encounters on his journey home post Troy. Odysseus and his crew of men go to Ismarus and steal the cities goods, but linger too long there, and the people of Ismarus attack them, killing six of Odysseus’ men per ship. Zeus, now not in favor of Odysseus, sends a storm that brings them to the land of the lotus-eaters. Odysseus’ men go out to check it out, and the men that reside on the island are friendly and offer Odysseus’ men fruit. The fruit is addictive, and the crew men don’t want to go back to the ship but instead stay and consume more fruit. Odysseus has to drag them back to the ship and lock them up to keep them there. Odysseus and his crew then sail to the island of the Cyclops. Odysseus decides he wants to test the hospitality of the Cyclops Polyphemus. He and some of his crew men go to the Cyclops’ cave. The Cyclops has a lot of milk and chese and raises goats to extract it from. When the Cyclops returns back to the cave to find Odysseus and his men there, he seems friendly, but almost immediately after this impression, he snatches up two of Odysseus’ men and eats them. Then he keeps Odysseus and the remaining men prisoners for his future meals. The next night, the Cyclops eats two more men. Odysseus decides that something must be done about this. He devises a plan in which he gets the Cyclops drunk then blinds its one eye, while it sleeps, with a large, wooden pole. The Cyclops shouts out in pain, but claims to not be hurt and that “nobody’s killing him” when the other Cyclopes come to see what his shouting was for. Now blinded, the Cyclops cannot see Odysseus and his remaining men hide themselves underneath some of the Cyclops’ goats. When the goats leave the cave, the men escape, hidden underneath them all the while. The Cyclops is suspicious of one slower-moving goat that Odysseus happens to be hidden under, but he lets that suspicion go. Then Odysseus and his men escape, with the goats as well, back to their ship and to the safer lands that are distanced from the Cyclops’ cave. However, Odysseus gets cocky and when within shouting distance of the Cyclops, he calls out his real name. (Previously, he had told the Cyclops his name was “no one.”) He now reveals his real name is Odysseus. This greatly angers Polyphemus, not only to learn of Odysseus’ real name, but also that he and his men had escaped his cave. The Cyclops then begins hurling large stones at Odysseus’ ships and swearing that he is going to tell his father, Poseidon about Odysseus’ wrongdoings. He claims that his father, Poseidon, will finish off Odysseus and his crew men.

The Odyssey-Book Five

Book Five

In council, the gods discuss Odysseus. Athena says that Odysseus should be free to go home. “From this time on, no sceptered king need be benign and kind, a man of righteous mind: let kings be cruel and corrupt, malign-for none among his people now recall divine Odysseus, though his rule was gentle and fatherly” –Athena (pg. 95). This being said, the gods decided to send Hermes, the messenger, to Pylos to confront Calypso and have her free Odysseus from her hold. Calypso agrees that Odysseus needs to go home, although she doesn’t want him to leave her. Again Calypso offers Odysseus immortal life. Still, she knows he is unhappy trapped on the island with her, and she knows he longs to go home to Ithica. The next day Calypso helps Odysseus gather materials for him to build a ship from. When the ship is finished, Calypso gives him food and wine for his journey and reluctantly says goodbye. However, although he had been sailing on calm waters, Odysseus is spotted by angry Poseidon. Poseidon is angered that he was not included in the decision of letting Odysseus go home and creates a huge storm that nearly kills Odysseus. But just when Odysseus is nearly drowning and struggling for his life, Ino, the sea nymph, gives him a shawl that helps carry him to safer, calmer waters to the shore of Scheria. He then returns the shawl to Ino as she instructed him to do. Odysseus finds a forest that acts as a strong shelter and a pile of leaves for a bed and with Athena’s help, lets sleep take him.

The Odyssey-Book Two

Book Two

The next morning, Telemachus meets with the Ithican elders to discuss the suitors. Some elders are in disagreement with Telemachus’ view on the suitors. Some elders say that Penelope is the real villain, deceiver, in how she cleverly leads on the suitors to believe that she will marry one of them someday, but really she has no intention of the sort. Telemachus tries to reason with one of the suitors, Antinous and asks that the suitors all leave and “consume their own fine goods.” He says that if they refuse to leave, they shall all die within his halls, with the help of Zeus. At that moment, Zeus sent down a pair of eagles that flew above the suitors and attacked each other, then flew away. This was meant as some omen or insight into future happenings. One of the elders then spoke to say that the fate of the suitors would belong to Odysseus upon his return, how he would slaughter them all and that was the be their fate. “I am no neophyte who prophesies: I know with certainty. And I affirm that, for Odysseus, his time is come” –Lord Halitherses (pg. 29). Telemachus says that he will go in search of any word about his father, and if he learns that he is alive, he will wait another year; if he is not alive, Telemachus says he will return home to “heap a death mound high” and give his mother to another husband. Athena gathers a crew and ship for Telemachus. He has his maid stock up and package his wine and food. Later Telemachus and his crew haul the food and wine onto the ship and set sail. Telemachus leaves without telling his mother of his intentions at sea because he doesn’t want her to worry or be upset.

The Odyssey-Book One

Book One

The gods have a meeting about Odysseus and his being held captive on the island of Pylos by Calypso. Calypso has offered Odysseus immortal life because she wants to make him her husband. It is decided that Odysseus should be released and allowed to make his way home to Ithica, to his son, Telemachus, and his wife, Penelope. Athena, disguised as one of Odysseus’ old friends, visits Telemachus in Ithica to advise him. She tells him he should get a ship and crew and sail away to other islands to seek word of his father, who she had heard is still alive. Telemachus decides he will consider going on this quest/journey, but first he wants to know how he can be rid of the many suitors courting his mother, Penelope, for her wealth and estate. He is sick and tired of their constant feasting, parties, and consumption of his goods. He no longer wants them around and neither does Penelope, although she leads all of the suitors on. She tells them she will decide who she will marry once she finishes weaving/sewing together a robe for Laertes. However, she doesn’t actually have any intention of marrying any of the suitors, and for the longest time she unstitching by night what she had sewed during the day so as to buy time for her Odysseus to return home. She is very hopeful that he will. Alas, her strategy is discovered and told to all. It is then said that if she does not soon choose a suitor, her father will choose one for her, and that man will then have access to all the wealth and estate that Penelope holds. Telemachus knows he must go on the search for his father, but first he must ask the Ithican elders what to do about the suitors swarming his home.