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In Sophocles’ play, “Oedipus the King”, we meet Oedipus, who is the protagonist of the story, a king who is dedicated to enhancing the lives of his subjects. The outcome of the play, which is Oedipus’s destiny, is already known to the audience at the beginning. He is destined to marry his mother and kill his father. Though he does not accept his destiny initially and spends the rest of his life fighting to avoid it, Oedipus does not have control over his destiny, as evidenced when he eventually kills his mother and marries his mother. It is worth noting that Oedipus deliberately chose the events that finally led to his destiny. Just like Oedipus, the decisions we make in life directly determine how we live our lives, but God has the final say on our destiny. Therefore, we are not responsible for our destiny, God is.
What Greek morals are in “Antigone”, and are they morals which we still consider good/true today?
“Antigone” is an illustration of the clash between obeying divine and human law. In the play, Polyneices and Eteocles, Oedipus’ sons, kill each other while fighting for the Thebes’ throne. Creon, who takes over the throne decides that Polyneices’ body be left unburied on the streets while Eteocles be given a state burial. Antigone who is Polyneices’ sister is opposed to the improper burial because she believes that it is an insult to the Gods. In the end, she ensures that her brother gets a proper burial, but pays with her life. Antigone’s moral values of steadfastness and self-belief are good and should be emulated in our current society. People should stick to what they believe is right without wavering.
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Do you feel empathy for Oedipus? Do you have hope for him?
Considering Oedipus great and admirable personality and the tragic fate that befalls his life despite his attempt to evade it, I feel very empathetic towards him. Since Oedipus' fate is in the hands of the Greek gods, there is no hope for him; he has to face his prophesied destiny. Oedipus does everything possible to change his destiny, including leaving Corinth, but it eventually comes to pass; an indication that human beings have no control over their destinies.
Why a gospel sermon? Does the context of a gospel sermon work for this play?
The gospel sermon is meant to emphasize on the need for love amongst people. I think it works because it helps to drive this message home to the viewers at the end of the play.
What is home to you? Not the exact place but the meaning.
A home is a physical property where one resides either as an individual or alongside other family members. It is a place held dear by many as it gives people a sense of belonging.
Why portray Odysseus as a criminal in “O Brother, where art thou?”
The plot in, “O Brother Where Art Thou?” is a mirror image of Odyssey's story though in the modern context. Odysseus is portrayed as a criminal in the film in order to stress to the viewer that there are consequences to the offenses that people commit and that we should learn to love one another.
Pick one of the themes in both “O Brother, Where art Thou?” and “The Odyssey” and explain how the theme is presented in the movie and why the specific way it is presented matters.
Disguise is a key theme that is presented in “The Odyssey”. For instance, the gods disguise themselves in order to be able to interact with the mortal human beings. Odysseus also disguises himself by lying to Polyphemus that he is called, “Nobody”, so that he cannot be identified as the person who made Cyclops blind.
Should Aeneas have left Dido?
Despite the passionate love existing between the two, we see Aeneas leaving Dido following a vision that he saw of Mercury, which reminded him of his destiny of establishing a city in Rome. Therefore, Aeneas was right in leaving her so as to fulfill his destiny, which indicates his concern for his subjects' welfare over his love for Dido; the qualities of a true leader and hero.
How does Aeneas compare to the Odyssey so far? Which do you enjoy more as a story?
Both Odysseus and Aeneas are heroes involved in a journey from Trojan War to their homeland. It is worth noting that Odyssey’s story is written is prose, while Aeneid’s story is written in poetic form. I enjoyed reading Aeneid’ story, because it is comparatively brief and entails less fighting and has a varied content, as opposed to Odyssey’s story that is exceptionally long, making it a bit boring to read.