...Symbolism in Oedipus the King Many famous literary works commonly contain symbolism which is used as a way to expand the plot and give deeper meaning to otherwise insignificant objects or concepts. One such piece, in this case a play, is Oedipus the King by the famous Greek writer Sophocles. Being a philosopher Sophocles was very good at hiding symbolism within his writing. Some of the most powerful symbols he uses, such as the crossroads at which Oedipus kills Laius and both the “true” sight and vision of the blind prophet Tiresias, as well as the scars on Oedipus’ feet, add a very complex second layer which gives each person a different reading experience and the chance to develop their own connotations. Throughout history countless poem writers, authors and even directors have used a crossroad as a metaphor to represent an important decision or turning point in a characters life. For Oedipus this life changing point came when he was confronted by 5 men at a three way crossroad “Well, Laius , so the story goes, was killed by foreign robbers at a place where three highways meet” (Sophocles 50) the author further goes on to say “ As for the son-three days after his birth Laius fastened his ankles together and had him cast away on the pathless mountains” (Sophocles 50). This shows that the crossroad may not have represented much of a decision at all but only a life changing moment. This is because not only did Oedipus kill Laius at a three way crossroad but he was left to die...
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...Symbolism is seen as the physical representation of themes and symbols that are used to create ideas. “Oedipus the King” is the perfect story for representing symbolism. It embodies symbolism in riddles from a mythical Sphinx, a blind man having the abilities to see visions of truth, the scarred feet of Oedipus, and a three-way crossroads. These symbols are used as creative tiny messages that the characters in Oedipus the King give to each other as way of shortcuts. The symbols become more meaningful even with the lack of words, and highlight the relationship between it and another person. The riddle of the sphinx was probably one of the more symbolic messages within the story of Oedipus the King. The riddle goes like this “What goes on four...
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...Merriam Webster defines free will as “the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate; the ability to act at one's own discretion.” Fate is a development of events beyonds a person’s control. These ideas are exactly what Sophocles is challenging is his play Oedipus Rex. In Oedipus Rex the protagonist Oedipus is trying to figure who killed the former king Laius, not realizing he was the killer himself. Oedipus was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Throughout the play, Oedipus is torn between accepting the prophecy or choosing his own destiny. Despite his best effort, the prophecy laid out for him came true. Oedipus Rex uses symbolism to illustrate the theme that one can never escape fate. One symbol used in Oedipus Rex is the scars on his feet. It represent the suffering he has endured and will keep on enduring. In the play Oedipus finds out from a messenger that his adopted father Polybus is dead. The messenger explains how long ago he found a baby on Mount Cithaeron with its...
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...Martha Graham, whom is recognised as one of the utmost and greatest artists of the 20th century, revolutionised the art form of contemporary dance through movements which were established on the expressive dimensions of the human figure. The mother of contemporary dance achieved this by using her body in certain ways which were classified as athletic and dramatic, although raised controversy regarding every principle taught to ballet dancers. Outlined in this presentation will be a thorough analysis of Martha Graham’s work which challenged the concept of dance and made her one of the most significant pioneers of contemporary dance today. As well as her choreography throughout “Night Journey” and the symbolism involved which portrays her bravery...
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...Antigone wishes she has. She is also known to be engaged to her cousin Haemon who is next in line to be king. Antigone acts purely on her intention of the desire to bury Polynices as well. 7/10/14 Antigone's sister Ismene is characterized as the total opposite of Antigone. Where she is timid quiet and beautiful; Antigone is loud, brash and a tomboy. She is shown to have a rivalry with Antigone in the beginning. Later on she is seen begging to die along with Antigone for the love for her sister. She is a dynamic character because she changes from being neutral to becoming an ally. 7/11/14 The theme jealousy is seen in this novel with Antigone and her envy of Ismene's beauty. In a scene she asks Haemon her fiancé if he is sure he is in love with her. Also hinting at the fact that Antigone feels like she doesn't deserve him as well. Ever since of this the sisters have been seen as rivals. Almost like the complete opposite of each other. 7/12/14 Haemon is characterized as Antigone's fiancé and cousin. He is also hopelessly in love with Antigone. He proves so by killing himself to join his love in death because he couldn't bear to love another. Also he is now heir to the throne because both Eteocles and Polynices are dead. He is also seen as siding with Antigone on her decision and pleads his father to rethink his punishment towards her. 7/13/14 The symbolism of the sisters' rivalry are based on their beauty traits and traits. Antigone is seen as loud, brash and...
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...Annotated Bibliography Aguirre, Manuel. “Life, Crown, and Queen: Gertrude and the Theme of Sovereignty.” Oxford UP 47.186 (1996): 163-74. JSTOR. Web. 2 December 2013. This article interpreted the metaphors in Hamlet. The main focus was on the Cup of Sovereignty, which is the metaphor for the cup King Claudius drinks from during the marriage proposal. Even though I read information from this source I am not going to use this because it does not relate to my thesis. However, it does explain the significance of the cup referencing to corruption and the poisons that ruined many lives. This article helped me understand the symbolism of deception in William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” Barron’s. Hamlet. New York: Barron’s Educational Series, 2002. Print This book contains the Shakespeare’s play Hamlet and a modern interpretation of the script. This source was used to read the play and fully understand exactly what action was taking place. I am not using this book to quote any material because it is a form of cliff notes; however it was helpful in interpreting scenes and breaking down Elizabethan sentences. Boyd, Brian. “Literature and Evolution: A Bio-Cultural Approach.” The Johns Hopkins UP 29.1 (2005): 1- 23. JSTOR. Web. 4 December 2013. This article is about the “sophisticated concealment and deception” Shakespeare incorporated in Hamlet (Boyd 16). I am using this source because it relates to my thesis. It explains how Shakespeare uses deception to exaggerate life-and-death issues...
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...Symbolism The Inferno by Dante Alighieri is a work of art in which symbolism plays a prevalent role. Whether it is in the punishments or the monsters in each circle, everything has a dual meaning. During the entire book there are seen thirty monsters and five hybrid creatures, each representing something different. Throughout the circles the readers view tortures that are the physical equivalent of their actions. Alighieri exposes societies misdeeds in an ingenious way that leaves the readers smirking with satisfaction at the justice. In the first circle, those unbaptized wander around in a fog. This is a fitting punishment because the fog blinds them much like the absence of god blinds them wit no hope. It is odd that Alighieri put Virgil, Homer and anyone else who came before ‘God’ in this circle. In the second circle, those considered lustful and wanton are constantly blown about like leaves in the wind. This is an apt punishment because these particular sinners let their uncontrolled emotions rule their judgment, therefore they will never settle. In the second circle, we meet a monster called Minos. He is the son of Zeus and Europa and had been a King of Crete while in the world of the living. It is said of Minos that “His terrifying treatment of the souls is significant as after Charon, he is one of the first figures who they encounter on their passage into hell, and his unique method of demonstrating which area of hell that the souls should be sent to increases the...
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...THE LOTTERY - SUMMARY In A Nutshell "The Lottery" caused major controversy when it was first published in the June 26, 1948 issue of The New Yorker. Shirley Jackson's implicit critique of the brutality underlying the rituals and values of America's small towns outraged magazine readers, many of whom cancelled their subscriptions (see the Encyclopedia Britannica for more on the tale's publication history). As a side note – Jackson based "The Lottery" on her life in North Bennington, Vermont (source). Some of us here at Shmoop happen to be from that fine state, and we'd like to assure all potential tourists that despite what you may read in "The Lottery," you don't have to worry about sudden stoning in the Green Mountain State. Anyway, back to the matter at hand. The anonymous, generic village in which "The Lottery" is set, in addition to the vicious twist the story gives to a common American ritual, enhance the contemporary reader's uneasy sense that the group violence in the story could be taking place anywhere and everywhere, right now. Jackson's skillful warping of a popular pastime has become an American classic, establishing her position as one of the great American horror writers. Why Should I Care? So, if you've ever been hanging out with a group of friends and done something truly stupid, you may have heard the refrain, "If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you jump, too?" Your answer is probably "no," but Shirley Jackson disagrees. She thinks you – and...
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...the common man. As a representative form of American realism, Death of a Salesman portrays the use of language to convey a feeling of acrimony that demonstrates the relationship between the ideas of Willy Loman and the American common man. Willy Loman as the protagonist and the antagonist of his own story creates the sense of language that develops the idea of being “liked and you never will want” stating the façade of the Willy’s society (Miller 21). While communicated to the audience through a form of realism, his language functions as the crevice between the real and non-real. As development of language continues sometimes Willy Loman’s clichés “rise to the level of pure poetry” (Roudane 369). The use of language constructs poetic symbolism and closes the gap between non-realism and realism. Throughout the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain utilizes a poignant sense of diction reciprocating the slang the common man used in the Antebellum South. The language exhibits the principles of Death of a Salesman in its acrimony and pain through Loman’s statement “a man is not a piece of fruit!” (Miller 61). This sense of diction drives the main ideas and connects these ideas to those of the average man. Even throughout the play, the language morphs Death of a Salesman into the tragedy of a man whose self worth depended on whether or not he...
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...From How to Read Literature Like a Professor Thomas C. Foster Notes by Marti Nelson 1. Every Trip is a Quest (except when it’s not): a. A quester b. A place to go c. A stated reason to go there d. Challenges and trials e. The real reason to go—always self-knowledge 2. Nice to Eat With You: Acts of Communion a. Whenever people eat or drink together, it’s communion b. Not usually religious c. An act of sharing and peace d. A failed meal carries negative connotations 3. Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires a. Literal Vampirism: Nasty old man, attractive but evil, violates a young woman, leaves his mark, takes her innocence b. Sexual implications—a trait of 19th century literature to address sex indirectly c. Symbolic Vampirism: selfishness, exploitation, refusal to respect the autonomy of other people, using people to get what we want, placing our desires, particularly ugly ones, above the needs of another. 4. If It’s Square, It’s a Sonnet 5. Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before? a. There is no such thing as a wholly original work of literature—stories grow out of other stories, poems out of other poems. b. There is only one story—of humanity and human nature, endlessly repeated c. “Intertexuality”—recognizing the connections between one story and another deepens our appreciation and experience, brings multiple layers of meaning to the text, which we may not be conscious of. The more consciously...
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...ARTS TEACHERS’ GUIDE Grade 9 ARTS Teacher’s Guide Unit I WESTERN CLASSICAL ART TRADITIONS GRADE 9 Unit 1 ARTS TEACHERS’ GUIDE GRADE 9 Unit 1 WESTERN CLASSICAL ART TRADITIONS LEARNING AREA STANDARD The learner demonstrates an understanding of basic concepts and processes in music and art through appreciation, analysis and performance for his/her self-development, celebration of his/her Filipino cultural identity and diversity, and expansion of his/her world vision. key - stage STANDARD The learner demonstrates understanding of salient features of music and arts of the Philippines and the world, through appreciation, analysis, and performance, for self-development, the celebration of Filipino cultural identity and diversity, and the expansion of one’s world vision. grade level STANDARD The learner demonstrates understanding of salient features of Western music and the arts from different historical periods, through appreciation, analysis, and performance for self-development, the celebration of Filipino cultural identity and diversity, and the expansion of one’s world vision. CONTENT STANDARDs The Learner: demonstrates understanding of art elements and processes by synthesizing and applying prior knowledge and skills demonstrates understanding that the arts are integral to the development of organizations, spiritual belief, historical events, scientific discoveries, natural disasters/ occurrences and other external phenomenon ...
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...Who was William Shakespeare? Shakespeare is William Shakespeare, one of the English-speaking world's greatest playwrights and poets, who possessed a great knowledge of human nature and transformed the English theatre. Yet many facts of his life remain a mystery. Some have been acquired from painstaking looks at the records of the time, so that this summary is based on generally agreed facts. It has been said that we only know three things about Shakespeare: that he was born, married and died. He was baptised on April 26, 1564; we do not know his birth date, but many scholars believe it was April 23, 1564. His father was John Shakespeare (who was a glover and leather merchant) and his mother Mary Arden (who was a landed local heiress). John had a remarkable run of success as a merchant, alderman, and high bailiff of Stratford, during William's early childhood. His fortunes declined, however, in the late 1570s. William lived for most of his early life in Stratford-upon-Avon. We do not know exactly when he went to London but he is said to have arrived in 1592. There is great conjecture about Shakespeare's childhood years, especially regarding his education. It is surmised by scholars that Shakespeare attended the free grammar school in Stratford, which at the time had a reputation to rival that of Eton. While there are no records extant to prove this claim, Shakespeare's knowledge of Latin and Classical Greek would tend to support this theory. In addition, Shakespeare's...
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...The Gift of the Magi Themes Love "Gift of the Magi" is the story of a poor, young couple whose love for each other is the most important thing in their lives. Such is their love that they're led to sacrifice their most valuable possessions to find Christmas gifts for each other. The warm home they make together contrasts with the drabness of their poverty and the dreary world outside. Their love seems to know no bounds, though Della (the wife) worries about how her sacrifice will affect her husband because of how it affects her looks. If ever there were a story with the message that all you need to be happy is love, this is it. Sacrifice The two main characters in "Gift of the Magi" are a husband and wife who give up their most precious possessions to be able to afford gifts for each other on Christmas Eve. The story seems to be all about sacrifice. We watch Della go through the process of deciding to make the sacrifice and going through with it, only to discover that her husband has made the same sacrifice. The story's narrator assures us that in their willingness to give up all they have, they have proven themselves the wisest of all gift-givers. It might remain unclear, though, exactly what their sacrifice has accomplished, or how it has affected them. Wealth In many ways, "Gift of the Magi" is a story about what it means for something to be valuable. Does something's value lie in how much money it is worth? Or are other things more valuable than money? The main characters...
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... OXFORD Copyright © 2004 by Princeton University Press Published by Princeton Unhxmt^Pms, U WiffiaM SUrtt, Pnnceton, New Jersey 08540; im^inii!-. •:-..• punght i 1-49 by Botiingen e d i t i o n l n ' i l h Foundation, rc't.'itii.yi •: • andpttt t*j''!' !_•"' . !.,.: b% :''ohi: •• Bough, one-volume edition, p. 386. Copyright, 1922 by The MacmiUan Company and used with their permission). Compare Sigmund Freud: "I recognized the presence of symbolism in dreams from the very beginning. But it was only by degTees and as my experience increased that I arrived at a full appreciation of its extent and significance, and I did so under the influence of . . . Wilhelm Stekel. . . . Stekel arrived at his interpretations of symbols by way of intuition, thanks to a peculiar gift for the direct understanding of them. . . . Advances in psycho-analytic experience have brought to our notice patients who have shown a direct understanding of dream-symbolism of this kind to a surprising extent. . . . This symbolism is not peculiar to dreams, hut is characteristic of unconscious ideation, in particular among the people, and it is to be found in folklore, and in popular myths, legends, linguistic idioms,, proverbial wisdom and current jokes, to a more complete extent than in dreams." {The Interpretation of Dreams, translated by James Strachey, Standard Edition, V, pp. 350-351.) 17 16 THE MONOMYTH MYTH AND DREAM Ones of the Dream" are not to be confused with the personally...
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...Antigone vs Otheelo: women In the plays “Antigone” by Sophocles and the Shakespearean tragedy “Othello” written by William Shakespeare, the themes that’s being portrayed are honour and gender, through the play the audience if captivated by the characters choices and motives through the play. With the characters choices they help to make the play more understandable as the audience can recognise the tragic hero in both the plays. The relationships between men and women in Othello are remarked as lesser then men. Iago often refers to his wife as a prostitute - "A house wife that by selling her desires, Buys herself bread and clothes (iv.i.95)” showing what type of relationship women and men had during the late 16th century. Women were generally considered obedient, respectful, kind and warm. They were never outspoken nor were they meant to, for it could be seen as a lack of loyalty. When Othello accused Desdemona of cheating on him, he found himself in a position that he didn't want to face with. Othello was emasculated with the thought of a woman disobeying him. Men were easily manipulated into thinking the worst of woman because they were certain it would never happen. However, when the slightest things start to be pointed out the characters start to over analyse. Woman were not on the same level as men; men talked down to woman, they didn’t see them as equals nor think that they should be treated like one. This relates to Othello and Desdemona’s relationship – she “betrayed”...
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