Medea jornal #1

The role of the corus in Medea differs from the chorus in Oedipus in several different ways. first of all, the chorus in Medea are all women and they are able to relate to the charicter more and have a closer relationship because of this. they seem to be able to relate to her problems in a more direct manor since they all share this common bond. notice how the chorus references Medea, " Oh, My poor Medea"(Medea 44). another difference is that Medea has a more personal connection with the chorus and speaks to them directly throughout the play. Medea exchanges looks with them, shares Secrets with them and has no fear of doing so. while in Oedipus, he was more afraid of sharing the secrets with his people till the very end. notice how Medea references the Chorus, "We Women are the worst-treated things alive" (Medea 40).

Jornal entry #5: Sophocles

Sophocles evokes fear specifically in the audience by doing several different things. one thing he does is uses motifs of things that everybody either knows, or can relate to and by doing this he connects to other peoples lives. He first of all often references Nature and the power of nature, which is something that everyone can understand becuase we are all surounded by it. He also uses the gods, which are superior beings that everybody prayed to and everybody could relate to. in order to evoke fear or pity from the audience he creates situations that arent simply "sad" or something completely impossable. he uses things that the audience could see actually happening, or things the audience belives could happen in order to create another connection between what is going on in the play and real life. he also introduces self punishment in the behaviors of his charicters so the audience feels sorry for them. if the charicters didnt feel the need to take responsability for what they have done, then the audience would probibly just dislike the charicters rather than sympathize with them.

Oedipus jornal #4

"why scan the birds that scream above our heads?"(Oedipus the king 1055-1056) throughout the play, there is a repeating metaphor for prophesies. the same word usage is used through the play, there are birds circling in the sky, and the metaphor is always referenced after talk of prophesies or things concerning the future. the this connects back to the atmosphere of conflicting ideas of man controlling his destiny, and man not being in control of his destiny. birds can serve as an indicator of changing seasons(migratory) or impending doom, which means that they are prophesy. questioning these impending prophesies makes it seem like the people are not in control of there destiny, so why be worried about it? the idea is referenced earlyer in the play, "the skilled prophet scans the birds and shatters me with terror!"(Oedipus the king 550). the foreseeing prophet brings fear to the people because he scans the sky for the birds, or looks for prophesies. since the chorus basically represents the people, this displays how heavy an influence a profit is on the people. they are reliant on what he and the gods say about there Oedipus's destiny which contributes to the idea that man is not in control of his destiny since the people are so reliant on what there destiny is foretold to be.

sophocles journal #3

each character so far all speak to Apollo the most. Apollo is the god of the sun, and life so it makes sense that this is the god that people turn to most often, "So I turn to you, Apollo, you are nearest"(Oedipus 1007), the chorus and Jostica feel that this god is closer and easier to pray to. the fact that they are connecting to this god more suggests that the people are clinging to life more, as well as warmth, prosperity, and all other things associated with the sun which shows that the people are desperate and in a time of need. the most common symbol used is that of birds in the sky, the symbol represents prophesies and things of this nature, "why scan the birds that scream above our heads?"(Oedipus 1056-1057) this quote can then be interpreted to question looking for prophesies that suggest such terrible things. one metaphor used on page 209 discusses the consequences of pride, making it seem like pride is something that can be gorged and soon become "overripe and rich with ruin" (Oedipus 965). most of the characters feel that the gods are all powerful and end up deciding everything, unless what they predict is exceedingly terrible. Jocasta seems to deny the prophesy foretold by Apollo just because it is so out there, yet she ends up realizing that it is true. never the less, the chorus especially, constantly prays to the gods for help, and believe that they determine everything and whatever they say is right "the god does not grow old"(Oedipus 162-163).

Oedipus jornal #2

thus far in the play, Oedipus seems to lack some basic leadership qualities and doesnt act with reason or with a level head. he easly looses his temper and calls Tiresias "scum of the earth", which probibly gives his people the impression that he behaves like a child. another thing is that he so angrlily denies that he is a murderer which almost makes it seem like he did have something to do with it judging by his reaction to Tiresiases conviction. why not just let it go if its not true? A good leader needs to know when to brush certain things off. he also seems to get caught up in his emotions, which influances his convictions against others and it also makes him stuborn and unable to see reason, particularly when he goes against Creon. Oedipus seems to go through a type of transformation as the play goes along. he at first attempts to be sympathetic and just with his citizens and himself. he later turns into an angry and vengful leader, who tryes very hard to avoid any word against him.

Creon seems to be the most relatable of the upper class. he is sensable, not extremely intelecent, and doesnt get caught up in his emotions. i would say that he is meant to be the person that the audience is meant to connect to, and understand better. he is being wrongfully accused by Oedipus, which also makes the audience feel sympathy for him. Teiresias seems like a very wise person, who is able to predict and forshadow. he also seems like a person who doesent want to hurt anyone or tell people things that they dont want to hear, as displayed by the way he and Oedipus began fighting becuase Teiresias didnt want to tell Oedipus that he was the killer. but it does seem that he can develope a temper, as seen by his long speech and snappy combacks towards Oedipus, critisizing his leadership.

sophocles pages 159-170 jornal assignment

Pg.159- oedipus has made observations that his city is in trouble and wonders what the trouble is, so he asks an honorable priest to speak for the people to find out whats wrong.
pg. 160- The priest responds by saying that men of all ages and status are looking for help by praying to the gods and visiting there temples because the ships sink, the crops and cattle are diseased, and women and children are dieing rapidly.
pg. 161- the priest goes on to say that oedipus is the mightyest of all men and has liberated the people once before, and he needs to do it again to once again proove his ability.
pg. 162- oedipus has been sadened by his dieing city and so he sent his wifes brother creon to ask the orical at delphi what he should do to save the city. and he has just arrived.
pg 163- creon brings seemingly good news about what will happen to the city, but does not wish to share the words of the gods with commonfolk
pg 164- according to creon, the only way to cure the city is to kill the man who was responsable for killing the leader before Oedipus.
pg 165- the murderer they need to find has traveled to find an orical, and was not to be found after that. all the witnesses to his travel have been killed exept a terrified person who fled, who can only tell them one thing.
pg 166- a band of thiefs attacked the former king and killed him, and the only reason these people got away was because sphinx convinced the people that they should just let it go.
pg 167- oedipus has decided that this must be whats wrong, so he plans to help kill the murderer at all costs and tells the priest to get other priests to help track the murderer down. oedipus and creaon then enter the palace, and the priest announces what has been found.
pg 168- the people of the city comoe in and ask for what knowlege creon has gained from delphi, then they go on glorifing Oedipus.
pg 169- the people of the city talk about how great the city once was, and now everything in it is dieing. generations die, and the city has become a place of mourning and dread for its people.
pg 170- the people are now begging the multuple gods for assistance to stop this plauge by assulting it.

Motifs
1. there was an awful lot of death and morbid words such as blood, banish and murder repeated throughout the section, which lends to a darker sort of tone
2. Nature was repeated through the play, which kinda lays the importance of nature in the society down
3. the gods were referenced many times, and each time involved them having some kind of power over the people. the people also begged them alot for things. this shows how dependent the people were on there gods and godesses

dramatic type structure
1. by placing only one or two words at the begining of a line, the speaker sounds like he is being dramatic or is emphasizing the word. especially when they begin with things like "Our leader" or "whose murder?"

my questions
1. what are the branches that priests have? why are they frequently talked about?
2. why is it that the only people that are "individual" in there thought and speech are the more uppercut people? why are the citizens all one voice?

JOHN LOOK AT THIS TO PUT IN FINAL DRAFT!!!

i hope you get this comment, you prob wont. for the sentence in my section(third paragraph) that we though was confusing. i tryed rewriting it,

Zamyatin attempts to give this idea of balance in society by creating a scale, and depending on what is hapening in the society, the scale may tip towards security or towards civil liberties.

it combines two sentences, the sentences it combines are in the last part of my analysis on my first quote, and the sentence just before introducing the second quote. I REALLY HOPE YOU GET THIS, because it sounds alot better

3rd paragraph for WE rough draft

Zamyatin creates a conflict between the one state and the mephi in order to offer the idea that societies have a scale that balances security and civil liberties. The conflict Zamyatin creates is evident because of the word choice used by D-503, a member of the one state, while he is describing members of the mephi. D-503 has just entered the world outside the green wall, “In the clearing-people… Or-I don’t know what to call them-perhaps, more precisely, beings” (Zamyatin 155). Not knowing how to classify them, D-503 has just described these fellow humans as beings not as people but as beings. D-503 has just set himself and members of the one state as greater because they are people, which separates the two societies. This displays a conflict between them, since another society would classify the other as less than them. Depending on what is happening or has happened in societies, especially conflict, the balance scale may tip too much towards security or towards balance. Zamyatin attempts to give this idea of balance in society by creating a scale. D-503 has just announced his opinion on madness after someone in the audience regarded the rebellion as madness, “‘Yes, yes, madness! The sooner the better! And everyone must lose his mind, everyone must! The sooner the better! It is essential-I know it’” (Zamyatin 158). Members of the one state must be taught that security and protection are essential for humans to survive, or else the people would stand up for individual rights rather than societal security. This thought is imbued in their minds, it has become part of them and D-503 is stating that the people must lose their minds in order to rebel against the one state (need for security) to fight for civil liberty. Zamyatin is attempting to communicate the idea that in order to fight for liberty, one must give up the need for security, which assists in the idea that security and civil liberty are balance, equal and opposite. This idea of a balance scale contributes to a warning against having a total secure and protected society, since then civil rights would need to be abandoned or heavily restricted.