Antigone jornal #4: 1940s and new version

after looking it up, i found out that jean anouilh is french. this version of medea was also writen in WWII(1940s), which should have a great impact on the events in the book. the first thing that i thought about(before reading) is that it would go more in depth with feminism, because of the role reversal that took place during WWII when women had to take mens jobs since they were off fighting war. this could still happen, but it doesnt seem as relevent as i thought it would be. a key thing about the french during WWII was that they were almost immediatly taken over by germany, and controlled. this could influance the play by making the charicters more good vs evil exagerated, emphasizing conflicts, or making creon look like an evil person who takes over the lives of the people of thebes (like hitler taking over the french). There is also a HUGE difference in language and style that could be influanced by the time period itself.

Antigone jornal #3: casting

Antigone
"So Fiery-and it ought to chill your heart"(64)
"like father like daughter, passionate, wild..."(82)
"give me glory! what greater glory could i win than to give my own brother decent burial?"(84)
Kate Winslet- passionate blue eyes, needs to dye hair a deep red color, lean cut body, long hair, soft slightly pale skin, full lips
-fiery, spontanious, rebelious, feirce emotion, defensive, passionate, expressive, unreserved, brash
why?- kate winslet already had most of the phisical qualities required, and in several of her movies she displays qualities of spotinaity(eternal sunshine) or passion(titanic)

Ismene
"when a law forbids the city?"(61)
"I have no strenght for that"(63)
"tell me dear one, what can i do to help you, even now?"(88)
Rosario Dawson- typically a motherly attitude, not unattractive but not 100% desirable body type, bland emotion
-passive, motherly, wise, experienced, loving, trustworthy
Why?- Rosario Dawson has shown a type of motherly/older sister attidude in josie and the pussycats, and would fit the role becuase of her faithfulness to her loved ones in several different roles.

Creon
"Am I to rule this land for others-or myself?"(97)
"you, get out, wherever you please-"(81)
"follow your orders closly then"(69)
Ian McKellen-intimidating, elderly
-aggressive, intimidating, vicious, selfish, uncaring, firey, unjust, tyranical
Why?- Ian Mckellen would be good for the role because he has played the antagonist before(magnito in x-men), which is a charicter that also grows power hungry and selfish. (note: irrelivent to his role of creon, but just fyi he was gandalf ^^)

Haemon
"now, you see?who's talking like a child?"(97)
"its no city at all, owned by one man alone"(97)
"what, brazen threats? you go too far!(99)
Jet Lee- athletic body, powerful presence, rebellious charicter roles
-rebellious, deciving, inteligent, rightious
why?- Jet lee would suit Haemons role because of the several roles he has previously played involving him being either a trator, or a deciver(Hero).

Antigone jornal #2

knowledge: what were creons actions and attitudes in Oedipus the king? what were creons actions and attitudes in Antigone?

Comprehension: how did Creon handle each the defiers of his laws? how did creon respond to What his son Haemon said about his actions?

Application: How does creons attitudes in Oedipus the king and in Antigone compaire?why is it that creon acts differently while in a position of power?

Analysis: what emotion would the audience have felt at creons sentence of antigone?what do you as a modern audience feel? who do you as the audience feel is the most victimized in this situation? Antigone, Haemon, the people of Thebes, or Ismene?

Synthesis: why is it that Creon seems to have changed from Oedipus the king to Antigone? how have the people of thebes changed since Oedipuses rule?

Evaluation: why is it that everybody seems to be against Creon in this play? is it because Creon has begun to show aspects of a dictators role in society? why would Creon not sentence Antigone to death?

Antigone jornal #1

one technique used frequently on page 61 is the use of breaks in thought or pause in statement. for example, "what? you'd bury him--when a law forbids the city?"(61) the reason this is done is to convey a mood of shock and fear. this same type of pauseing creates tension, and allows for the audience to stop and think about the conflict or tension occuring.

Another effect used is the constant comparison to fire, or burning things. this sets a tone of charicterization for antigonie as it is used to describe her by Ismene, "So Fiery"(64) and is at the same time used to set a tone of prosparity, "Glory!--great beam of the sun"(65)Chorus. this effects the reader and changes the tone of the reading by making it seem like everything has a good and bad side to it, as fire does. it could also be an foreshadowing technique used to convey that something having to do with fire will occur.

There are many conflicts right off at the begining of this play, which shows that the play will be dealing with many issues. there is a conflict in personality between Antigone and Ismene in the begining about what should be put first, what is right and what is law, "I'd do them no dishonor...but defy the city?"(63) she questions Antigones values concerning the burial of their brothers, and places the citys rules as higher up. there is also constant concern for the law and order through out the play, and a conflict between what is right and wrong.

Medea vs Oedipus on catharsis

The plays Medea and Oedipus are both examples of tragety because of their seperate use of cathersis, the downfall of power figures, and the fact that the play deals with the idea of fate.

In both medea and Oedipus the King, there is a systematic build of emotion followed by a purge of the same emotional energy. In the begining of the book, the audience feels that Oedipus is a kind person and feels that he is the more rightious charicter in the play as he speaks about his people, "I grieve for these, my people"(pg 163). yet at the end of the book, because of his actions and what he has done, we feel almost sorry for him. Especially since he has taken all the blame and punished himslef by gouging his eyes out. Medea uses cathardic elements in order to evoke anger from medeas actions when the audience once felt sorrow for her and her loss.
The two plays also involve a downfall in the main charicter in some way, the key difference between the two plays is the way the two charicters loose there power or influance. in Oedipus, he looses power through learning that he is the plauge of his city, and that he is the one to be blamed. In his seat of power he accused Creon of going against him, but in the end Creon emerges innocent after the events of the play unfold and has power over Oedipus because of what has been learned, and because of what Oedipus did as self punishment. Medea looses power in a way, because her credibility has been tarnished among the people of greece. She began as a charicter to feel sorry for because she had been hurt by her husband and childbearer Jason, which made the audience feel sorrow for her. however, in the end she killed her children, and posined Jasons fionce and her father. in doing this, she riled up the city and Jason, and has been lowerd in power.
Fate is discussed in both plays. Oedipus toys with fate in a more evident way than Medea becuase in the end, after all this attempt to defy the prophisy made by the Gods, the terrible tragety of Oedipus still occured. this means that the primary meaning in Oedipus is that fate is somthing that cannot be prevented. Medea plays with the idea of fate in a different fashion. the Creon in Medea as well as Jason both do there best to make sure Medea doesent end up doing somthing rash, by trying to appease her and trying to make her leave the land even though they know it will probily happen. they cannot defy the prediction that medea will do somthing rash, and she does making the idea of fate evedent and enevitable.

Medea jornal #3

one interesting thing that should be noted is that throughout the begining of the play, only females used the gods or referenced them(chorus, Nurse, Medea), yet after Medea has poisined a couple people and killed her sons, then the males speak to the gods or reference them(messanger, Jason). Medea, throughout the play, interacts with the gods by making them almost seem equal to her as she goes along. but one of the key things Medea does is reference how the gods know something, or there knowlege in general. in the last episode, she talks about how the gods know what has happened from her side, "The gods know who began this whole calamity"(76). in doing this she sets herself as her equals by saying that they would take her side in the matter, and would agree that this entire tragety was Jasons fault to begin with. earlyer she even swears on the gods which makes it seem like they are hers to swear on, "Swear by the sun, my father's father dread. swear by every god and godhead"(56). Jason however interacts with the gods like what would be typical of a greek citizen, he asks them for things, "For the love of the gods allow me"(77). He is asking the gods for things, which in turn makes it seem like the gods have power over him. while Medea seems to use and reference the gods as if they have power over other people.
Topic/ kinda thesis statment: In the play Medea Euripides uses different interactions that his charicters have with the gods to display how some people place themselfs higher in power through Medeas use of gods as if they have power over people and Jasons use of the gods to act as if he is lower than them by asking the gods for things.

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).