April 27, 2009

Journal: Role of the gods

The gods come off as all knowing and infallible beings, but in the case of the prophecy of Oedipus killing his father and marrying his mother, the people are trying to defy the same gods that they believe to always be right. The people who are able to talk with the gods are just the oracles at the various temples of each god, but anybody is able to just cry out to a god and shout "But why?!" at any time they so please. The dependence upon the oracles means that people have to go back and forth to them when they get a prophecy because first they have to get it, then go tell all of their friends and family who want to know the answer, then go back to tell the oracle that the message was wrong and then return once again to everybody to tell them that the oracle told them the exact same thing a second time. With all of this trekking back and forth, it doesn't appear that people do anything else except for getting messages from the oracle and contesting them with the help of their friends and family, rather than taking care of their actual duties of being the king or an efficient intercity messenger.

April 23, 2009

Oedipus-Sophocles Journal

Summary:

Oedipus addresses his people asking why they are so worried and while doing so, he helps an old man to his feet, showing his compassion for the normal person. The priest responds to Oedipus' inquiry by explaining that the reason for all the woe is that everyone in the city is weak and the gods do not appear to be helping. The priest then asks if the king has any extra knowledge or power bestowed upon him by the gods that helped him to defeat the Sphinx and if so, if he would help to right the wrongs of society. Oedipus explains that he is unable to help the city because he is weak from worrying about everyone all at once rather than just for himself individually. Creon arrives with news that he believes Oedipus would prefer to hear in private instead of around the priests but the king tells him to do it there anyway. Creon reveals that Apollo wants the killer of Laius, the king before Oedipus, to be brought to justice with the "eye for an eye" method of justice. Oedipus then questions Creon for information about the former ruler's killer but Creon tells the king that the only witness who was not killed is unable to recall anything from the event. Oedipus learns that Laius was killed by a band of thieves outside of Thebes and the people of the city had not gone out to find the killers because the Sphinx had convinced them not to. Oedipus declares that he is ready to find the killer, acting as Apollo's champion and employing the help of the priests to find the culprit so as to end the plague besieging the city. The townspeople are in the temple, chanting to Zeus, Apollo and Athena asking the gods for their help in curing the city's woes. The Chorus describes the sickness that spreads throughout Thebes, getting stronger as more people die and spread the illness, showing why the gods need to step in and help. The Chorus continues to ask the gods for help, but this time single out Zeus, Apollo, Artemis and especially Dionysus to solve the various problems that face Thebes all at once.