My Oedipus Questions

I often wonder this as I read classic and Shakespearean plays.  Would translating the play into the most modern speaking language take from or add to the reader's experience?  I found myself having to reread many passages to fully understand their meaning.


Since this was a story well-known to Sophocles' audience, an audience who believed in such things as multiple gods, what feelings to you think they might have had that we do not and vice versa?

I was quite taken back by Oedipus' reaction to death of whom he believes is his real father.  He is so wrapped up in believing the prophecy now to be false he does not take time to mourn the death of his own father though he is demanding the murder of a man he never knew to be brought to justice.

"And as for this marriage with your mother - have no fear.  Many a man before you, in his dreams, has hared his mother's bed."   Uh, nope not me.   Again, is this something that is more in tune with the past Greek society or have I totally missed the boat on this so-called fantasy?

Oedipus Rex questions answered

1. Who wrote the play?

The play was written by Sophocles.

2. Briefly define the Oedipal Complex.

It is a theory by Sigmund Freud that states a son will want to have his mother sexually as well as wanting to kill his father.

3. What is the setting of the story, specifically, the where?

In the city of Thebes in ancient Greece.

4. As the play opens, what horrible thing is going on?

Many citizens of the city of Thebes are dying from a terrible plague.

5. Whose death must be avenged in order for the horrible thing from number 4 to end?

Oedipus' predecessor King Laius.

6. Who is Oedipus’ wife?

His wife is Queen Jocasta, his unknown birth mother.

7. Who is Oedipus’ mother?

His birth mother is Queen Jocasta.  His adoptive mother is Queen Merope of Corinth.

8. Who is Oedipus’ father?

His birth father is King Laius.  His adoptive father is King Polybus of Corinth.

9. Who killed the King of Thebes (the answer for #5)?

Unknown to anyone at the time, even himself, Oedipus

10. What is Oedipus’ tragic flaw?

Oedipus's tragic flaw is his pride.

11. & 12. As you read through Oedipus, you'll note that sight/vision/seeing (including "second sight") is very important to the overall story--in the literal as well as the metaphorical/symbolical aspect.  You don't have to do this in complete sentences if you don't want---

Describe/discuss/explain/list how sight/vision/seeing/"second sight" is/are used in the play to advance the plot--to advance the story as a whole.  Include an explanation of why it's important as well as how it helps you (the real audience) understand (get) what others on the stage and in the play don't understand.

Sight is the driving force of this place.  Without the sight of the orginal prophecy that Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother none of this play would have happened.  Oedipus would not have been sent off as a baby to only return to fufill this prophecy.   Oedipus goes on to mock the blind prophet who at the time is the only one who truly sees the truth.  Once Oedipus is fully aware of his actions he gorges out his own eyes inflicting self-blindless.  This actual blindness replaces the mental blindness that both Oedipus and Jocasta have had during the run of this play.

13. As a play, there's a lot that can and can not be done on the stage.  Explain why you think some things within this play in particular are done on stage while others are done off stage.

As with any play there are moments that need to be described rather than shown.  This was especially true for classic plays as this.  One scene in particular in which Oedipus unknowingly kills the King of Thebes and a band of men would be hard to stage and act.  By having the characters describe the story the audience can imagine the scene to their own horrid tastes.

Another scene that is easier told than acted is when Oedipus gauges out his own eyes when he sees his wife / mother hanging dead from her own noose.  This is obviously easier to portray in words than through actions on stage.  It might have even been a bit too gory for audiences then and now.

14. Do you believe in fate?  Explain fully your answer.

As a Christian my belief in fate is quite strong.  My idea of fate is the path that God has prepared for us.  While fate is a strong and given idea, it can be muddled by our freedom of choices.  Humans are very near-sighted people.  We are unable to see this big “fate picture.”  While there are many branches and side streets off the main road of our destiny I believe that God truly has each of us fated for our destinies.  Only by choosing the honorable and worthy decisions in life will we truly find the path fate, or God, has given to us.

15. Explain how fate plays a role in Oedipus.

Fate plays a huge role in this play!  It begins with Creon arriving back from the oracle at Delphi.  This is a clear showing of the fate idea.  Greeks believed that oracles new the plans of the gods and shared these plans through riddles and clues.  There is then the prophecy that started this whole mess to begin with; the idea that Laius and Jocasta’s son was fated to murder him and marry her.   Though fate is at first seen as something given and accepted, Jocasta and Oedipus both mock and deny it when they are finding themselves closer to the truth.

16. Have you ever thought how ironic this play is? It's weird how the events come together and make everything happen the way it does. If things were to happen just a little bit different the story would be completely changed.

Yes!  I plan on writing my journal essay on this exact thing.  Maybe I’m still stuck on the irony kick from Arsenic and Old Lace but it is quite heavy in this play as well.  It seems as if Sophocles read a book on irony right before he wrote this play.  Each event and moment in this place is so well balanced it seems as if any small step in an off direction would cause the entire thing to implode.  Though saying this it reminds me of how true this is in our own lives.  Missing a light or turning down the wrong street can easily change our entire stories.

Extra: Name either one of the other two plays in the Oedipus Trilogy—punctuation count.

The other two plays are Antigone and Oedipus at Colonus

Arsenic and Old Lace

The overachieving student in me felt quite guilty choosing Arsenic and Old Lace as my movie choice.  I don't want to say that this was the "cop out" pick but at first glance it does seem to be the easiest of the options.   The 32 year old male in me did not feel guilty for choosing this movie over the other four which were A) musicals and B) already forced upon me to watch.  Within the first five minutes of the movie I knew I had made the right choice.  I do not understand how I have made it all of my life without knowing how great this film is!  Of course I've heard of Cary Grant but there truly is reason why he is the immortal legend that he is.  Not only was this film full of all the things I love, irony, slap-stick humor, great one-liners and that ever so sneaky glace to the audience, it also was smartly written and pardon my French, just a damn good movie.

There is nothing more ironic then someone trying to define irony.  And that statement in itself is ironic.  Or is it?  I, like every other red-blooded American in the 1990's, owned and wore out a copy of Alanis Morrisette's Jagged Little Pill.   While that is indeed a great album it handicapped the world in what irony truly is.  Rain on your wedding day is not really ironic.  It's just unfortunate.  That is unless of course you are a meteorologist.  

In researching a detailed definition for irony I found a webpage that does so quite well.

from http://grammar.about.com/od/il/g/ironyterm.htm

Three kinds of irony are commonly recognized:

1. Verbal irony is a trope in which the intended meaning of a statement differs from the meaning that the words appear to express.
2. Situational irony involves an incongruity between what is expected or intended and what actually occurs.
3. Dramatic irony is an effect produced by a narrative in which the audience knows more about present or future circumstances than a character in the story.

Though I believe my favorite definition comes from Steve Buscemi defines irony in the movie Con-Air.

 

There's the meat. Now let's get to the gravy.

Examples of irony in Arsenic and Old Lace:

[ ] Before you even watch the movie or read the play you are hit head on with irony.  The title itself is dripping with this quite misused literary term.   Arsenic is a harsh and deadly poison while lace, especially old lace, is quite delicate and mundane.

[ ] Mortimer Brewster, a man who wrote such books as Marriage a Fraud and a Failure and Mind Over Matrimony is getting married to a minister's daughter no less!

[ ] Not only is this self-proclaimed marriage hater getting married he is doing so in the most predictable ways of the time.  It was common for New England couples to travel to Niagara Falls on a train in the bridal suite.  

[ ] Before we are made aware of the aunts dozen dirty deeds Officer Brophy says to his new replacement Officer O'Hara, "Why there ain't two sweeter little ol' ladies in the world."  Quite an dramatic ironic statement I would say.

[ ] In his mad dash after finding out his aunts have committed multiple murders Mortimer hurries his cab driver, to whom he still owes fare, to hail a cab.   An unpaid cabby hailing a cab may seem like just plain stupidity but there we have a nice ironic situation.

[ ] Jonathan Brewster, long lost brother of Mortimer who has a very dark past and demeanor returns home to hide from the law and bury a body of a man he has murdered.  His aunts are quite afraid of him which is quite ironic since they've murdered as many victims as he has.

[ ] Once Mortimer is aware of his aunts misdeeds he has a heated conversation with Aunt Abby who says, "Well of course. Darling you don't think I'd stoop to telling a fib?"

[ ] Elaine, the woman who married Mortimer says to him, "Look at your aunts.  They’re Brewster’s aren’t they?  And the sanest sweetest people I’ve ever known.    

[ ] Aunt Martha and Aunt Abby want to go to the police because their nephew Jonathan wants to bury the man he murdered, a foreigner, with the man they “helped along his way,” a Methodist. 

[ ] “At least people in plays act like they got sense.”  (Dr. Einstein)

[ ] “Are you kidding? You think People in plays act intelligently? You should’ve seen the one I had to cover tonight.  There’s a fellow in this play.  Knows he’s in the house with murderers.  He’s even been warned.  But does he get out? No, he stays there.  Now, I ask you, doctor, is that intelligent?”  (Mortimer)

[ ] Following this dialogue Jonathan is seen coming up from the cellar.  Mortimer goes on to explain how the victim is tied and gagged as Jonathan follows the words as instructions.  Mortimer even scoffs at the fact that the victim in the play has his back turned so he doesn’t see his demise coming.

“You see, in a play or a movie for that matter, a fellow never sees or hears anything...

He sits there waiting to be tied and gagged, the big dope!”  (Mortimer)  Right as the word dope leaves Mortimer’s mouth Jonathan and Dr. Einstein tie and gag him.  Ha!

[ ] Just as before, Officer O’Hara speaks of how when he first joined the force he was cleaning out a crooked laundry when little does he know it there is a dope fiend with a long knife trailing after him.  As he says this Jonathan can be seen behind him with a long knife.   

[ ] As Jonathan is coming to after being knocked out by Dr. Einstein (the only on trying to help in the play which is quite ironic itself) he overhears a policeman speaking on the phone about the “missing” Officer O’Hara.  When Jonathan hears, “Call of the manhunt, we found him.” He assumes they are speaking about him.

[ ] And my favorite line of the entire movie…Lt. Rooney after hearing twice about 13 bodies being buried in the cellar says, “There are people dumb enough to believe a story like that.”

Shakespearean Sonnet by Robby Fulton

"Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout" by Shel Silverstein

My mother was quite creative with her punishments.  Once I slammed the door in her face (yes, I know shame on me).  When I returned home from school that day my door was gone.  I could have it back when I paid for it.  $50 is a lot of money for a ten year old but I never again slammed the door in her face.  When I would forget to take out the garbage I had to write the poem “Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Snout” by Shel Silverstein.  Eventually I had the poem memorized and was able to quickly write down the words.  I thought I had my mother beat.  She then changed the consequence.  Now instead of writing the poem I had to recite it to my friends.  This was pure fear for a middle school boy.

I suppose I should have all sorts of ill feelings towards this piece.  But truly, how could you?  Not only is it a funny and creative story it also is a cautionary tale to all neglectful children.  Every time I had to write or recite this piece I would always picture our garbage piling up and spreading across the country.  Once I even wrote my own version.  I replaced Sarah’s garbage with my own family’s garbage.   This poem is one we all can relate to, old and young.  It is a fun yet cautionary tale of what can happen when you fail the simplest of responsibilities.

I have included below a copy of the poem as well as a reading by Tori Amos.  I love how her voice captures the fun and imagination of this piece. 

Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout

Would not take the garbage out.

She'd wash the dishes and scrub the pans

Cook the yams and spice the hams,

And though her parents would scream and shout,

She simply would not take the garbage out.

And so it piled up to the ceiling:

Coffee grounds, potato peelings,

Brown bananas and rotten peas,

Chunks of sour cottage cheese.

It filled the can, it covered the floor,

It cracked the windows and blocked the door,

With bacon rinds and chicken bones,

Drippy ends of ice cream cones,

Prune pits, peach pits, orange peels,

Gloppy glumps of cold oatmeal,

Pizza crusts and withered greens,

Soggy beans, and tangerines,

Crusts of black-burned buttered toast,

Grisly bits of beefy roast.

The garbage rolled on down the halls,

It raised the roof, it broke the walls,

I mean, greasy napkins, cookie crumbs,

Blobs of gooey bubble gum,

Cellophane from old bologna,

Rubbery, blubbery macaroni,

Peanut butter, caked and dry,

Curdled milk, and crusts of pie,

Rotting melons, dried-up mustard,

Eggshells mixed with lemon custard,

Cold French fries and rancid meat,

Yellow lumps of Cream of Wheat.

At last the garbage reached so high

That finally it touched the sky,

And none of her friends would come to play,

And all of her neighbors moved away;

And finally, Sarah Cynthia Stout

Said, "Okay, I'll take the garbage out!"

But then, of course it was too late,

The garbage reached across the state,

From New York to the Golden Gate;

And there in the garbage she did hate

Poor Sarah met an awful fate

That I cannot right now relate

Because the hour is much too late

But children, remember Sarah Stout,

And always take the garbage out. 

"Beowulf" Author Unknown

"He strode quickly across the inlaid/ Floor, snarling and fierce: his eyes/ Gleamed in the darkness, burned with a gruesome/ Light. Then he stopped, seeing the hall/ Crowded with sleeping warriors,.../ And his heart laughed, he relished the sight,/ Intended to tear the life from those bodies/ By morning."   from "Beowulf" lines 724-732


My favorite poem of all time is the epic tale of Beowulf.  It was the Die Hard of its time.  A legendary hero saving the day fighting monsters, finding treasure and ends with an epic dragon battle in which the hero's life is sacrificed.  Take that Bruce Willis.  If you have not ever read this piece of poetry I highly suggest you do.  I do not suggest you try to read it in its original text.  I attempted this once and was lost quite quickly.  There are a number of great translations.  There is also quite a number of movie versions of this poem, the most recent being my personal favorite.


This story is the oldest surviving of all epic poems written in English.  That alone shows its importance not only in history but also the future.  It shows how poetry is more than love sonnets and woeful lines of misery.  Poetry can be exciting and adventurous.  It can scare you and fill you with pride.  "Beowulf" has not stood the ages for its mere historical battle. It continues to be passed on from generation to generation because it is a timeless tale of adventure and heroics.


Link to full "Beowulf" epic poem


Here is a scene from the 2007 movie version of "Beowulf."  Though it is CGI the fighting is quite graphic and there is some PG-13 language.

"A Red, Red Rose" by Robert Burns (pg. 770)

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised I found another poem that was turned into a choir piece.   "A Red, Red Rose" by Robert Burns was one of the feature pieces for my middle school choir.  I hadn't appreciated its beauty and heartfelt words until today.  Whomever Burns intended this poem for must be a very deserving woman.  This piece starts off with two similes that would put Cyrano de Bergerac to shame.  "O my Luve's like a red, red rose, / That's newly sprung in June: / O my Luve's like the melodie / That's sweetly play'd in tune."  I need to remember those words next time I get in trouble with my girlfriend.  Apology flowers will never sound so sweet.

It's astounding how a love poem written over 200 years ago can still so strongly hold true.  Burns uses beautifully written imagery to further his point: "Till a' the seas gang dry my Dear, / And the rocks melt wi' the sun:."  This poem has lasted the test of time through its simple and honest charm.  What stronger words could be said then I will love you until the rocks melt from the sun.

Though I could not find the version of the song we sang in middle school I did find this soft yet stunning piece by Isla St Clair.