Reading Period 3: September 15-21: Oedipus the King

Long Read: 

"Introduction" essay by Fagles, pages 131-153.
Oedipus the King by Sophocles, lines 1-705

Poems:

Please listen to and read these ancient Babylonian writings, pronounced by scholars who have put together an idea of how the words would sound by comparing them with Greek and Hebrew and other contemporary languages.

"Hymn to Ishtar"
"Incantation for Dog Bite"
"Tooth Worm Incantation"

Creative Assignments:

The Sphinx that was tormenting Thebes is a woman-headed winged lion. Take a look at this illustration of what it may have looked like:

Now, channel your inner Tiresias. With your eyes closed or even blindfolded, use a pencil and unlined paper to recreate this illustration as accurately as you can. Don't peek! Post your blind prophet version of the Sphinx along with your favorite riddle. Solve each other's riddles for honor and glory.

OR

Oedipus' search for Laius' killer is an example of dramatic irony, because the audience knows the killer is Oedipus himself. Create the most ironic "Wanted" poster in all of literature and time. Imagine you are Oedipus trying to find out who killed Laius, designing a wanted poster to hang in the Thebes post office to help you find the murderer. The wanted poster should be filled with as much IRONY as you can - visual, verbal, blindness puns, eye references, whatever you like.

Writing Assignment:

Assyrian is a dead language. The tablets inscribed with cuneiform have no practical purpose in the world today. Yet scholars spend their lives deciphering these ancient texts and trying to figure out how to pronounce them so they can make these recordings. Some are poetic, some seem silly. Meanwhile, there is much work to be done in our contemporary world. After listening to the poetry recordings above, read the "About SOAS University of London" page, and think about the study of ancient "dead" languages. What purpose does it serve? Pretend that you are writing to a corporation who may give a grant to fund this study. Write a persuasive essay of about 300 words in which you take a stand on whether time spent pronouncing the poetry of Babylon is time well spent or time wasted. You may argue that this project deserves grant money, or that the grant money should not be spent on it. Use quotes, examples, logical arguments, appeals to emotions, and your identity as a future college student to convince your reader. Post your assignment to Google+ as usual, AND bring your printed-out essay to class on Thursday.

AP Lang:

Read "The Qualities of the Prince" by Niccolo Machiavelli, in A World of Ideas, pages 35-51.

The word "Machiavellian" has a sinister connotation. Beyond "cunning" and "clever" it means scheming and plotting in a negative sense. Psychologists have created a personality type based on it, calling Machiavellians manipulators and deceivers. Based on what you have read, is this fair? Write a 300 word essay in which you give an example of the word being used as a negative, and then argue that this common understanding of Machiavelli is accurate or inaccurate. You will have to find an essay, article, or book that uses the term in this way and quote it. You can cite your source within the essay itself rather than using a footnote. For example, you might say:

"For example, in the New York Times, David Brooks calls a manipulation of willpower "Machiavellian," implying that it's crafty trickery, not honest character building."

"In 2002, psychologists Paulhus and Williams coined the term "Dark Triad," including Machiavellianism with Psychopathy and Narcissism as negative personality traits."

After you've shown that it is used in a negative way, you can use quotes from the excerpt to argue that it's fair or not.

Quiz:

1. Name at least three of the natural calamities afflicting Thebes at the play's beginning.
2. What two crimes has Oedipus committed before the play's beginning?
3. What monster did Oedipus defeat when he came to Thebes?
4. What was the monster's riddle, and what was the answer?
5. Name the five Olympian gods the chorus PRAYS TO in the first scene.
6. What does Oedipus swear he will do to the murderer of Laius?
7. What does Oedipus accuse Tiresias of? Whom does he implicate with Tiresias?
8. What does Tiresias prophesy will happen to Oedipus?
9. What relation is Creon to Oedipus?
10. What city does Oedipus come from (not Thebes)?
11. Because everyone in the audience knew the story of Oedipus, Sophocles was able to use this kind of humor to enhance the potency of the play. What was this humorous method called?
12. Define the following terms:

Hamartia
Anagnorisis
Peripeteia
Catharsis