Continuing the Discussion on Fate and Prophecy

In class, we started a discussion about fate and prophecies, and I thought it would be fun to continue it here. A question I had asked myself while reading Oedipus was this; if they hadn't asked for the prophecy in the first place, would the situation even have played out this way? Perhaps none of it would have happened; was asking the gods to know the future the act that actually set it? Once a god gave their word, maybe, that was what bound the future because they wouldn't want their power or word to be questioned as false. Or maybe, asking for the prophecy was itself fated. I also was reminded about the fact that many prophecies given by oracles were thought to have many interpretations, and were often vague or worded in such a way that many meanings were possible. Maybe several different outcomes were actually possible, and free will did impact the end result, but it was going to be something that fit into one of the possible interpretations. I did mention this in class, but I think the overall point of the prophecy aspect of the play was to honor the word and power of the gods (the play was made in honor of a god). Thus, keeping in line with the fact that the Greeks viewed the words of the divine as unknowable, I think that the question of fate vs free will was intentionally left up to interpretation and wonder in this play; the Greeks didn't claim to understand the power of the gods all the way, but they praised it and turned to it for guidance.

Comparison: Madea and a Documentary I Watched

The other day I was looking on Netflix for something kind of random to watch, and I happened upon a documentary about a community of people living on a large plot of land in houses carved into a ginormous rock. Here, polygamy was celebrated and common. The men were allowed to have multiple wives, but the women couldn't have multiple partners and were expected to do the housework and have lots of children. It was easy to see that the wives were miserable and oppressed; when the husband wanted another wife, he said it was for the good of the family, but it really broke each of the wives hearts even more. I so wanted them to leave and find happiness elsewhere; they didn't feel loved and they were being used. Aspects of this documentary reminded me of Madea. Jason stated that marrying the princess was for the good of the family as a whole, but in reality he didn't care about Madea's feelings and he viewed her as lower than him. I was also reminded of the power dynamics in Greek culture between the men and women; I remembered how the women were supposed to stay home and be loyal to only their husband while the men could go out and be with other people if they got bored. Lastly, the members of this community were not easily able to leave or see much of the world outside of the community beliefs, and this is similar to how Greek women were taught to stay contained and were kept from equal power.

Medea Hath Done No Wrong in Her Mind

Medea seems to think she is entirely blameless regarding her current situation. While she is correct in saying that Jason is an awful man for betraying her after all she did for him (i.e. make enemies with all who loved her by killing her brother to flee her homeland with Jason after falling in love with him), she is at fault for going to such drastic measures for a man she just met! Jason is awful—that I am not debating. Medea’s decision to run away with a man she just met, however, is almost as ridiculous as the women on the hit tv series the “Bachelorette” marrying a man they have known for merely six weeks. Medea herself admits that women face a challenge in discerning if men are good or not. My question to you, Medea, is why would you make the decision you did when you readily admit that men cannot be trusted? While Jason’s actions are indeed horrible, Medea was crazy to think such a rash decision of hers would produce a good relationship.

Prominent Ancient Greek Women

While most of Ancient Greek women were confined to the home and were basically the property of men, they were rarely considered a fundamental part of society. Not many had real jobs, except for cooking, cleaning, and making love to their husbands. However, there were a few women who were defiant and went against the societal norms. These women established themselves as respected doctors, philosophers or mathematicians. Here are seven ancient Greek women who impacted the course of history in Greece:

Aspasia of Miletus - writer/thinker

Agnodice of Athens - first female midwife

Hypatia of Alexandria - philosopher, astronomer and mathematician in Alexandria

Hipparchia of Marneia - writer

Arete of Cyrene - first female philosopher 

Hydna of Scion - top swimmer and diver

Telesilla of Argos - lyric poet

Maternal Instinct: Oedipus

One question that has lingered in my mind concerning Oedipus the King is HOW DID JOCASTA NOT RECOGNIZE OEDIPUS. Ok I know what you might be thinking: Well, Anabella, of course she didn't recognize him! He was only a baby when she gave him up! 

Yes, you may have a valid point. But in MY mind, Jocasta should have had some maternal instinct that made her stop and thing  Wait a minute.... Though I don't know from personal experience, my understanding of being a mother is that you have a connection with your child while their in the womb, not from the first day you met them. There should have been something that ticked in Jocasta's mind when she first (secondly) met Oedipus in that sense. Even if you don't agree with that argument you would have to admit that Oedipus, being Jocasta and Laius's son, would bear some resemblance to someone in the family, which then might be recognizable and even raise some eyebrows.

One example comes to mind is from Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa. To briefly summarize the movie if you haven't already seen it (shame on you), the four zoo animals that got previously trapped on the Island of Madagascar try to get back to New York but only make it as far as Africa. Coincidentally, this is where Alex the Lion is originally from, before he was captured by hunters and eventually went to a zoo (that's a whole other story though). When he was captured he was just a wee little baby, but when he came back, whilst re-meeting his parents his mother notices a familiarity about him. They then realize they are mother father and son. Ok, I know this is a cartoon but it's a valid point that in a situation similar to that, only with actual people and not talking animals, some type of maternal instinct would bounce forward and get that mom's attention.

"Stories" I guess you could call them, make me think of all kinds of crazy hypotheticals in my mind. For example, something I frequently ask my mom, as if she even knows the answer, is something I dont think many people would randomly think of. So lets say time machines were invented, and accessible to someone like me. If I went back to like 2001 do you think my mom would recognize me? I always think about what would happen if I just knocked on our door one day and was like Hi and made up some excuse as to why I was there and see what would happen. Or if I met myself. I don't know. You're welcome for a firsthand insight at what goes on inside my brain on the daily.

Anyway that's my point. I think Jocasta should have recognized Oedipus and avoided this whole thing.

Fate vs Free Will

I'm currently reading The Unbearable Lightness of Being and came across an Oedipus reference which tied into our class discussion from yesterday. In this section of the book, Kundera is discussing the main characters interactions at the beginning of their relationship, and reflects on the fact that many ancient myths began with the rescue of an abandoned child. He profoundly states, "If Polybus hadn't taken in the young Oedipus, Sophocles wouldn't have written his most beautiful tragedy!" Though brief, this sentence holds a lot of complexity and can be related to the idea of fate vs free will.
Furthermore, I think by including Sophocles and storytelling Kundera brings another dimension into this concept of interconnectedness. Considering Kundera goes on to liken our lives to a rehearsal in which everything occurs only once, with each action lacking a definitive result, I think it's almost as though he's saying tragedy is necessary for grander stories we may remain unaware of. The tragedy of Oedipus, which has surpassed the limitations of time and confirms the eternizing conceit, wouldn't exist without risk and actions which may lead to destruction but ultimately have additional effects left unknown to those who initiated them.

For Ancient Greek Females, "Clever" Means "Evil"

Although Euripides's play, Medea, presents an example of a strong female figure in Ancient Greece, this potential role model for women is undermined by the fact that "clever" is equated with "evil" or "devious" when applied to women. King Kreon wishes to evict Medea from his country when he has no solid evidence of any questionable actions on her part. Kreon says to Medea, "Many things accumulate to support my feeling. You are a clever woman, versed in evil arts (...)" (line 283). Ancient Greek men feel threatened by any woman who exhibited intelligence. Originally, Medea used her cleverness to aid Jason. She used her magical powers to help the man she loved and was the reason for his success in capturing the Golden Fleece. Later, when spurned by her ungrateful husband, she is ready to fight back and use her cleverness against him--but only because he has broken his oath to her. Medea is portrayed as a vicious, spiteful outcast in the play. She is not even Greek, which may be one reason why she, unlike most married women in Greece, is willing to try to get revenge on her unfaithful husband. Medea's mission is supported by the women of Corinth (represented by the Chorus). However, while they agree with her, the other women remain passive, which I believe is significant. They silently support rather than follow Medea's lead, like most women in Ancient Greek probably disapproved of their husband's affairs but never did anything about it.

Ancient Greece in the British Museum

This past summer, I went on Dr. Vaccaro's Europe trip to London, Paris, and Munich. One of the places we visited in London was the British Museum, and I was totally surprised by the amount of historical artifacts that were preserved there, such as wall murals from Babylon, and the Rosetta Stone. They also had an incredible exhibit on ancient Greece, which I admit I spent most of my time in. What completely baffled me were the Parthenon Marbles, statues and pieces of the actual Parthenon. According to the British Museum's website, the Parthenon exhibit was first introduced in 1817, and since then has caused legal controversy between Greece and Great Britain. In the 1980s, the Greek Government had argued for all of the pieces to be brought back to Athens, and had even challenged the museum's legal title to the exhibit.




link: http://www.britishmuseum.org/about_us/news_and_press/statements/parthenon_sculptures.aspx

Greece in New Orleans

In 8th grade, I was assigned to do a project where I had to find 50 things that were named after, and or influenced by ancient Greece. So, I thought I'd share with you some of the ones that I found that were right here in New Orleans.

Parades
1. Poseidon
2. Perseus
3. Titans
4. Adonis
5. Nemesis
6. Sparta
7. Pygmalion
8. Dionysus
9. Muses
10. Proteus

Streets

Companies
1. Muse - clothing store in Jackson Square
2. Muses Apartments - apartment complex close to the muses streets
3. Zeus' Place - pet groomer
4. Athena Nails and Spa

A Society Obsessed with Music

To say the least, music has been on my mind A LOT this week. So, I decided to see what role music played in the life of the ancient greeks, and turns out, it's a lot more of an influence than you would think!!!

In addition to just being something nice to listen or dance to, music took on a huge role in society. 

The nine muses covered many aspects of creative thought, such as: history, comedy, poetry, song, hymns, epic poetry, dance, astronomy, and poetry (in case y'all needed a refresher). Many of these realms of creative thought were based on music, like how history was taught in song. In astronomy, the Greeks thought that the planets made their own sounds while traveling through space. Music was also used as a treatment for medicine.

Plato believed that the music you listen to can completely alter your ethos. If the music is not promoting intelligence, self discipline, or courage, it should be banned. Which has resurfaced in multiple obscenity cases over the years resulting in Parental Advisory label on albums. 

Sources: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1aAunaw1GA

Naked and Afraid-- not the tv show

As intellectual and interesting all of our Ancient Greek presentations were, I think my biggest take away from them came from my own presentation: the Greeks did sports naked.
Okay in all seriousness, this is not my biggest takeaway from the assignment but it most definitely was something I didn't expect to learn and I think it's dang funny. Obviously if we really consider the facts of history, clothes haven't always existed, so at some point or another humans did everything naked. However, this clearly isn't the same situation. Ancient Greece had a developed enough society that wearing clothes was the norm. Therefore, doing all sport competitions completely in the nude, is a component to there  culture that's quite odd and frankly I dont understand. Maybe it's out of respect for the gods in which the sporting events were devoted to, or maybe they thought the freedom from clothing enhanced their athletic ability, either way: it seems really bizarre. In conclusion, let's just say I am very happy those ways of conducting sporting events are over.

I'm basically a Greek Goddess (this is a joke please click to understand)

As we know, before coming to STM in 8th grade, I went to Kehoe France. At Kehoe in 6th grade there's a a day called Greek day, or was it Mythology day, ah who knows at this point. During this time in history class, taught by the infamous Ms. Dempsey (former Saint player, Tom Dempsey's wife), we loved every bit of it. For Greek day, we all were assigned a god, goddess, or such thereof, to dress up, present, and perform as. Funny enough, I was Rhea, so when Elise brought up Rhea in her presentation the other day, I felt immediately like I was back in 6th grade. According to Hesiod, Cronus and Rhea had six children: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus (in that order).
Cronus had just been informed that he was destined to be overcome by his own child. So as each of his children were born, Cronus swallowed them (gross). Rhea was not down with the fact that her husband was eating her kids, as any mother naturally wouldn't be, so she devised a plan. This plan, in my opinion is one of the most iconic things to ever have happened in Greek Mythology and is hugely underappreciated. After giving birth to her youngest, Zeus, she gave Cronus a rock-- AN ACTUAL ROCK-- which he then swallowed, thinking it was his child. I find that utterly hilarious, like how dumb do you have to be to eat a ROCK and think it is an actual BABY. Classic Rhea. Anyway, infant Zeus was then hidden away in a cave in Mount Ida, where he grew and eventually came to both free his siblings and killing Cronus, fulfilling the prophecy, by drugging his father. On Greek day I dressed in my toga and work a little gold crown as my costume and told this story. In addition, the boys who were Zeus and Cronus helped me perform a skit where I used a rock from the landscaping outside the classroom to explain my, or Rhea's, story. Long story short, Rhea is super cool and I love her story, so being able to share that as my tiny 6th grade self is something I'll never forget.

Ways to Look at Ancient Greek Vases in Museums

When visiting a museum or art gallery, here are the some of the best ways to observe an Ancient Greek vase:

1. Look for mishaps, mistakes, or repairs the painter could have made. There might be some ancient finger prints left smudged at the bottom.

2. Modern reconstructions or changes added to the vase by a modern painter.

3. Similar styles of a group of vases made by the same potter

4. Vases that may have been traded or exported among different Greek city states

5. Words written on pictures

6. Pictorial Connections and Juxtapositions

7. Women

8. Spectators and viewers in the background of paintings

9. Figures making eye contact with you

Famous Ancient Greek Temples

Yesterday during my group's presentation, I talked a little about the importance of the Temple in the Religious culture of the Greeks. They were considered to be homes for the Gods or Goddesses instead of being a place of  worship. People weren't usually allowed inside except for Priests and servants. I did a little more research on this topic and it is by no surprise that many of these temples are nothing but remains now. Many are destroyed and forever lost to the ancient world. I decided to  search up some of the most iconic temples of Ancient Greece. Here are a few and a brief description:

Temple of Olympian Zues:

One of, if not the most important temple in all of ancient Greece. This temple was placed in the center of Athens and was dedicated to Zues. Construction of it began in 6th Century BC but not completed until 2nd century AD. It was then destroyed in a Barbarian invasion in 3rd Century AD.

The Parthenon:

A large temple that was dedicated to the Goddess Athena. It was also placed in Athens, whose people considered Athena their patron. The main purpose of this temple was to house a large statue of Athena made of chryselephantine. Eventually, in 5th century AD, this statue would be stolen and destroyed by the Romans. During it's life, the Parthenon also stood as a fort, church, and even a mosque.

The Temple of Haphaestus:

The Temple of Hephaestus is considered one of the best preserved Greek temples for it still stands tall today. According to Perusians, the temple houses two bronze statues of Athena and Hephaestus. It was constructed in 5th century BC in a district of foundries and metal workshops. Around 700 AD, the temple became a Christian church dedicated to Saint George. Eventually, the temple was converted into a Museum by the first king of Greece, Otto I which it would remain until 1934.

The Temple of Apollo Epicurius (aka "Bassae"):

Dedicated to Apollo, this temple is one of the most studied Ancient Greek temples because of it's unusual features. It was constructed much earlier than many other Greek temples (in 450 BC to 400 BC, although there are some other earlier examples as well) and it is aligned north-south unlike many other temples which were aligned east-west. It is also unusual because it contains examples of all three classical architectural orders of Ancient Greece (Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian). Today, a tent covers it to protect the ruins.

Temple of Poseidon at Sounion:

This temple was dedicated to Poseidon and was built approximately 444 BC to 440 BC during the "Golden age of Athens" (a time of huge economic growth for Athens). It was supposedly built on top of the remains of an even older temple. Intact, it supposedly really resembled the temple of Hephaestus.

Now, I could sit here all day and give examples of Greek temples dedicated to Gods and Goddesses along with brief description but you get the picture. For more information on these temples, or even more temples, see sources:

Sources:
https://www.touropia.com/famous-greek-temples/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bassae
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Poseidon_at_Sounion
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Olympian_Zeus,_Athens
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Hephaestus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ancient_Greek_temples

Greek Religion, Oedipus, and our Summer Books

One thing that stood out to me about Greek religion was the focus on spirit's of ancestors and the family hearth, which was thought to embody the family's past, present, and future. These rituals for the dead often revolved around being on good terms and avoiding vengeful hauntings; the dead didn't want to be forgotten. Also, they buried the dead with items that they could use in the afterlife, and there were even times when it was thought these spirits could roam our world. They still had significant influence on the world and weren't really gone, they were just no longer physically here. These concepts remind me of our summer reading books; in both, the importance of remembering one's past and the idea that history's influence is ever-present are highlighted. The Greeks' importance placed on family also made me realize that Oedipus's deeds must have shaken the audience not only for the obvious reasons, but also because it hit on a focal point of their daily rituals, and because in addition to these deeds, Oedipus wanted to replace the gods in his subject's eyes. He thus disrespected the Greek religion that was interwoven in so many parts of their daily lives and activities. (Even the play itself was to honor a god!) Maybe part of the point of the play was to show that the word of the gods/set fate can't be evaded even if someone thinks themselves to be higher than the gods.

¿Mid Terms?

We can thank the Greeks for a lot of things. But most importantly we can thank them for democracy. While their form of democracy was drastically different from ours they laid the foundation. So I thought I would give a brief recap of our quickly approaching midterms, which is a staple of our American Democracy!

The 2018 midterms are 16 days and 4 hours away (yes I made a timer)! Every seat in the house is up for re-election, and 33 seats of the Senate are up. In the Senate, there are 23 democrats, 8 republicans, and 2 independents up for re-election.

The elections could be exciting this year, as an unusual amount of states that used to lean a specific way are now largely undecided, according to various polls.

Will the Republicans keep their majority in both chambers? Will the Democrats take one or possibly both chambers? I guess we will have to see, but according to projections the Republicans will likely keep the Senate, but there is a chance for the Democrats to take the house.

Some key Senate races to watch this year include the following:

Arizona: Martha McSally (R) vs. Kyrsten Sinema (D)
- Arizona's previous senator has decided not to run. With all of the polarization of immigration policies, Arizona could be a key win for either party.

Texas: Ted Cruz (R) vs. Beto O'Rourke (D)
The incumbent Ted Cruz is up for re-election, but the race is tight as Cruz only leads by single digits. Texas is also a big immigration state, so like Arizona, Texas is key.

Also, keep a look out for Nevada and West Virginia.

Mythological Women: Strong or Dangerous?

As we discussed in class during our presentations, the portrayal of women in Ancient Greece mythology largely served to support the patriarchal society. Greek men drew upon many female figures from their myths to support the idea that women were “a plague on men” and should not be given positions of power. However, I find it interesting that, if looked at as a whole, it is not the myths themselves that portray women as the obviously inferior sex. Greek men seem to have chosen to focus on those portraying women in a negative or “dangerous” light in order to support their patriarchal society. 

There are many prominent female mythological figures that could be strong role models for women. Athena was the goddess of intelligence and battle strategy, yet the Greeks seemingly ignored the fact that she was a woman—they reserved most, if not all, educational and militant pursuits for men. Other examples of strong females include Nike, goddess of victory, and Artemis, goddess of the hunt. Even Zeus feared the wrath of his wife, Hera, who would fly into a rage when she learned of his affairs—he even had to hide his illegitimate children from her!

However, most Greek males never tried to let women follow in the footsteps of these stronger role models. Instead, they focused on the strrories of Pandora, who made the worst mistake in mythological history when she let out evil into the world, and Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, who was often portrayed as devious and cunning (in other words, men were scared of her). The fact that Greeks disregarded the strengths of their own goddesses is strange to me. The patriarchal Greek society was one of the most advanced in the world. Imagine what they could have achieved if they had had the help of women. 

Sources:

https://www.thenationalherald.com/170664/5-greek-goddesses-inspired-women-wonder-woman/

https://www.armstrong.edu/history-journal/history-journal-containing-the-kalon-kakon-the-portrayal-of-women-in-ancien

Oedipus—An Apollo or a Dionysus?

During the Ancient Greek Religion presentation, Elise’s discussion of “opposites” Apollo and Dionysus made me start to wonder—who is Oedipus more like? Like Apollo, Oedipus can be rational and logical. After all, he solved the riddle of Sphinx and saved Thebes from more destruction. From studying Apollo in seventh grade, I know he is also associated with protecting the young. And like Apollo, Oedipus protects his people in this way. His relationship with the Thebans is paternal in nature, and he feels an instinctive obligation to them.

However, while Apollo is prudent, Oedipus is often not. Like Dionysus, Oedipus’ emotional state drives his rash decision-making. Oedipus’ reckless assumptions generate chaos (similar to Dionysus’ chaotic and indulgent nature). For example, when Tiresias strongly implies/tells Oedipus that he killed King Laius, Oedipus refuses to accept that possibility. Not only does Oedipus reject the truth, but he immediately accuses Creon and Tiresias of murdering Laius and conspiring against him. Also, the actual decision to kill King Laius and his men was likely not well thought-out and was probably based on his instincts. Oedipus allows his emotions to control him and thereby brings about his own destruction.

To me, it feels like the forces of Apollo and Dionysus are at war in Oedipus’ soul.

Minangkabau-a-who?

Indonesia’s Minangkabau: The World’s Largest Matrilineal Society

     Gabby's question during the presentation on Women's Roles in Ancient Greek really caught my attention, so I did some research on women-centered societies and stumbled across this "oddity" (by traditional patriarchal standards). The Minangkabau is an ethnic group in Indonesia in which women are highly respected and honored. And guess what...it's actually "a devoutly Muslim community." Immediately, I thought to myself, what? Traditionally, Islamic societies view women as inferior and treat them as such. 

     However, the Minangkabau break from tradition, in a sense. In fact, the Minangkabau don't see men and women as equals; judging from their practices, women take the cake. Although some of their roles may at first appear "traditional," property passes from mother to daughter--ultimately giving them the upper hand, so to speak. Husbands move into their wives' homes, and decisions require an agreement between the two genders. Even more notably, "girls are treasured." Conceiving a daughter is wayyy better than conceiving a son, according to the Minangkabau (and my parents...just kidding!). 

     At first glance, the women and men of this society seem to fit traditional Western general roles. Women fulfill domestic duties, while men occupy political and religious roles. But according to the article, "both genders say that they value those roles, and each other, equally." This concept might be difficult to some of you to grasp, which I understand, because we live in a relatively more progressive society, but consider the situation of the Minangkabau. They live in Indonesia in a society that many of us can't completely comprehend. Due to their differences, their outlook on life is bound to be far different than ours. The article I read provided quotes from Minangkabau people, which I found were helpful to me in understanding their way of life.

"Even though it seems to be that men have more functions than women, we are still the same,'” said Widya Indah Lestari, a bright and articulate 16-year-old who covers her head, prays five times daily, and plans to become a doctor."

“'Our tradition is based on the holy Koran,'” said Lestari, [a woman]. “'The Koran says men will be the leaders. But women are not under the pressure of men. Even though men lead women, it doesn’t mean that women are less important.'”

     Power and authority is indeed divided among men and women but not in a Western sense. 

According to Evelyn Blackwood, an anthropology professor that studied the community, “'Yes, men have public power. But think of them as front men, representing the community to the state or to the mosque.'” Men have fancy titles, but women own the land. It's a more balanced system than that of a patriarchal society. For example, men and women are both involved in the decision-making process. 

     How does an Islamic society have such different views? The answer may lie in a "their long-held customs, or adat [...which] derives in part from the ancient animist and Hindu belief system of the Manangkabau, which existed before the arrival of Islam to Sumatra." The adat fuels the matrilineal inheritance fire, and the Manangkabau maintain that it can be practiced alongside Islam. 

      Despite cases of abuse and violence in this community (which are unfortunate aspects of every community), "women remain central." In the words of the male chief, or datuk, "'We devote everything to women.'"

     Obviously, we should strive towards equality in our current society, but since we often study patriarchal societies (as many prominent societies were and still are), I thought it was fitting to delve deeper into the philosophy behind a matriarchal society.

Source: https://www.thedailybeast.com/indonesias-minangkabau-the-worlds-largest-matrilineal-society?ref=scroll 

King Laius

When I was reading Oedipus, I could not stop thinking about the story of King Laius. Now that I read an interesting article about his biography, hopefully I can provide further insight into our discussion about Oedipus and his family. Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Mortals/Laius/laius.html.amp

• His father, King Labdacus, died very early into Lausis’s childhood and Lycus not only took care of him but assumed the throne.
• However, two twin brothers, Amphion and Zethus, killed Lycus to become crowned kings of Thebes.
• A few loyal citizens helped Lauis escape Thebes, and was raised in the court of Pelops where he eventually raped Pelops son, Chrisippus, and went back to Thebes to discover that Amphion and Zethus died.
• Therefore, Lauis easily became king and married Jocasta.
• Lauis discovered from the Oracle of Delphi that if he ever had a son that the son would kill him and marry his mother.
• In a different version of the myth, the oracle said that Thebes would be saved if he had no children.
• Unfortunately, Lauis had too much to drink and, through Jocasta, gave Oedipus life!
• Lauis was ordered that the baby should be left on a mountain to die.
• However, the shepherd responsible for taking the baby on the mountain gave the baby to another shepherd who gave the baby to King Polybus and Queen Merope.
• Eventually, as we all know, King Lauis encountered Oedipus who ended his life according to the prophecy.

I Love Y'all!: Response to Anabella'a "Auras" Post

I absolutely loveeee when I read the blog and laugh! Right on, y'all! <3 For some reason, the blog wouldn’t let me reply to y’all’s hilarious string of posts!!!

Although I cannot unequivocally say that I believe in auras, I find it fascinating to envision red and blue (which together create my favorite color, purple!) auras surrounding me. Furthermore, I'm a sucker for quizzes (now and always). 

I don't read my horoscope on a daily basis (to be honest, it scares me!), but I know I’m a Gemini. And...I'm twin!!! So I can't help but be somewhat intrigued.

I’m torn. Here’s why.

ON ONE HAND, I can’t help but agree with Ritchie. Free will IS far more comforting than predestination. Everything I strive towards hinges on the idea that “what I put in” is “what I will get out.” Obviously, everyone grows up in a different environment, but I firmly believe that if you give 100% every day, you will create your best self. We should recognize that we are privileged to have the life we have and should attempt to fully take advantage of the benefits we enjoy and give back to our community. At the same time, people who “start from the bottom” are often those who come out on top. Why do these advances happen? Perhaps it’s luck—maybe sometimes. But I’ve learned that most people succeed because of something different. They succeed, not because of the tools they were given, but because of what kind of life they chose to construct with those tools. My grandpa grew up in Price Hill, Cincinnati, in a household in which money was scarce. At a very young age, he contracted TB and missed an entire year of school. The only reason he received treatment was because his aunt was a nurse. Moreover, he didn’t learn how to read until the 5^th grade! But he used a combination of his quick wit, amiability, hilarity, intellect, and athletic prowess to transform his life. In high school, he became Class President, and the MLB tried to recruit him. He turned down their offers because he knew a different life awaited him—one that didn’t involve home runs and glory but, instead, involved self-fulfillment and intellectual gratification. The University of Cincinnati awarded him with a football scholarship, which helped my grandpa kick-start his academic career. While in college, two things molded the rest of his life. He tried to win my grandma’s heart by swallowing a goldfish (he claims he was trying “to impress her,” but he soon realized he’d have to try harder than that!), and he uncovered his geologic passions. One of the reasons Oedipus Rex is so tragic is that none of the characters have the ability to shape their own destinies, and at first, some of them believe that they do. If we lived in a world in which everyone credited the stars, planets, or Greek gods as dictators of our Fate, how would anyone have hope? How would humanity progress? The lack of free will would be tragic, indeed. That said, although I do believe in God, I also think that He gives us control over our actions and the ability to change our lives. I see what I perceive is free will in action every day. (I’m not trying to start any sort of religious debate. I just mean that I don’t think the belief in God or other gods rules out the possibility of free will. In Oedipus, it kind of does, but in other religions, the same doesn’t always ring true.)

ON THE OTHER HAND, I consider myself a person who feels emotion deeply—sometimes on a level logic cannot explain. There are certain aspects of my personality that I simply can’t control, and I experience certain immediate connections to people that I can’t explain. Some people say their Mind guides the majority of their actions, and others believe that their Heart is the boss. WHAT GUIDES YOU??? YOUR MIND OR YOUR HEART? A one word answer will suffice! I want to know! My Heart ultimately guides me, and its dominance is not something I can consciously control. As a result, I don’t think free will and conscious choices are the sole determiners of our Fate. The world is not as simple as some depressing (although interesting) philosophers would lead you to believe. Still, there’s no shame in loving fortune cookies, auras, and horoscopes—I do!

I’m confident that the world’s mysteries will never cease to intrigue me.

Oedipus and the Sphinx: Artwork

Something that grabbed my attention as I read Oedipus was the concept of the Sphinx; mythological figures often entice me as they seem to awaken a certain level of imagination within the reader. Last year, when we read Paradise Lost, one of my favorite things was looking at the paintings which were inspired by the book. Oedipus has a similar effect on artists and I enjoyed looking at the various pieces which each depicted the Sphinx in their own way, expressing individuality.
 

Tiresias

When Mrs. King mentioned the story about Tiresias' sex change as a result of viewing the copulation of snakes and the blindness that Hera allegedly cursed him with, my curiosity was peaked. Being somewhat familiar with Mythology, I figured there are probably several versions of this story and the causes of Tiresias' sex change and blindness. Below is what I found (about his sex changes, blindness, prophecy, and some other cool stuff):

Most mythological accounts hold relatively consistent for the cause of Tiresias's sex changes: he struck and wounded two mating snakes with his staff and was turned into a female until, seven years later, he returned to the same site, struck the same snakes, and turned back into a male.

The blindness: as Mrs. King informed us, one version of the cause for Tiresias' blindness is his involvement in Zeus' and Hera's argument regarding which gender enjoys sex more. When he was asked to resolve the argument, he, to the disdain of Hera, said that women enjoy sex much more. Hera then struck him blind. Zeus, in return for Tiresias agreeing with him, gave him the gift of prophecy. 

Some other interesting versions: one story goes that Athena cursed Tiresias with blindness after he accidentally saw her bathing. Tiresias's mother (Chariclo) then asked Athena to restore his sight. Athena was unable to do so, so she instead gave him the gift of prophecy. 

Methods in which he received oracles: In "Oedipus" we are told that Tiresias hears the oracle straight from Apollo. In several other mythological stories, Tiresias receives his visions through the songs of birds or the smoke of a burning sacrifice. 

Personally, I find Tiresias pretty awesome. He is a mere mortal but seems to transcend time (we see him in the Odyssey as well as "Oedipus") and the regular status of humans. The issue of the divinities versus humans was regularly explored in Greek tragedies. I found it interesting how, while Tiresias is not a god, he is often viewed in the same light. Many characters, including Oedipus initially, view Tiresias in a sort of divine light due to his prophecy abilities. 

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiresias

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tiresias

A culture of poverty, drugs, and domestic violence

As I was reading Sing, Unburied, Sing, I was able to make many connections to a memoir title Hillbilly Elegy, which I read for my non-fiction independent study in AP English III last year. In this memoir, the authors JD Vance tells us he was able to overcome poverty and family crises in the troubled, white, rural working class of Kentucky and Ohio and then pass high school, join the marines, make it into Ohio State University, and then into Yale Law school to become a successful law clerk.

Just like Jojo and Kayla, JD grew up with drug-addicted parents. Contrastingly, JD was physically abused by his mother and father regularly. JD's mother had gone through numerous cycles of relationships with boyfriends and husbands, filled with violence, anger, and abuse with J.D. and his sister as the scapegoats. As a result, J.D. had no real father or mother figure in his life. Instead, he relied on the care from his older sister and his strict-yet caring grandmother. His mother started to take prescription drugs in large quantities in order to cope with the stress of her boyfriends, the death of her father, and duty of parenting her children. The rehabilitation facility she was forced to live in did nothing to stop her addiction, as she later became hooked on heroine.

The area in northern Kentucky and southern Ohio that he grew up in is filled with poor, white families who make their living working in mines or manufacturing plants. This is very similar to Bayou Sauvage, MS made up of mostly farmers and agricultural dependent labor. Almost all of the families from these areas are filled with some form of conflict, substance abuse, or violence, so it is not surprising to see the connection between these two novels.

Vance uses his struggles and hardships faced within his family to demonstrate how much of the rural working class also experiences the same reality. He describes how husbands and wives could not get along, children were physically and verbally abused, and how families were not making enough money to stay out of poverty. Some of the families took to asking for federal assistance and lived on welfare and subsidized housing, while others kept their blue-collar jobs that were slowly beginning to disappear. His main point in telling us his story is to convince the reader that government is not to blame for the terrible economic and domestic problems of his society. While public policy can definitely help, the main problem is with the "hillbillies's" attitudes and values and how they raise their children, which is conflict many do not have the solution to fixing. Where as with Sing Unburied Sing, Ward seems to use the story of Jojo and Kayla to push for racial equality and prison reform and to recognize the drug problem.

Here is an article by the New York Times on the memoir and is worth a read.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/11/books/review-in-hillbilly-elegy-a-compassionate-analysis-of-the-poor-who-love-trump.html

Auras

A big big topic some of the members of the class have gotten invested in is auras. Auras are defined as “a supposed emanation surrounding the body of a living creature, viewed by mystics, spiritualists, and some practitioners of complementary medicine as the essence of the individual, and allegedly discernible by people with special sensibilities.” It’s basically the vibe you give off when you first meet someone. I’m auras, qualities like compassion, loyalty, stubbornness, logic, and more are assessed. In case you were wondering, because I know you all are,  I have a yellow aura. You can take a quiz to find out what you are too. A similar phenomenon that many people follow in their daily lives are horoscopes. I know that in this particular AP English class, we have a few students who avidly live by their horoscope (*cough cough* Farah). However, horoscopes are different than auras in that they are set and permanent. Auras are opinionable, so you may not exactly have the aura you think you do. Horoscopes are based off of zodiac signs, which are based off your birthday: something you cannot change. Many people check their horoscopes on a monthly, weekly, or even daily basis. It’s almost like a daily prediction of your future. Something one might compare these phenomenons to is prophecies. In Oedipus, prophecies are a huge component to the play. As we all know, a certain prophecy about Oedipus is the whole basis of the story: that he’ll kill his father and sleep with his mother. I think things like fortune telling, horoscopes, auras, and prophecies all are a part of a family that is very catered to the superstitious. It’s a very interesting field of ideas that I’m intrigued by. 

Hello from Ole Miss :)

I missed being in class today, but you’ll never guess what I saw on my way to ole miss this morning. There was a truck on the side of the road with a bunch of people from Parchman working on the highway! I could tell by their green and white striped pants. Aside from that, I also visited the University of Mississippi Museum today and saw some awesome art that not only showed the beauty and history of mississippi, but also some stuff from Ancient Greece! Even a tribute to Dionysus!! I took some pictures of some of my favorite pieces. I hope y’all enjoy!

A thespian's view on Oedipus

I think something that is easy to forget when reading a Greek tragedy or a comedy is that in fact, the many of the dense poems we read are meant to be performed. As a "thespian," it is fun to read the play "Oedipus, the King." This is mainly because the language in it is much more natural than I've read in other plays. It is seemingly easier to perform and therefore, most likely more enjoyable to watch. Language in the play is vivid, containing imagery and emotion that is vital to a memorable stage performance. The way that Sophocles writes out Oedipus's anger, for example would be interesting to watch, and it is nice to read a work in which it is so clear that the characters would be beautifully performed. It is typical that as someone interested in theatre, you default to love modern shows, but after reading a bit of Oedipus, I've gained a significant amount of respect and appreciation for even those works that are ancient.

Tyrants and Memory in Oedipus the King and OHYoS

On page 596-597 of Oedipus the King, the chorus has a relatively long dialogue about the power of the gods and tyrants. This reminded me of One Hundred Years of Solitude and Marquez's political views as well as his points about memory. The chorus says that tyrants are made from people who are too prideful and deem themselves special above others; they say that tyrants bring destruction. Marquez would agree; his characters became tyrannical when they lost their sense of identity and put themselves higher up than others. He would also agree about the destruction; he portrayed tyrants as violent and selfish, not helpful or caring. Oedipus is tyrannical in that he wants his subjects to turn to him for everything and to rely only on him. As we talked about, Oedipus compares himself to the gods and wants to take the place of powerful savior. Maybe the inevitability of his fated fall is somewhat of a commentary on the fates of tyrants. There's a Latin saying that translates to "thus always to tyrants! "The immortality of the gods is also described in connection to their everlasting memory and this reminded me of Marquez's point that memory keeps history and identity alive, which was also important in Sing, Unburied, Sing.

Fun Facts about Freud

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), the psychologist behind the famous "Oedipus complex," was what we 


would call an interesting character. He hypothesized that males secretly want to have sex with their mothers and kill their fathers (like Oedipus from the myths of Ancient Greece). He created the idea of the three-part psyche: the id (instincts), ego (reality), and superego (morality). Freud also attempted to delve into the ideas of the subconscious and unconscious mind. While his ideas were somewhat wacky, his personal life was just as bizarre. Here are some weird facts you may not have known about Freud.

• He was addicted to tobacco and eventually smoked more than 20 cigars a day. Despite undergoing more than 30 cancer surgeries, he never quit smoking. What a rational guy.
• When he heard about a little-known drug (what we now call cocaine), he tried it and liked its effects. So he then proceeded to distribute it to his friends and patients, some of which developed cocaine addictions and suffered from overdoses.
• Freud was an atheist but was born into a Jewish family. His books were burned by the Nazis in the 1930s, and although he left the country and ultimately died before WWII, four of his sisters died in Nazi concentration camps.

Sources:

https://www.simplypsychology.org/Sigmund-Freud.html 

https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-sigmund-freud 

Oedipus and Arcadio

There have been many similarities between the works of literature we've read so far this year, and one of the biggest ones is the motif of incest. In One Hundred Years of Solitude, Ursula and her husband's relationship is incestuous, and she fears the consequences of incest for the rest of her family members. However, she doesn't even know about one of the potential incestuous relationships: Arcadio and his mother, Pilar Ternera.

Like Oedipus, Arcadio doesn't know his true parentage. He is raised by two Guajiro servants in the Buendia household and later by Ursula. At one point, he even announces, "By my honor, I am not a Buendia," which is ironic because he is actually the son of Jose Arcadio and Pilar Ternera. Because Arcadio does not know his true parentage, he is attracted to his mother, Pilar Ternera, and even seeks her out for a sexual relationship (although it is possible he might have sought her out anyway given the other taboo relationships in this novel). Because she knows she is his mother, Pilar sends Arcadio in the direction of another woman, Santa Sofia de la Piedad, whom Arcadio later marries. However, Oedipus's mother, Jocasta, doesn't have this opportunity. She believes she killed her son, Oedipus, when he was an infant. Oedipus and Jocasta marry, both ignorant of their familial relationship. Oedipus would never have married a woman he knew to be his mother--that is the very prophecy he has tried to avoid his entire life. Both Arcadio and Oedipus are cursed to commit an ultimate taboo as a result of the mystery of their parentage.