Journal 14

During Creon and Antigone's argument Anouilh repeats many words and ideas. Choose a word or idea and discuss how Anouilh uses the term.

"You've said your yes" (Anouilh 35). Throughout their argument, Antigone often and simply says the word "yes" with an occasional "no". These one word answers are short, yet have such a finality to them. Anouilh uses this term to show the determination Antigone has to bury her brother. By simply saying "yes" with no other explanation, she has no reason to believe otherwise.

Sometimes Anouilh uses ambiguous terms, identify how the terms affect your interpretation of characters and their motivations.

The word "power" and words associated with it are often used. This word is used in many different ways. Creon has power because he is king. Antigone has power because she believes Creon fears her. Nurse has power because Antigone sees her as a strong woman. All of these different forms of power makes each character unique in what they have, what they want and what they need to achieve.

Journal 13

Anouilh's Antigone: Antigone

In this particular scene, Antigone begs for Nanny's protection. To everybody else, Antigone seems strong, daring, getting what she wants. But to the nurse, she is nothing more than just an ignorant little girl that needs the guidence and help that the nanny gives her. Antigone knows what she has done is bad and what the punishment is, so in this scene, her motivation is for the nurse to take care of her dog after Antigone passes. Though this may seem childish and unimporant to the plot, it is very important because it's a little part of the big picture that is being illustrated. Antigone knows that she will die; she knows what the consequence is going to be and yet she still buries her brother.

Journal 11

what do you know about the 1940s in Europe and how do you predict that will influence Anouilh's version of Antigone?

I know that the 1940s was a bad time in Europe, because you had the communists in the Soviet Union that was attacking from the east and the rise of the Nazis in central Europe. Hitler dominated much of Europe and took over many countries there. It will influence Anouilh's version of Antigone in that his interpretation will be altered according to his life, which at the moment is ravaged by the world war. Anouilh is French; and the French defeat by Germany was a huge event in that decade.

Journal 9

Knowledge Level
- Who is Haemon, and when was he introduced into the play?
- How did Creon react to Ismene when she defended her sister?

Comprehension Level
- Why was Creon so upset at Ismene?
- What is foreshadowed in this reading?

Application Level
- How can we relate Creon's power to political power in the world today?
- Can you relate to Ismene's and Haemon's family values?

Analysis
- Why does Antigone seem to embrace death?
- "What? The city is the king's - that's the law!" (line 825). Explain how Antigone's Creon compares to Oedipus when it comes to being king.

Synthesis
- How is the role of women even further shown in this reading? What is the role of women?
- Give examples of how the theme of family has come up in this reading, and how it is revealed.

Evaluation
- What made Haemon change his mind and decide to defend Antigone instead of his father?
- Why did Ismene go against what she believed to side with Antigone?

My lovely computer got a virus - internet access was very slim, so all of my journals from the past few days will be posted on this post. Still in order, but not as organized as it would have been.

Journal Eight
Compare the elements of tragedy in Medea and Oedipus. Look specifically at at the use of catharsis.

The elements of tragedy in Medea and Oepidus differ in that the use of catharsis is in opposite parts of the plays. In Oepdipus, the audience does not feel pity for him until the end of the play, and Medea starts off with the audience fearing her instantly. Though these are both at different parts of each play, the element of tragedy is just as strong in both. The fact that we do not pity Oedipus at first builds tension and suspense, creating even more sympathy towards him in the end because we know how much fate played into his life and how much it is not his fault. The instant fear in Medea creates tragedy because we know how angry Medea is and how her actions are not reasonable because of that. We then feel pity for her towards the end because Medea's anger is what drove her, as our fear of her turns into pity because throughout the play we learn more about her and her situation.

Journal Seven
Compare and contrast Jason and Medea's interactions and attitudes towards the gods.

Jason sees the gods as people who serve him, and he expects them to help him when he needs them, whereas Medea sort of sees them as her friend, people who help guide her and help her when they think she needs help. "It was Aphrodite and no one else [...] who saved me on my voyage" (line 528). Jason believes that he was only saved because a god saved him, and no other reason.

Journal Six
Comapre the role of the chorus in Medea and Oedipus.



The role of the chorus in Oedipus seemed to be just for the audience's purpose. The chorus summarized what happened in the play, occasionally foreshadowed, and was completely seperate from the play itself. It's as if the chorus was just a commentator, showing the play-by-play. However, in Medea, the chorus played a bigger role in the actual play. They interacted with the characters, and even felt for them, especially Medea. They seemed sympathetic towards her whereas in Oedipus they had no emotions towards the characters.


Journal Five
Sophocles provokes fear in the audience in that though we may not all be a king, we all posess the ability to have a certain amount of power, and that it is up to ourselves to control the consequences that come with have power. Oedipus is an example of a man who takes advantage of his power to the extreme, thus bringing his downfall. We fear that this may happen to us, if we take our power for granted and have too much pride in ourselves. Sophocles provokes pity in the audience not just because Jocasta and Oedipus punish themselves, but because it was not their fault for having the need to be punished. They were merely a victim of fate, and they didn't even sit back and accept it; they fought fate hard, but fate fought them back and won.