A letter from Bride to Leonard from when they were a couple. (I'm assuming they used to be)
Dearest Leonardo,
Why do you leave me to burn away to nothing trapped in these walls I know so well? Come, my dear, and soothe my fiery anguish with your cool touch. Like a river swelled with the rains of many years, you crash and tumble down to the sea, away from me. And I need you. Run back, run up, great river of mine, come and take me to the sea with you. Te querido. My father, he loves me, and he wants what is best, but he is too attached to this land of his. I am not meant to plow these dead fields. If I were a man, I could go with you, and leave all this dust behind. But I am here, in the scorching nothingness doing a man's work without a man's freedom. Leonardo, I miss you. Please come home! You never write! You never tell me where you are going! Do you ever think about me? Do you even care!? I can't keep up this one sided relationship. Choose me or get out of my life. Only, I don't know if I could live without you. You are the sacred water that christens my undeserving body, and you are my life. So come to me. Come home safe, and love me like you once did. Leonardo, we can sit in amongst the trees of my father and picnic and be merry until death. Never again will we want or need or desire. We will have everything. Just you and me. I love you with all of my being.
Sincerely, Bride
P.S. I do not blame you for your family's actions when you were young and naïve. If that is why you are avoiding me, you don't need to worry about such notions. I love you.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Wild Duck Journal 7
Comments!!!!
Wow, that was really insightful! The ping-pong effect part was something I have never thought of, and it makes a lot of sense. You went very in depth in both books, and I liked how you used specific examples from TEWWG. (to Kylee)
Jarrad, That was Jocasta. Oedipus was not ever married to Laius. It was perfect though. You got her language, and her feelings. That is exactly something her character would say, but only to herself, and it is a journal so it is great! She would never confess that sort of thing out loud. That was very well written. (to Tania)
That was really good. You chose great examples to prove your point. It is a cool take on the actions that it applies even to action you don't see. How Oedipus clawing his eyes out is so much more meaningful than words even though the audience doesn't see it happen, that is an interesting idea. (to Shannon)
Wow, that was really insightful! The ping-pong effect part was something I have never thought of, and it makes a lot of sense. You went very in depth in both books, and I liked how you used specific examples from TEWWG. (to Kylee)
Jarrad, That was Jocasta. Oedipus was not ever married to Laius. It was perfect though. You got her language, and her feelings. That is exactly something her character would say, but only to herself, and it is a journal so it is great! She would never confess that sort of thing out loud. That was very well written. (to Tania)
That was really good. You chose great examples to prove your point. It is a cool take on the actions that it applies even to action you don't see. How Oedipus clawing his eyes out is so much more meaningful than words even though the audience doesn't see it happen, that is an interesting idea. (to Shannon)
Monday, May 23, 2011
Wild Duck Journal 6
I think the plot is not as important as the style of the pieces. The plot's only purposes are to keep the audience engaged, and to connect the stylistic choices in a coherent manner. Of course plays need plots, otherwise they would be lectures, but the plot is not as important as how it is laid out.
The plot of Oedipus was not important. He could have done some other crime, or not even committed a crime, and the message would still get across to the audience. The character traits of Oedipus are more important than the plot. His flaws, such as pride and anger and ignorance, and his strengths, such as intelligence, perseverance, and braveness all lead to his down fall.
All of the allusions to the gods are also important because they tie in the main issue of the time; whether prophesies and oracles and gods were real, and had supreme power. The reactions of the characters to the prophecies reveals their true natures. Jocasta seems like a normal god-fearing woman at the beginning, but when she blatantly disrespects the gods by dissing their prophecies, she is shown to be logical rather than spiritual, and independent, as well as protective of Oedipus.
In "The Wild Duck" the tensions that build between the characters is a very important part of the play. This is reflected through the register of the characters, the foreshadowing, and who the audience perceives as the protagonist. The plot could be completely disregarded if the audience could pick up on all the subtle stylistic choices with out it.
The plot of Oedipus was not important. He could have done some other crime, or not even committed a crime, and the message would still get across to the audience. The character traits of Oedipus are more important than the plot. His flaws, such as pride and anger and ignorance, and his strengths, such as intelligence, perseverance, and braveness all lead to his down fall.
All of the allusions to the gods are also important because they tie in the main issue of the time; whether prophesies and oracles and gods were real, and had supreme power. The reactions of the characters to the prophecies reveals their true natures. Jocasta seems like a normal god-fearing woman at the beginning, but when she blatantly disrespects the gods by dissing their prophecies, she is shown to be logical rather than spiritual, and independent, as well as protective of Oedipus.
In "The Wild Duck" the tensions that build between the characters is a very important part of the play. This is reflected through the register of the characters, the foreshadowing, and who the audience perceives as the protagonist. The plot could be completely disregarded if the audience could pick up on all the subtle stylistic choices with out it.
Wild Duck Journal 5
""What is drama but life with the dull bits cut out?" I think this statement is true, that theatre focuses on the exciting moments of a story. Of course, this does not count in fantasy plays or little kid plays in magical lands, but any realistic play is only going to have scenes that move the plot along. If every moment of a a story had to be included in a play, it would be way too long, and would not keep the audience's attention.
It applies to "Oedipus the King", not in a literal sense, although I guess this could have happened, it is unlikely. The situation though applies. Of a person's struggle to find out the truth, and everyone is holding back information, only to find out some extreme twist on what they thought. The religious aspect also applies. Oedipus and Jocasta indirectly said there are no gods when they dismissed the oracle, which is the word of Apollo. In the end, both were severely punished. Many religions also have punishment awaiting those who do not believe in them.
So it is very much real life, and as for the dull bits cut out, that is also true. Oedipus spent no time waiting for people to be summoned, and things happened at the most convenient times. The plot never stops moving, and he never stops finding out information. This play ignores the waiting and the puzzling and focuses on the conflict.
"The Wild Duck" kind of defies this quote, but it is for a reason, not just to bore the audience. Ibsen included rather dull boring conversation in his plays to let the audience know the characters and their situations. Also, the information the audience learns comes back later. For example when Gina and Hedvig are talking about the rented room, it seems trivial at first, but then is important to the story. So although he does include some of the dull bits in life, it is for the purpose of moving the story along, and so must be included. Ibsen made these parts dull on purpose, as well. He wants to show the family dynamic of the Ekdals.
It applies to "Oedipus the King", not in a literal sense, although I guess this could have happened, it is unlikely. The situation though applies. Of a person's struggle to find out the truth, and everyone is holding back information, only to find out some extreme twist on what they thought. The religious aspect also applies. Oedipus and Jocasta indirectly said there are no gods when they dismissed the oracle, which is the word of Apollo. In the end, both were severely punished. Many religions also have punishment awaiting those who do not believe in them.
So it is very much real life, and as for the dull bits cut out, that is also true. Oedipus spent no time waiting for people to be summoned, and things happened at the most convenient times. The plot never stops moving, and he never stops finding out information. This play ignores the waiting and the puzzling and focuses on the conflict.
"The Wild Duck" kind of defies this quote, but it is for a reason, not just to bore the audience. Ibsen included rather dull boring conversation in his plays to let the audience know the characters and their situations. Also, the information the audience learns comes back later. For example when Gina and Hedvig are talking about the rented room, it seems trivial at first, but then is important to the story. So although he does include some of the dull bits in life, it is for the purpose of moving the story along, and so must be included. Ibsen made these parts dull on purpose, as well. He wants to show the family dynamic of the Ekdals.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Wild Duck Journal 4
I think visual action is just as important as speech on stage. In Oedipus, there was little action on stage, but that is mainly because the audience was huge, so those in the back would miss a lot of action, but they could hear the speech, so Sophocles had to rely on speech to carry the plot. Also, he was trying to stay consistant with the way those stories were told, which is orally, so there would have been no acting then.
In the Wild Duck, there is a lot of talking, but there are some stage directions. On page 124, Gregers grips Hjalmar's arm. It may seem like a tiny thing, but when you talk to someone, you don't normally do that, so it shows the intensity of the moment. You can tell from Gregers' action more than his words, that this is a very serious matter. Also it reveals the difference between what he is saying and what he thinks. He is telling Hjalmar that maybe he misjudged his father, and maybe he is a good person, but through the arm gripping, the audience can see that it is not a pleasant happy moment, revealing that he doesn't actually believe his father is a nice person.
So while neither plays use much action, it is still incredibly important in showing the audience the true thoughts of characters. Also, it keeps the audience engaged. The few actions that are mentioned in "The Wild Duck" are not trivial actions to make the play look better, that is the director's job, the stage directions are important insights into characters and help to move the plot forward.
In the Wild Duck, there is a lot of talking, but there are some stage directions. On page 124, Gregers grips Hjalmar's arm. It may seem like a tiny thing, but when you talk to someone, you don't normally do that, so it shows the intensity of the moment. You can tell from Gregers' action more than his words, that this is a very serious matter. Also it reveals the difference between what he is saying and what he thinks. He is telling Hjalmar that maybe he misjudged his father, and maybe he is a good person, but through the arm gripping, the audience can see that it is not a pleasant happy moment, revealing that he doesn't actually believe his father is a nice person.
So while neither plays use much action, it is still incredibly important in showing the audience the true thoughts of characters. Also, it keeps the audience engaged. The few actions that are mentioned in "The Wild Duck" are not trivial actions to make the play look better, that is the director's job, the stage directions are important insights into characters and help to move the plot forward.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Oedipus Journal 3
Oh to see
the first time a baby
takes a step
or the sun god glinting
above the glittering path of Iris
as she bounds toward her
Mother, rich and strong
Oh to see, to know, to have
in my possession, like a gold coin
the power of the lightning bringer:
truth
I yearn for the musky scent of it
the papery thin reed that
grows wild and proud above
the swamp.
To hold it in my arms
as a mother holds a child,
tenderly, pure and simple
To fold it up smooth and
tuck it safe in my ever growing
ever wanting mind
It is a monster, a savior
it transcends even those who
would call themselves immortal
they too, bow to its will and fear
I wrote this as something Oedipus would write before the whole story began. He craves truth, so that is what I wrote it about. I tried to use some of Sophocles's elements in it. I used references to gods, and some foreshadowing. I also put in lines that seem one way if you don't know the story, but once you know what happens, the meaning of the lines changes completely. I made it formal diction, because Oedipus talks formally to the chorus, he mirrors their formality and rhythm, so by that you can tell that the audience of this poem is the chorus. I also added a little bit of the life cycle, because that is so important to Greek culture and to this story in particular. I didn't use any punctuation because it messes with the flow of the poem, because it grows and if there were periods, that would stop the emotional growth. It would prevent the climax of the poem, which is Oedipus calling the gods weak. I think this poem is kind of a synopsis of the whole play. He starts out wanting knowledge, then the emotion escalates and he needs it more, then he makes unknowing double entendres about mothers and children, then he calls truth a monster, and insults the gods. The same thing happens in the play.
the first time a baby
takes a step
or the sun god glinting
above the glittering path of Iris
as she bounds toward her
Mother, rich and strong
Oh to see, to know, to have
in my possession, like a gold coin
the power of the lightning bringer:
truth
I yearn for the musky scent of it
the papery thin reed that
grows wild and proud above
the swamp.
To hold it in my arms
as a mother holds a child,
tenderly, pure and simple
To fold it up smooth and
tuck it safe in my ever growing
ever wanting mind
It is a monster, a savior
it transcends even those who
would call themselves immortal
they too, bow to its will and fear
I wrote this as something Oedipus would write before the whole story began. He craves truth, so that is what I wrote it about. I tried to use some of Sophocles's elements in it. I used references to gods, and some foreshadowing. I also put in lines that seem one way if you don't know the story, but once you know what happens, the meaning of the lines changes completely. I made it formal diction, because Oedipus talks formally to the chorus, he mirrors their formality and rhythm, so by that you can tell that the audience of this poem is the chorus. I also added a little bit of the life cycle, because that is so important to Greek culture and to this story in particular. I didn't use any punctuation because it messes with the flow of the poem, because it grows and if there were periods, that would stop the emotional growth. It would prevent the climax of the poem, which is Oedipus calling the gods weak. I think this poem is kind of a synopsis of the whole play. He starts out wanting knowledge, then the emotion escalates and he needs it more, then he makes unknowing double entendres about mothers and children, then he calls truth a monster, and insults the gods. The same thing happens in the play.
Oedipus Journal 2
The narrative structure is unique, because or the fact that the audience already knows the story. Oedipus's realization that he has killed his father and married his mother is the climax, but it happens early in the play, because there is no suspense to build for the audience. Sophocles instead chooses to build the emotion of Oedipus. The reason he gets so angry is because there needs to be a build of some kind, but it can't be suspense.
There are definately sub plots. The whole play is not action, as much as hearing a bunch of people's stories. So each new piece of information Oedipus learns is accompanied by a subplot about the character revealing it. We learn about the shepherds' lives, Oedipus's background, and Jocasta's early life.
The period of time covered is interesting. It is just one continuous scene, so it would seem that time has passed the same for the audience as for Oedipus, so about two hours. But the play kind of defies time, because the shepherd that live so far away off in the hills, are summoned to the palace, and get there in a matter of minutes. So in fact, the play might be up to months long, but there is no indication of the passage of time, so I assume the audience is just supposed to accept that the shepherd could come so fast.
The end is important. It sets the stage for Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone. All the questions are answered except why all of this happened to him. I think that does not have to be addressed, because the audience would know about hubris, and fate, and all of the other elements that add up to why this happened. He was cursed from before his birth. That is a concept that would have made more sense in ancient Greese than it does now.
There are definately sub plots. The whole play is not action, as much as hearing a bunch of people's stories. So each new piece of information Oedipus learns is accompanied by a subplot about the character revealing it. We learn about the shepherds' lives, Oedipus's background, and Jocasta's early life.
The period of time covered is interesting. It is just one continuous scene, so it would seem that time has passed the same for the audience as for Oedipus, so about two hours. But the play kind of defies time, because the shepherd that live so far away off in the hills, are summoned to the palace, and get there in a matter of minutes. So in fact, the play might be up to months long, but there is no indication of the passage of time, so I assume the audience is just supposed to accept that the shepherd could come so fast.
The end is important. It sets the stage for Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone. All the questions are answered except why all of this happened to him. I think that does not have to be addressed, because the audience would know about hubris, and fate, and all of the other elements that add up to why this happened. He was cursed from before his birth. That is a concept that would have made more sense in ancient Greese than it does now.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Oedipus Journal 1
The story does not have a narrator, so it is not from one point of view. If anyone, it leans toward the chorus' point of view, even though Oedipus is the main character. This is because the chorus represents the people, the general population, and therefore the audience. The whole play is written to make the audience identify with the chorus. Oedipus is the lesson and the tragedy, but the focus of the play is on the chorus. In the end when he says nothing can be beautiful again, he still appreciates that the chorus stays loyal to him. They can see what a great ruler he is, that he cares about his city and is willing to do anything to save it. But they can also see his flaws. He is very easy to enrage and slow to forgive. The story is objective and just shows the facts. This might not be significant, because almost all plays are written with just the facts. It is hard to write a play from a person's point of view rather than just laying it all out on the table. Sophocles does a good job of presenting strengths and flaws of every character, so there is not one that the audience is supposed to sympathize with more than the others, except the chorus.
Since the characters' bad sides are shown, they are more realistic and less idealistic. Sophocles made a king, almost godlike, into a regular man by giving him a short fuse, strong curiosity, and unfaithfulness. The audience can see that rulers are just people too, and fall prey to the same, or worse fates as the people themselves.
Oedipus's children are interesting characters. They have no lines and are only on stage for a few minutes, and only one of their names is revealed, but they are very important characters. They give the message that even in hard times, a person's family will be there to support them, and a person can always find happiness in their family. These girls are presented as weak by Oedipus, yet he exposes them to his tragedy, and on top of that, tells them that they are destined for sad existences. Sophocles has these two contrasting images of the girls to further show the tragedy, that a person is helpless, but happy being ignorant, or very unhappy, but can have some say in their destiny by knowing the truth. He wants his children to, if not change their fates, at least go into them prepared for whatever comes.
Since the characters' bad sides are shown, they are more realistic and less idealistic. Sophocles made a king, almost godlike, into a regular man by giving him a short fuse, strong curiosity, and unfaithfulness. The audience can see that rulers are just people too, and fall prey to the same, or worse fates as the people themselves.
Oedipus's children are interesting characters. They have no lines and are only on stage for a few minutes, and only one of their names is revealed, but they are very important characters. They give the message that even in hard times, a person's family will be there to support them, and a person can always find happiness in their family. These girls are presented as weak by Oedipus, yet he exposes them to his tragedy, and on top of that, tells them that they are destined for sad existences. Sophocles has these two contrasting images of the girls to further show the tragedy, that a person is helpless, but happy being ignorant, or very unhappy, but can have some say in their destiny by knowing the truth. He wants his children to, if not change their fates, at least go into them prepared for whatever comes.
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