Theban Plays- Themes

proper burial of the dead- Antigone's brothers were fighting each other in battle and killed each other. One was given a proper burial because he was fighting for Thebes but the other one was left out for the birds. Creon the king says that that was his punishment for going against your own. Antigone refuses to go by her Uncle's rules. She decides to bury him herself even though she knows she will be killed. The guards find her in action and bring her before the king and she doesn't deny it. She tells him there is no shame in honoring your own brother. She does what she thinks is right and that is to bury her brother.
Prophecy:
tells people their fate. Oedipus hears from the prophet that he will kill his father and marry his mother. His parents and him try to stop fate. This fails and the prophecy comes true. He cannot control his fate. Nobody can.
The Blind See:
The prophet, Tiresias, is blind yet he is the only one who knows what is going on in everyone's life. He sees things very clearly when he is not the one who can physically see anything.
Loyalty:
Antigone is loyal to her brother, she will not give up until she has given him a proper burial. Even if it means going against the law and getting killed.

Odyssey- Hero Qualities

courage- He out smarts many people and has courage to fight for his freedom.
brave- He doesn't give up and knows that someday he will make it back to his home and his wife. he stays positive and stays brave.
intelligent- knows how to think on his feet. he makes his own decisions. Out smarts many monsters and people.

The Tragic Man- Hamlet

A Belief in His Own Freedom:
Hamlet knows that he is alone in his life. Everyone he has cared about in his life has died except Horatio. He knows he must meet life head on. He must be read for anything and be willing to do anything that comes his way. He is willing to do this and accepts that he must deal with life all on his own.
A Supreme Pride:
Even though Hamlet has no one left in his life you are drawn to him throughout the book. You are interested in what he is going to do next. He thinks he is much better than most people. He knows that his mother could have done better with her second marriage. He believes he should know who lives and dies. He respects the Gods and religion in his life and other peoples.
Capacity for Suffering:
Hamlet shows a lot of suffering in this play. He believes in what he is doing is the right thing to do. He wants to help his father but also help himself by getting rid of Claudius. He feels some guilt because he is not a crazy person to begin with. He isn't a killer until the end. Even though he has to lie to Ophelia he knows it was the right thing to do. He really does love her but he knows the king is watching him and he has to lie to stay on track with his plan to kill Claudius. In the end he doesn't fear death. He knows what he has to do and if that means dying than so be it. He is willing to help his father.
A Sense of Commitment:
Once Hamlet decides that Claudius is really the murder of his father and knows that the ghost is right he sets out to accomplish his goal. He commits to killing Claudius and doesn't give up until that is done. He knows that this can't be left alone. Something has to happen to get even. He could forgive Claudius and be happy for his mother but then it wouldn't help his father so he knows he has to stick to the plan.
Vigorous Protest:
Hamlet has had so much pain in the last part of his life. He wonders when it is all going to stop. The bad thing is, it never does. His father dies and his mother marries within the next month. His love kills herself and he has to kill his uncle. He doesn't like that he has to carry out this action but he want to help his father out. He wishes the Gods would take away some of his pain and suffering.
Transfiguration:
Hamlet has always understood life very well. He understands that he must fight for himself and make the most of his life because he has no one left. He knows that he might also die in this revenge but he is willing to do that in order to help someone else that was very important to him. To the people left behind him he leaves a sense of pride. He was well respected and will be well respected after he leaves.
Impact:
Hamlet leaves behind his story. He asks Horatio to tell everyone what really happened and how everyone died. Hamlet has finally become the hero, and is was able to kill Claudius. In the end everyone in the play living knows how great he really was. Hamlet shows so much dedication and is does so much to help someone out. You realize how much pain he went through to just end up dying. He is a great hero and you as a reader are able to relate to his pain in at a personal level.

Cycle of the Hero- Beowulf

Call to Adventure:
The call to adventure is when Beowulf goes to Denmark to hopefully fight Grendel the monster that comes at night and eats the men of the country. Beowulf hopes to be the hero and let the country be at peace. He voluntarily set out to kill the monster.
Helpers:
In the story Beowulf doesn't really have any human helpers. He has to kill the monsters by himself. He has all the help he needs inside of him.
Threshold of Adventure:
This would be when Beowulf fights Grendel. He does it bare handed in the mead hall. Grendel comes in and starts killing any one that gets in his way. Beowulf is able to rip off Grendel's arm and when he goes back to where he lives he bleeds to death. This is the monster-battle and Beowulf comes out on top.
Helpers:
Beowulf is given a sword that is mighty and powerful from Unferth.
Triumph:
The triumph is after Grendel is dead and Grendel's mother comes and starts destroying the danish men. Beowulf is then asked to go into the lake and kill Grendel's mother. While in the cave under water he tries to use the sword given to him by Unferth. It doesn't work and he sees a sword on the wall that he knows will kill her. He cuts off her head and brings it back for everyone to see.
Flight Back Home:
Beowulf and his warriors go home to Greatland with many treasures and their hearts full of victory. They are welcomed home and Beowulf becomes king of Greatland for 50 years. He is a great king to his people.
Threshold Struggle:
The threshold struggle is the fight between the dragon and Beowulf. Beowulf must fight one more dragon before his life is over. Some man stole treasure from the dragon and the dragon is very upset. The dragon burns houses and needs to be stopped. With help from a young soldier Wiglaf, Beowulf is able to kill the dragon. During the fight Beowulf was stabbed and dies at the end.
Elixir:
In the end, Beowulf leaves the country to Wiglaf and asks to be burried high on a cliff so many other people can see. The tresurewas burried with him and he has left the great stories and memories of himself.

Hamlet Act 5

Hamlet comes back from his trip and goes into a graveyard. He hears a gravedigger singing and he wonders how someone could sing while digging a grave. Hamlet asks who the grave is for and he cannot get a clear answer to his question. A funeral procession comes into the scene and Hamlet soon realizes that the grave is for Ophelia. Hamlet is devastated and when Laertes jumps into the grave and calls Hamlet names for killing her Hamlet comes forward. The two men get in a fight and Hamlet tells everyone that he loves Ophelia and nothing could stop their love for each other.
Hamlet tells his best friend Horatio that he realized the kings plot of trying to kill him. He has turned the plan around and his two friends and killed them. A servant comes and asks if Hamlet would fence with Laertes for the king. Hamlet agrees even though he doesn't want to. In the match Hamlet is winning. He has not gotten hit with the poison yet. Gertrude wants some wine so she drinks from the poisoned cup that was for Hamlet. As Hamlet is watching his mother die Laertes scratches Hamlet with the poisoned sword. After Hamlet forces them to switch swords and Hamlet wounds Laertes with the poison. As Gertrude and Laertes die Laertes tells Hamlet that this was Claudius' plan to kill Hamlet. Hamlet kills Claudius right away. As Hamlet is dying he asks Horatio to tell the full story to everyone. Horatio is the only one who knows the whole story. Fortinbras comes in and takes the crown as King. He orders a military funeral in honor of Hamlet.

Hamlet Act 4

After Hamlet leaves with Polonius' body Gertrude goes right away to tell Claudius what has happened. Claudius is angered and sends Hamlet's friends to take the body from Hamlet. Claudius wants the body to preform funeral services. When the two friends find Hamlet they ask him where the body is. Hamlet will not answer, he gives them snide remarks but refuses to tell where the body is. They bring Hamlet to Claudius. Since they don't have Polonius they bring Hamlet. Claudius tells Hamlet that he must leave at once to go to England. At the end of the scene Claudius tells the audience that he plans to kill Hamlet before he is able to come back. He will never bother them again.
Fortinbras is on his way to Poland. As Hamlet travels to England they cross paths. Fortinbras in in great hurry and is always planning. Hamlet realizes that this is what he must do to kill Claudius. He makes a plan and soon puts it into action.
Back at the castle Gertrude learns that Ophelia is mad. She comes in singing of death goes on and on and gives people flowers. Claudius is mad about Ophelia and now Laertes has returned and is very angry. Laertes comes in and is mad at Claudius and he tells him that he never killed anyone and he is not responsible to Polonius' death. Laertes is devestated that Ophelia is going crazy.
A messenger gives Horatio a letter saying that Hamlet is coming back to Denmark on a pirate ship. Claudius also gets a letter saying that Hamlet is returning to Denmark. Claudius and Laertes make a plan to take Hamlet's life. Laertes is going to fence Hamlet with a poisoned sword. If that doesn't work Claudius will have a poisoned cup of wine for him to drink after his win. This will for sure kill him. Gertrude comes in and tells everyone that Ophelia has drowned.

Hamlet Act 3

The two friends of Hamlet cannot find out what is wrong with Hamlet. Ophelia and Hamlet meet and the two men are spying on them. Hamlet denies loving her and says it was all fake and didn't she realize that they never had anything between them. Claudius says that that is not why he is mad. They plan to send Hamlet away to England. They agree to wait until they talk to Gertrude after the play.
Later Hamlet talks to the actors and tells them what to add into the play so that it will be like the death of his father. He asks Horatio to watch Claudius during the play to see if he makes any move that would look like he was the murder. The people come to watch the play and Hamlet makes snide remarks to Ophelia the whole time. The actors preform a silent play and then a play that is a lot like the murder of King Hamlet and how Claudius got Gertrude to marry her. In the play when King Hamlet is murdered in the garden Claudius storms out of the room after he has stopped the play from going any further. Hamlet now knows that the words spoken by the ghost were true. He must kill Claudius for what he has done to Hamlet's father. Hamlet's two friends come and tell Hamlet that Claudius is very angry for what he has done. They tell Hamlet that Gertrude would like to see him in her room. He promises his friends that he will not hurt her for what she has done. He will only speak to her with sharp tones. It is what she deserves.
Claudius orders Hamlets two friends to take Hamlet to England so he won't try to hurt this family anymore. Polonius tells Claudius that he plans to spy on the conversation between Gertrude and Hamlet. Claudius then tells the audience that he feels bad for killing King Hamlet and it was a bad idea. He kneels down and to pray and Hamlet comes in and is about ready to kill Claudius. He realizes that Claudius will go to heaven if he kills him because he is in prayer. Hamlet wants him to go to hell. Hamlet will kill him when he is committing a crime so he will go to hell. Hamlet leaves him to his prayer and Claudius rises and says that he was unable to pray and he doesn't know why.
Hamlet goes to talk to his mother and Polonius hides behind a curtain. During their conversation Gertrude cries out for help. This scares Polonius and he also cries out. Hamlet thinking he has caught Claudius in the act of spying he stabs Polonius and kills him before he even checks. Hamlet rips on his mother for marrying Claudius. The ghost retruns to tell Hamlet that he needs to be thinking about killing Claudius. Gertrude cannot see the ghost and thinks that Hamlet has gone mad. The ghost leaves and Hamlet orders Gertrude to never again sleep with Claudius. He tells her of the plan to send him to England. He tells her that he thinks this is a plan to kill him. He says he will make his own plan to kill Claudius to get back at him. He leaves dragging out Polonius.

Hamlet Act 2

Polonius sends people to question Laertes. Ophelia comes in and is in and tells her dad about Hamlet. He has gone mad she says and her dad thinks it is because he cannot see Ophelia anymore. They rush off to see the King.
Claudius sends two childhood friends to spy on Hamlet and find out why he is mad. Claudius and Polonius decide to spy on Hamlet and find out if he loves Ophelia or not. Hamlet meets his two friends and quickly finds out that they are spies. Actors come in and give a speech. Hamlet decides he wants to do a play that is similar to the death of his father and see if Claudius is really guilty.

Hamlet Act 1

In the beginning of the act the guards are guarding the castle and a ghost apears. He doesn't say anything he just stands their. They try to speak to it but it doesn't talk back, it leaves. The ghost is in the form of the King Hamlet who is dead. The guards decide to Hamlet about the ghost.
Claudius is holding court. He has become the new king of Denmark. He sends troops to stop an attack from Fortinbras. He gives permission to Laertes to go to France and study. Hamlet is not allowed to go back to the university because Claudius wants to keep a close eye on Hamlet after his father's death. Hamlet not happy because his mother and his uncle have decided to marry before a month has passed after King Hamlet's death. The guards come and tell Hamlet about the ghost and Hamlet is going to meet the ghost that night.
Laertes says goodbye to his sister Ophelia and tells her to stay away from Hamlet because he doesn't really love her. Polonius comes in and tells Laertes to leave. He then tells his daughter the same thing. She agrees.
Claudius is having a party and he drinks the whole night. Hamlet is going to go meet the ghost. The ghost wants him to come and Hamlet does even though his friends forbid him to go. The ghost tells him how he died. He says that he was sleeping and Claudius comes and puts a poison into his ear. He tells Hamlet that he must kill Claudius. Hamlet is horrified but says he will. He then tells no one about what has happened.

Machiavellianism

Look up the term and discuss how it relates to the play.

Machiavellianism is when a person does something, perhaps immoral, to achieve or to retain political power. This is used with Claudius and he kills Hamlet's father to take control as king and to have Gertrude as his wife. These acts are very immoral.

"to be or not to be"

Hamlet's soliloquies comprise an important portion of the reading. Discuss why they are important and what function they serve, based on your readings so far.

Hamlet's soliloquies are important because they help us understand what is going on in Hamlet's head. They help us get inside his brain and know what he is really thinking not just what he says to other people. Hamlet figures out that Claudius was the true murder of his father by asking for the play to be done in front of Claudius. Hamlet was able to see the truth and know that Claudius really did kill Hamlet's father.

Spark Note Notes

Key Facts:
Beowulf was written between 700 and 1000 A. D. Takes place in Denmark and Greatland. The three main parts are defeating Grendel, defeating Grendel's mom and defeating the dragon after he is angered because someone took his treasure.
Plot Overview:
King Hrothgar rules over the Denmark. He built a mead hall called Heorot. The hall holds many parties and gatherings. These gatherings anger Grendel a monster living under the lake. He comes at night and eats the people in the mead hall. Beowulf hears of the great monster and decides to come and kill him. Hrothgar holds a big feast to celebrate the coming of Beowulf and that night Grendel comes and Beowulf is able to defeat him. He rips off the arm of Grendel right before he is able to escape. Hrothgar gives Beowulf lots of treasures and the next night Grendel's mother comes and kills one of Hrothgar's best soldiers. Beowulf goes to defeat Grendel's mother as well. He is able to cut off her head and kill her. He is given more treasures and decides to return to Greatland. He later becomes king and rules for 50 years. He is a good king and everyone likes him. Beowulf becomes old and a servant steals from a dragon. This angers the dragon and the dragon comes and burns down the town. Beowulf knows he has to stop it. He goes to fight the dragon and with the help from Wiglaf is able to slaughter the dragon but the dragon pierced Beowulf's skin and Beowulf dies. They burn Beowulf's body and make a huge building with all of his treasures where anyone can come and see it.
Characters:
Beowulf: defeats all the monsters
King Hrothgar: King of Denmark
Grendel: Monster killed by Beowulf
Grendel's Mother: wanted revenge on Beowulf but he killed her
The dragon: killed by Beowulf but also killed Beowulf.
Themes:
establishing identity
difference between good warrior and good king

Immorality

Presentation:
Gilgamesh searched for immortality because he wanted to bring back his companion and he wanted to live forever. This is similar to today because many people search for immortality because they are scared of dying. They wish to do more with their life or become someone else in another life.

One way to prolong life today is called cryonics. It is the process of preserving dead humans hoping that when more scientific research comes out scientists can restore your body to a healthy youth stage. Right now you can only preform this on a legally dead person and it has to be done fast. When you first die your cells stay alive and with this procedure they hope they can preserve your cells and not kill them. They use a mixture of chemicals that when these chemicals are brought to a cold temperature they harden like glass.
Its kind of like being a organ donor, you can become a patient for cryonics. This has been successful with worms and a rabbit kidney was "frozen" then thawed, then transplanted into another rabbit.
Gilgamesh probably would have been frozen if he had had the choice.

Themes

The Hero's companion:
Enkidu and Gilgamesh are always together after they meet. They are equals and are willing to do anything for the other one. Enkidu's role was to be their for Gilgamesh and keep him grounded and understanding of others. pg:24, 50
Love: They loved each other. They stayed together and loved each other. They were made for each other and were destined to be together.
Loss of Innocence: Enkidu when he loses his life when the prostitute comes and sleeps with him. He losses his innocence and becomes a man. pg:18,20
View of After Life: pessimistic of optimistic:
Utnapishtim believed that the afterlife was bad and shouldn't be allowed. Gilgamesh was in search of it the whole book. He wanted it so he could spend forever with the friend he loved. pg:80,57
Intervention of the Gods: gods relationship with the mortals:
The gods made Enkidu come to Gilgamesh, then they killed him. They made U a God against his will. pg:46,79
The common flood story:
Noah's Ark. teaching mortals a lesson. They are tired of mortals trying to become a god. pg:78
Legacy:
What you leave behind. the wall protected them from outsiders and he was glad that his city would be able to be protected. He also left behind names of others that had been lost. He remembers them and doesn't make others suffer by not saying the names of the dead. pg: book 4

Literary Archetypes

Hero: Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh is the hero in this story. He is the king and is also part God. He tries to become more powerful by killing Humbaba. He tries to find immortality so that he will live forever. Even though he can be a mean or overpowering king he is still a good leader. He is intelligent and confident that he will come out on top. In the story he is always the sure one when they kill Humbaba. He keeps them going and doesn't lose himself when Humbaba is trying to save himself. He is not scared of dying for what he believes in. He goes after immortality because he believes that he will be able to get immortal life for Enkidu.
Antihero: Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh is also the antihero because he loses faith and hope a few times in the story. When they go to fight Humbaba he is very sure of himself until he realizes what this could mean if they lose. Enkidu has to take over for a few seconds while he gets his wits back with him. He loses courage for just a little bit. He then is able to take on Humbaba again. When he goes to search for immortality and is told by Utnapishtim that he cannot help for it is not good to be immortal. Although Gilgamesh fits the hero qualities, at times can lacks a few characteristics and that is what makes him the antihero.
The Wise Fool: Utnapishtim
Before the flood Utnapishtim was a normal man and he was one of the few that was not looking for an immortal life. He becomes immortal anyway and lives off with only his wife. He has what everyone else was searching for and what society wants. Although many people don't know this or are not able to get to him because of the great journey that they have to take to get to him.
The Devil Figure: Ishtar
Ishtar is the goddess of love and war. Most people would look at her from the outside and see the love part, but wherever she brings love she brings war. She tells Gilgamesh that she will give his city peace if he marries her. She even brings his robs and his crown. He refuses because all she has ever done is taken over and then destroyed. She turned her father's gardener into a mole because he liked her. "I am tired of your promises, tired as Ishullanu, who brought you dates, innocent until you pressed his hand against your breasts and turned him to a mole who lived beneath the surface of your earth, unable to dig out to air, feeling in the darkness for that same soft touch" (44).
The Outcast: Enkidu
At the beginning Enkidu is alienated by society because he was a wild man and lived like an animal. Then after the prostitute came and slept with him the animals alienated him. He was outcast because he became a man. He starts as an animal man, then becomes a human and then gets killed for not being part God. He becomes very alone in his last days of life. He wishes the prostitute hadn't come and slept with him. He wishes he was still a animal man.
The Double: Immorality
Some people see immorality as being a good thing. Gilgamesh believed that was the only way to save his friend and that was the only way to make no one suffer. He figured that if he and Enkidu were immortal they would never have to part. In this way immorality is a happy or exciting thought. They will never have to leave each other. Utnapishtim is the other side. He never wanted to be immortal but the Gods chose him and he became immortal against his wish. Usually when someone is forced to do something you don't like it. This is what Utnapishtim thought. He was lonely and wanted to die. He told Gilgamesh this but he was too caught up in keeping his friend alive that he never really thought about the other side.
The Scapegoat: Enkidu
The Gods say that one of the men must die. They say that Gilgamesh is part God so he must not die. Enkidu has no God in him and has done some mean things to this town by killing Humbaba and The Bull of Heaven. The Gods say the Enkidu must be destroyed because of what he has done and who he is. The society is not ready to except that they can both live. They need each other to live and be good people but nobody sees that until it is too late.
The Temptress: The Prostitute
The prostitute is the temptress because she is a very beautiful women and people think she is amazing. After you get though the mask you see that she is a destroyer. She makes the animals leave Enkidu and they will never have anything to do with him again. She tempted Enkidu and then in the end it led to his destruction.
The Good Mother: Ninsun
Ninsun is a goddess known for wisdom. She is Gilgamesh's mother and always gives him and Enkidu advice. She tells Gilgamesh what his dreams mean and gives him guidance that he may defeat all that he feels he needs to. She also adopts Enkidu and teats him like a son even though he is an animal man.

Gilgamesh Chap. 4

Finally when Gilgamesh can weep no more he returns to Uruk. He wonders if the people will share his sorrow or even remembers Enkidu. When he gets back he asks a blind man if he remembers Enkidu and the man only shrugs and turns away. He looks at the walls of the city and is awed by what he sees. The walls are built up and for a moment he can forget his loses.

Gilgamesh Chap. 3

Gilgamesh morns about Enkidu's death. He doesn't know what to do with his life and he wonders from place to place and has never felt more alone in his life. He wants to bring Enkidu back into his life. He is going to go see Utnapishtim, who survived the flood and is now immortal himself. He travels through the mountains of Mashu and meets the Scorpion people who guard the gate of the underworld. They tell him that any man that goes past here doesn't return, this is a place of death. Finally they let him through. He then travels on the Road of the Sun. All he can think about is Enkidu and how much he misses him. He comes to a valley and tells it of Enkidu and how they were so good for each other. When he is done weeping he realizes that the valley is deaf and cannot here or answer him.
Next he comes to the house of a barmaid named Siduri. He tells her of Enkidu and how they defeated many things but now he has suffered a great deal and is half crazy. She let him in and clothed him and gave him food and rubbed his legs and arms. She tried to help him forget what had happened. After some time she asks him to stay with her and not go to Utnapishtim. She wants him to start his life fresh with her. He becomes very angered by this and she lets him go and tells him to go find Urshanabi, the boat man. He will be able to get him across the river to find Utnapishtim. She tells him he will have stones to get him across. She also tells him that he is so blind with self love and of rage. He explodes and crushes everything in his path. He shatters the stones he need to get across the river. Urshanabi tells him that the only other way across is to cut down his own poles and to push himself across. One by one the poles are rotted by the sea of death and when Gilgamesh has just one pole left he uses his clothes and makes a sail to finish his journey.
Gilgamesh tells him of his journey and how he has had so many hard times. They walk and discus why Gilgamesh has come. Utnapishtim doesn't think that immortality is the best way to go, for he is a lonely man. He didn't chose to be a God but was chosen. He goes on to tell his story. In the town of Shurrupak men were seeking immortality and the Gods didn't like it. The told Utnapishtim to build and great ship and to put animals and people on it. They told him a great flood was coming and he would be saved if he made a boat. After 7 days of the great flood it was over and when Utnapishtim left the boat he wept. He wanted to bring everyone back to life but he was not able to do that. Ea chose him and his wife to become immortal. Ea touched his forehead and told him that he will live with his wife at the mouth of the river. He tells Gilgamesh that he envy's his freedom. Gilgamesh is devastated. This was not what he had come to hear.
They go back to Utnapishtim's house and Gilgamesh sleeps for 7 days. When he wakes U asks him how he will be able to live the life of a God if all he does is sleep. U tells the boat man to take him back across and burn his clothes. Let him start fresh again. Finally when Gilgamesh is ready to leave Utnapishtim tells him something that he has never told anyone before. He tells him of a plant in the river that will prick his fingers and it will give him new life. Gilgamesh is very grateful and hurries off to find the plant.
On his way home Gilgamesh is pleased and happier than he has been is a very long time. He stops to get a drink from a pool and takes a bath. He leaves the plant unguarded. A serpent smells the plant and comes over eats the plant. When Gilgamesh gets out of the pool he sees the serpent but no plant and sits down and weeps.

Gilgamesh Chap. 2

In chap. 2 Gilgamesh tells Enkidu that they must go and kill the Humbaba. They must prove themselves as powerful. Enkidu is scared he tells Gilgamesh that this will lead the death. Gilgamesh tells him that he must not be afraid. They go to the Elders of Uruk and ask what they should do. They know they cannot stop Gilgamesh so they tell his to go on. They get the blessing of the town and wisdom from his mother. She told Enkidu that she adopted him and hoped for the same protection that she gave her son.
After 3 days walking in the forest they came to the gate where Humbaba lived. Enkidu toughed the gate and his hand went numb. He almost went down and didn't know what had happened to him. Gilgamesh told him it would pass soon. That night they camped out and both found it almost impossible to sleep. Enkidu started hallucinating; he saw his life before the prostitute and how the animals his life. Gilgamesh had many dreams, Enkidu said that he would win over Humbaba tomorrow.
The next day Gilgamesh cuts down a cedar tree and Humbaba comes. Humbaba starts beating up Enkidu and Gilgamesh thinks he is dead. As Gilgamesh lifts his ax to kill him, Humbaba tries to talk him out of it and says he is the one that builds all the houses. Enkidu cries out not to trust him and Gilgamesh strikes the ax into Humbaba's neck. They leave with Humbaba's head swinging from a tree.
The next morning when they get ready to return home Ishtar, goddess of love and war comes. She brings robes and crowns. She tells them that the Gods are a bit angry about the death of Humbaba. She tells Gilgamesh that if he marries her she can talk to her father, Father of Gods -Anu, to make peace. Gilgamesh is angered and refuses her offer. He tells her that all she brings is war and she is a mean evil women. She is enraged and goes to tell her father. She tells Anu that he must send the Bull of Heaven to destroy this man. He sends it and it first kills over 300 men. It comes for Gilgamesh next and Enkidu grabs its tail and then stabs it between its horns. Ishtar curses and is really angry at Enkidu. He tears off the thigh of the Bull and chucks it at her saying that he will do the same to her if he catches her.
That night Enkidu dreams that the Gods were talking and they said one of them must die because they killed Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven. Enlil a God says that Enkidu must die because Gilgamesh is part God. The Gods decided to kill Enkidu. Gilgamesh tells him that it is just the fever. As Enkidu begins to fade away he talks about his life and his animal friends. He wonders why this has to happen to him and what is to happen to Gilgamesh when he leaves.

Gilgamesh Chap. 1

In chap. 1 they introduce the characters, Gilgamesh is king of Uruk. Gilgamesh is a mean king. He has the right to sleep with any bridesmaid before they are married and before their husband can. He pushes people way to hard and makes them rebuild walls and then he lets them fall over with no explanation. People longed for change and were tired of his old ways. Gilgamesh was 2/3 God and 1/3 man.
Enkidu grew up with the animals, he was part animal. He drank and ate like animals. He let the animals go that were held in traps. One day a hunter's son saw Enkidu opening a trap. The hunter's son told his father. They requested that Gilgamesh send a prostitute to Enkidu and then the animals would be ashamed of him. Gilgamesh agreed to send a prostitute but didn't do anything more about this wild man. The hunter left the prostitute by the river. Enkidu came and saw this creature he had never seen before. She had hair only on her head and between her legs. The prostitute slept with Enkidu and all the animals ran away.
That night Gilgamesh dreams that a star fell from the sky and when he tries to pick it up he fails. His mother Ninsun tells him that a man will come and Gilgamesh will never want to leave him.
The next night he dreams that he can not lift an ax. Ninsun tells him that the ax is the man. An equal to Gilgamesh.
The prostitute sleeps with Enkidu until he doesn't want to be an animal anymore. She tells him that he is a man now and they will go see Gilgamesh in Uruk. She tells him that he will see himself in Gilgamesh. The prostitute takes him and cloths him. She cuts the hair off his body and he becomes a man. People said that he looked like Gilgamesh. They say he is equal to their king.
When they meet for the first time they fight and the people scream. But when all was still and they looked at each other they saw that they were very similar. People laughed and rejoiced.

Immortality

Steps to Immortality:
Healthy Diet: there is research out that if you eat healthy foods you will live longer. Fruits and veggies are key to a good diet. This might not make you immortal but it will make your life span longer. People that lead a healthy life and eat good foods are more likely to live longer. Studies show that the difference between an average diet and a very healthy diet could be 20 years of life.

Active Life: If you combine an active life with a health diet your chances of living longer get much higher. From jogging to lifting weights in the gym to participating in a yoga class, it all is very helpful. Not only do you need physical activity but also have a healthy life mentally. Find something that you are passionate about and stick with it.

Taking Supplements: by adding supplements to exercise and healthy diet you will lead a healthy life. This might not bring a bunch of years onto your life but it will help prevent disease and other causes of death.

Rejuvenation therapies: This would be finding mistakes in our body and fixing them one at a time. So in the end we might be able to find something that will make us live 100 more years.

Cryonics: This is putting yourself in ice and preserving yourself until a better time. This is said to be a pretty safe way of keeping yourself for a longer period of time.






This is a video for 60 minutes talking about immortality and the quest to live for 400 to 500 years. Many scientists think this will someday be possible.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/12/28/60minutes/main1168852.shtml

Tragic Man - Oedipus

A Belief of His Own Freedom:
In King Oedipus, Oedipus is told that the Thebes is going to continue to die if the murderer of Laius stays in the country. Oedipus makes a quick decision and says that they must be banished. He has the courage to accept what happens when he finds out the murderer is him. He believes that the Gods do not control his life. He doesn't believe in fate and thinks that whenever he makes a choice it is with his own free will. He knows that the outcome of his choices might have a negative effect but he knows that his choices are ones that he made not the Gods.
A Supreme Pride(Hubris):
Oedipus shows arrogance when he solves the riddle of the sphinx. He knows that he is the best one of the town because he is the only one who was able to solve the riddle. He becomes king because of his actions. When he finds out that he is the killer of Laius he doesn't believe the blind prophet. He says the man is lying and wants to overthrow his throne. Oedipus believes that he has a power equal to the Gods. He makes decisions like a God would and in the end of the book he tells Creon that the Gods will not make any decisions for him.
Capacity for Suffering:
Oedipus shows a great deal of suffering in the story. He believes that what he is doing is the right thing so when it turns against him he is willing to suffer like anyone else would. Not only is he guilty, he feels ashamed of what he has done and is going to pay for his actions and make sure he suffers the most by piecing his eyes. He has the strength to leave his foster parents even when they have loved him his whole life. He wants them to be safe and wants to overcome the prophecy. He overcomes the road blocks in his life. He has the strength to punish himself even when he is the king and could easily take "king privileges" but instead he faces the consequences. He knows that all people end up dying and he is able to live with the fact that he might die at anytime. He is willing to kill himself to save his country. He questions the accuracy of the Gods and if they are really truthful and know what they are talking about.
A Sense of Commitment:
As soon as he told the townspeople what the consequences were for the person who had killed Laius he stays with them. Even when he is the king and could easily take the consequences away and stay king he punishes himself to a degree that nobody else would have been punished. He is the king, he can stop any action before it happens to anyone but he chooses to let his actions follow their chosen direction. In ways that makes him stubborn because he will not back down even when he knows he could.
Vigorous Protest:
When Oedipus finds out he is guilty of the crime he refuses to believe that he is guilty. He calls the blind prophet a fool and dares him to say it again. He is angered that someone would blame him for something so big. He thinks Creon is trying to overthrow him. At first he tries to reason and say it can't be true. He doesn't accept his fate meekly, he punishes himself and lets the country know that he has made a mistake. He calls everyone a lair and says that it is the Gods fault. He calls out against all the people that put him in this situation.
Transfiguration:
Oedipus is who he is because he has suffered so much in his life. At the end of the story he becomes a human being equal to all of the others. He has no more power than the person standing next to him. He has made mistakes(killing his father and marring his mother) just like any one else would and he faced the consequences(banishment) like anyone else would. He agonizes over what he has done and banishes himself. The reader feels very sorry for him because he experiences all of the human emotions that we feel.Oedipus is not forgotten; his story lives on forever.
Impact:
An author wants their story to have an impact on the reader, they hope that the story can help the reader have a better understanding of the human condition. Oedipus commits these crimes although he doesn't know he is doing them. It makes the reader and the characters think and you wonder if it is really a crime. It makes you see that our actions and decisions aren't always completely right or completely wrong. There is a gray area in the middle. In order to truly understand the decisions or actions that someone makes, you also have to understand all the factors, much like putting pieces of a puzzle together. It is that understanding that gives us compassion for the human condition.

Themes

Proper Burial of the dead:
Antigone believes her brother should be put to rest the right way. Even if she does go against everything the king has said. pg:127,140
Individual vs. State:
When Antigone goes against the king she is one person against the law and everything that is illegal. pg:127,138
Hubris:
Creon has great pride when he rules. It is partly what brings him to his destruction. He believes that what he says is what you will do no matter what. and if not you will be punished.pg:133,146x3
Purpose of the Prophecy:
The purpose of the prophecy is to let everyone know what is going to happen to them at some point in their life. In King Oedipus, Oedipus is told he is going to kill his father and marry his mother yet he refuses to believe that and does everything he can to try to make it not happen. It doesn't work and the prophecy becomes true. pg:47, theban legend
The Blind See:
Tiresias is the blind man and he is the one who sees everything. He knows what is going on at all times and is the only one who can give and correct information about who everyone is and what they did. pg:37,38
Loyalty:
Antigone is loyal to her brother and wants to give him the burial he deserves. pg:127,128 top
Oedipus is loyal to his country by giving himself the same punishment he would have given a towns person. pg:65-66
Free will vs. fate:
Oedipus doesn't believe that the gods have a say in what he does with his life. He thinks that he has escaped the prophecy but really he ran right into it. He doesn't believe in fate he thinks that he has all the free will in the world. pg:68,62
Ritual:
Proper burial of the dead. pg:128,129
Integrity:
I think that both Oedipus and Antigone show integrity. Oedipus is honest and fair. He punishes himself just as anyone else would do. Antigone has character and is willing to stand up for what she believes in. she is strong in her opinion and doesn't fight but states her opinion with honesty and fairness. pg:141,140 about love. 63

Despair

What is the meaning of "Despair" and how does this theme manifest itself in both plays?

Despair means to to lose hope of give up. In King Oedipus, Oedipus first feels despair when he has to leave his foster parents he is sad that he has to leave what he has always know. He then becomes a very well off king in Thebes until everything comes back to haunt him. He feels despair when he learns that he has killed Laius. He feels despair when he finds out the parents he thought were his are really not his birth parents. He feels despair when he learns that Laius is his birth father and he has killed him. Again when he realizes he has fulfilled the prophecy and married his mother. He feels it once more when he sees his mother has hung herself. He has felt too much despair recently and decides he is finished. He banishes himself after he blinds himself.

In Antigone I don't think you see as much despair until the very end when everyone starts killing themselves. Antigone feels despair because she feels she needs to make sure her brother has the proper burial. When she can't give him what she thinks he needs she kills herself. When Haemon sees her dead he feels despair and kills himself because he loved her. When Haemon's mom hears that her son killed himself she feels despair because she cannot bear to lose a son so she kills herself. In the end Creon feels despair because everyone he loved has just killed themselves. He has not only let the town down but has lost everything.

Ignorance vs. Guilt- GRADE THIS PLEASE

If a person does not know, is that person still guilty of grievous crime?
Consider the plight of Oedipus and a modern day example.
What would you do if you were on the jury at the Oedipus trial?
What would you do if you were on the jury in a modern day trial?
What would cause you to vote one way or another? Values? Beliefs? Evidence? Society Norms? Other information? harm or damage/pain/suffering it doesnt make the crime less it just maks it more tragic

I think that even if the person doesn't know, they are still guilty of grievous crime. If their actions cause pain and suffering in someone's life the person responsible has caused that pain and suffering.

I feel sorry for Oedipus because he left his foster parents to try to stop the prophecy but unfortunately he ends up killing both his father and he ends up being responsible for his mother's death. "So, without my parents' knowledge, I went to Pytho; but came back disappointed of any answer to the question I asked, having heard instead a tale of horror and misery: how I must marry my mother and become the parent of a misbegotten brood, an offence to all mankind-and kill my father. At this I fled away, putting the stars between me and Corinth, never to see home again, that no such horror should come to pass"(King Oedipus, 47).
A modern day example would be the Parkersburg incident. The trials have started and his lawyers are saying that he was mentally ill and he he didn't know what he was doing. Just because he didn't know what was going on doesn't make the crime less, it just makes the situation more tragic. Ed Thomas is dead. It wouldn't make the crime less if he had been killed by a random kid off the street. What makes it so bad or tragic is that the kid that killed him was one of his previous players. Another example would be a drunk driver. Someone gets drunk in a bar and leaves in their car. They don't know what they are doing but they hit someone and cause pain and suffering to that person and their family. They can't just say they are not responsible because they made the choice to drink in the first place. It's tragic when two cars hit each other but it's even more tragic when the person in one vehicle is drunk. It puts more meaning behind the crash.

If I was on the jury of the Oedipus trial I would have carried out the same procedure as Oedipus did to himself. When he realized that he had really killed his father and married his mother he is shocked and devastated, even though in the end he admits to the crime. If I were on the jury I would punish him with banishment. This is what he has told the townspeople will happen to the guilty one. It doesn't matter if he is the king or one of the townspeople he has committed a crime and will have to pay for it. In the end he pays for it and more. He destroys his sight. "He pierced his eyeballs time and time again, till bloody tears ran down his beard-not drops but in full spate a whole cascade descending in drenching cataracts of scarlet rain. Thus to have sinned; and on two heads, not one-on man and wife-falls mingled punishment"(King Oedipus, 61). He could have just said he was the king so rules didn't apply to him but he doesn't because that is the right thing to do. That's what would have happened in court because in court it doesn't matter who you are. My decision would be based on my beliefs, evidence, and what caused pain and suffering. My belief is that if you commit a crime you should be punished in a fair way no matter who you are. There is definitely evidence in the court that Oedipus committed the crimes. Oedipus caused lots of pain and suffering. It doesn't matter if he meant to or not he is still responsible for his actions.

If I were in a modern day trial and I was on the jury of the Parkersburg trial I would pretty much treat this trial as I did the Oedipus trial. The murderer killed a man. I don't care how he did it or what he was on when he did it. He is still the responsible one and needs to take responsibility for his actions. It was a tragic crime and nothing is going to bring Ed back, but something can be done to prevent the murderer from doing it again. With drunk driving it's the same story all over again. If you committed the crime you are obligated to serve the consequences. You chose to put the alcohol up to your mouth. You were the one who got behind the wheel of the car. It doesn't matter if you didn't know what you were doing because you still caused pain and suffering. I would base part of my vote on the society norms. It used to not be a crime to drink and drive and in some places it's still legal. Now that the law has changed the courts have to uphold the law. My decision would be based on what society thinks is right and wrong. If I voted for the drunk driver I would be going against what society said. I would also base my vote on pain and suffering of the people involved. If someone died in the drunk driving incident I would be considering large pain and suffering for the victim. If there was evidence that the driver was drunk I would base my vote on the true facts presented to me.

Conscientious Objection

What is "conscientious objection"?
In what ways does Antigone demonstrate conscientious objection?
In your opinion, did she do the right thing? Explain your view in terms of how 21st Century citizens might view her actions.

Conscientious objection is when someone refuses to obey the law of do what most people think is right based on their moral believes and values. An example would be not signing up for the draft and refusing to bear arms because of what they believe in.
In Antigone, Antigone shows conscientious objection by refusing to follow the law made by Creon. She believed that her brother deserved a proper burial even if he tried to take down Thebes. She was not going to see her brother be eaten by the birds even if it meant she would be killed. She knew that these were her only brothers and she would do whatever it took to have them leave the earth the right way.

I believe that she did do the right thing. She stood up for what she believed in and she would have wanted the same if it was her. I think that many people now days would stand up for what she did. If I died I would want a proper burial and I would want someone to stand up for me. She didn't care what happened to her just as long as she was able to give her brother what he needed. In today's society it doesn't matter if you are the Queen of England or a pig farmer you are given a burial and not left to rot. If one person is less respected they are still given a burial. That is all Antigone wanted and so I think she did the right thing and I think that most people now would feel the same way because they would want the same for themselves.

Antigone

Antigone and Ismene are disusing what Creon has said; that if someone decides to bury their brother they will be killed. Creon has become the king and Antigone's two brothers have died in battle. One had the proper burial but the other one is supposed to be left for the birds. Creon doesn't believe he deserves the proper burial. Antigone then asks Ismene to help her bury him against Creon's orders. Ismene tells Antigone that even though she will love both her brother and hes sister she can not give up her life for the burial of her brother. Antigone tells her that the pride is more important but Ismene still refuses. Creon enters and tells the people that order has been restored into the Thebes and one of the brothers will be given a hero's burial while the other will go to the birds for he tried to take down Thebes. A guard enters and tells Creon that someone has tried to bury the brother and they have no idea who has disobeyed the king. Creon declares that the guard was paid to and the chorus believes that the Gods did it. Creon believes that the Gods would not be traitors and sentences the guard to death if he cannot find the person who committed the crime. The chorus sings about men and how they are very powerful but they need to follow the lead of the Gods because they are the ones with the real power. Later the guard comes back with Antigone. They call Creon and tell him that Antigone is the person who illegally buried the brother. When they were uncovering the body a dust storm came up and they could not see anymore. When it cleared they saw Antigone trying to bury the body again. The guards seize her at once and when Creon asks her if she denies it she does not. He asks her if she knew of the law forbidding it and she says she did but that was not going to stop her from burring her own brother. Creon brings in Ismene and tells them they will both be put to death. Antigone tells Creon that being put to death to save her brother will give her great joy! Antigone tells Creon that she acted by herself and that she is the only one that should be put death. Creon doesn't believe her and orders them to be ties up and taken away. Once again the chorus sings of the death that has come upon the house of Oedipus and they hope it will be saved this time. Haemon comes in and talks to Creon. He tells him that the town has said Antigone should not die for trying to do a good deed for her brother. Creon is angered that the village is telling him how to rule. Haemon believes that Creon is a stubborn man. Creon becomes mad and Haemon tells Creon that the death of Antigone might cause the death of others. Creon want Antigone to be brought out and killed in front of Haemon. Finally Creon decides not to kill Ismene and put Antigone alive in a cave for her life. The chorus talks about how love will cause a man to be driven insane. When Antigone comes back in the chorus believes that her death will only be because of he pride not because she is noble. She is angered and as the guards are leading her away to her cave she tells Creon that she is only doing this because a sibling cannot be replaced. She cries out that Thebes is ruled by nothing but cowards and she is glad to be gone. Later when Tiresias comes in Creon swears to follow all directions he has. He tells Creon that because he did not bury the brother and is now going to put Antigone to death the Gods are putting a curse on all of Thebes. Creon does not agree with the prophet at first but then decides to let Antigone free but it is too late. She has hung herself and when Haemon sees her dead he stabs himself. When Haemon's mother hears of what has happened she is devastated and leaves to kill herself because of the grief of her son. The messenger tells Creon that his wife cursed him for his own stupidity. Creon asks to be killed and he is taken into the palace. The chorus sings one last time of how if one is too proud the Gods will find a way to bring him down.

Oedipus the King

In Oedipus the King Oedipus is standing in front of his fellow people. The priest tells him that the country is suffering from a great plague and they need someone to stop it. Oedipus has sent Creon his brother-in-law to find the cause of the plague and he should be returning at anytime now. When Creon arrives he tells Oedipus that the killer of Laius is in Thebes and must leave Thebes before the town is to be well again. Creon tells of the kings passing and how he was killed on the road and only one of his men survived. The chorus asks the God's to help save Thebes. Oedipus comes back in and asks the people if they know who killed Laius. He tells them that if they confess the only punishment will be to leave the country. When nobody answers he is angry and says that even if it was someone in his own family it would be the same punishment. The chorus tells Oedipus to call upon the great blind prophet, Tiresias. When Tiresias comes Oedipus tells him to reveal the killer at once. Tiresias at first refuses because he knows it will be upsetting. When the murderer is finally revealed Oedipus can not believe it is him he tells Tiresias that he is wrong but he repeats himself and says it is true. Oedipus still does not believe him and believes that Creon and Tiresias are trying to overthrow him. Tiresias then goes on to say that Oedipus doesn't even know his own parents and the killer of Laius is also the son of his wife and brother of his children. The chorus becomes confused and doesn't know who to believe. They finally agree to not believe anything unless they see proof. Oedipus accuses Creon of trying to overthrow him and he wants Creon put to death. Jocasta comes into the scene and tells Oedipus not to kill anyone. She tells him that all prophets are false because there son was supposed to kill his father and marry his mother but the son was put to death and Laius was killed by thieves. She tells Oedipus that Laius was killed at a road where three roads meet up. Oedipus tells Jocasta that when he heard he was going to kill his father and sleep with his mother he fled his home and on his way he met travelers that made him mad so he killed them in self defense. He thinks it could have been Laius. Oedipus then sends for the shepherd that survived the attack by Oedipus. A messenger comes and tells him that his father Polybus is dead and Oedipus is to come rule there. They are glad because they believe that the prophecy was wrong. Oedipus is stilled worried about sleeping with his mother but the messenger tells him not to worry because they were not his real parents. The messenger explains that when he was a shepherd he found a baby on the mountain. The messenger says that this baby is Oedipus and a servant of Laius was told to take the baby and kill it. Oedipus then sends for the shepherd to find out who his real parents are. Jocasta tells him to stop the search but he refuses. The shepherd refuses to talk but Oedipus threatens to torture him. He tells Oedipus that Laius and Jocasta gave up their son because of the prophet. But the shepherd could not kill him. He gave the baby to another shepherd to be raised as a prince. Oedipus now realizes who his real parents are and screams. The messenger comes back and tells the chorus that he has more bad news. Jocasta has hung herself in her own room. She has wept for Laius and for her bad fate. Oedipus walks into Jocasta's room and when he sees her hanging he takes her gold broaches from her clothes and repeatedly gouges out his eyes. Oedipus walks onto the stage and is covered in blood and moaning about his bad fate and the horrible life he has. He says he must be banished from Thebes at once for he cannot bear his life anymore. Creon comes in and agrees to banish him from the town only if the Gods agree with everything that has happened. He tells Creon that his sons will be fine and act like men but he asks for Creon to take care of his girls and if he could see them one more time. His daughters, Antigone and Ismene, come onto the stage crying and Oedipus prays that their life will be better than his. Creon takes the girls away and Oedipus is taken down from the throne. The chorus comes in and says that one of the greatest men has fallen and that means that all life is miserable and the only way to feel better is to die.

The Theban Plays Intoduction

The purpose of the chorus is be the commentator of the play. This is a real person and they represent the elders or community in the play. They tell of the themes in the play and comment on what is going on at that certain time in the play. They sometimes discuss the issues or conflicts in the play.
Dramatic Irony
Dramatic Irony is in the play when the audience knows what is going on but the people in the play have no idea. In King Oedipus when the audience knows that he killed his father and married his mother but nobody in the play knows until the blind prophet tells them.

The Odyssey Book XV

Athena tells Telemachus that he must return home at once because the suitors are taking over his house and his mom will soon be married without Telemachus' permission. She tells him that he must get permission to leave but he must leave at once. She also warns him that he is to take a different route home. He must make sure his ships stay far from shore and he is to visit Eumaeus and tell Penelope of his return. His ships are to continue to the mainland after he drops him off. This was all said to him in a dream and so when he wakes up he gets ready to leave soon. Telemachus declines the offers to prepare a big farewell party. As he is leaving he is offered many gifts to take with him. As he was ready to leave a eagle came down and snatched a goose. Helen says that this is an omen that when he gets home he will return to his house have revenge on the suitors. As he was leaving he met a stranger wanting to stow away on his ship. Telemachus trusts him and agrees.
The next day Odysseus is eating breakfast and tells Eumaeus that he will leave and go to town to beg. Maybe he can see Penelope and meet some of the suitors. Eumaeus says that he should not get mixed up with the suitors for they are mean and should not be mixed with. Breakfast goes on and they tell each other stories. Eumaeus tells of his childhood and how he came to be in Ithaca. He lived in a rich house, son of a king, when his nurse took him one night and stowed him away on a pirate ship. Toward the end of the story the pirates kill the nurse and sell him as a slave. Odysseus' father buys him and has treated him well ever since and treated him like a son.
Telemachus makes his men let him off so he can walk to Eumaeus' house just as Athena instructed. The rest of his men go on into shore with he stranger as the guide. As he is leaving the ship a eagle flies by with a dove. This is a good omen and Telemachus's house will be the most Kingly of the country.

They Odyssey Book XIV

Odysseus returns to Ithaca disguised as a weary old man. He is disguised because he doesn't want anybody to know his has returned. He goes to the house of Eumaeus. Eumaeus is the swine herder. Odysseus is the master of Eumaeus but Eumaeus doesn't realize that he is talking to his master. Eumaeus feeds Odysseus and tells him about his old master and how he is so sad that it is hard for him to talk about it. He tells Odysseus about the suitors and how they are so greedy and horrible to each other and people in the town. Eumaeus wonders who Odysseus is and where he came from. Odysseus goes into a false story of how he is from Crete and he fought with Odysseus in Troy. He says he made the trip from Troy home safely but he made a trip to Egypt and that was when he became a poor man. He says that when he went to Egypt he heard that Odysseus was still alive and would be returning to Ithaca quite soon. Eumaeus sees right through the lie and wonders why someone like him would tell such a lie. Eumaeus tells Odysseus that he stays at his own house unless Penelope calls and has been in such pain since his master did not come back. They ate a big meal that was prepared because of the arrival of Odysseus. Odysseus tells Eumaeus that if Odysseus does not come back soon his servants can through him out to sea. Odysseus then goes on to tell another false tale. Eumaeus sees through the lie again and tells Odysseus he will have to wear his rags again for telling the lie. At the end of the day Odysseus goes to sleep at Eunaeus's house.

The Odyssey Book XI

Odysseus is told by Circe that he must preform this ritual to be able to talk to the dead spirits that he wants to. He used his knife and dug a ditch about a foot by foot. Around the pit he poured milk and honey for the dead. Then he poured wine and pure water. He scattered white barley meal over the top. He pledged that when he got home he would sacrifice a heifer and give many other gifts. After he had prayed he took the sheep and slit its throat over the pit. When he does this crowd of dead people rise up and cry out random things to him. He first meets with Elpenor. He begs Odysseus to come back and give him a proper burial for he was foolish and did not use the ladder to get off the roof. The most important people he talks to are Tiresias, and his mother-Anticleia. Tiresias tells of his future and that his trip home will be hard and long because Poseidon is mad at him for blinding his son. He will return home but it will be on a different ship and he will be alone. He warns him that when they come to Thrinacia not to kill and eat the grazing cattle. He tells Odysseus that when he returns home his house will have been taken over by the suitors and he will have to kill all of them when he gets home. He must travel to a far away land to please Poseidon and give Poseidon many gifts and hopefully Poseidon will forgive him. Next he sees his mother and she tells him what has happened in Ithaca since he left. She tells him that she died waiting for him to return. Odysseus learns that it will be a long time before he gets home and he will return alone to a house full of lazy suitors that he will have to kill. He then meets with many wives and daughters of great Gods and Kings. He met with many and can not name them all. He then asks the King of Phaeacians to let him sleep for he is tired but the king and queen want him to tell them more. He next spoke with Agamemnon and Odysseus was told of his death from his wife and to be careful when he gets home for he is lucky that he is still welcome and people are still waiting his return. He then speaks to Achilles who wants to know about his son. He attempts to speak to Ajax but he will not speak because he killed himself after he was beat by Odysseus in a fight. He then speaks to Heracles and sees Tantalus try to get food and water but every time he reaches for either they slip out of reach. He sees Sisyphus struggle to push a rock off a cliff. Soon there are crowd of dead people wanting to talk to Odysseus and Odysseus gets frightened and scared that they will take over him. He runs to his ship as fast as he can and orders his crew to leave the island immediately.

The Odyssey Book X

As Odysseus continues telling his story he tells of going to Aeolia home of Aeolus. Odysseus asks for help getting back to his home. Aeolus gives him a bag of winds and only lets out one wind. He tells Odysseus to take the bag but do not open it for there are some bad winds. They sailed with good winds for nine days. Odysseus decided to sleep and his men sure that he was holding gold and silver in the bag opened the bag just as they could see the shore of Ithaca. Out came the bad storm winds and a hurricane was quick to come up. They sailed back to Aeolia and asked Aeolus to give them another bag. Aeolus was sure that the God's were against them and sent them away at once. Next they came to the land of the giants. Odysseus sent his men out to find out who lived there. The men found the giants and one was eaten. The others got away but they were to late when they got to the ships. Odysseus and his men were in sad shape. They tried to escape but the giants stoned the men and the ships until all the ships but Odysseus's were lost. Odysseus's ship set out to the island of Circe. Odysseus sent 22 of his men to check out the island against their will. They found the house of Circe where they were given a drink that was poisoned. All the men turned into pigs except Eurylochus who saw the trap and didn't drink the poison. When Eurylochus gets back to the ship Odysseus says he must go save his men. Eurylochus does not want to go back but decides to help Odysseus find the house. Odysseus meets Hermes on his way to the house and Hermes tells him what to do when he gets to the house. He tells Odysseus to eat a herb and then the poison will not work on him. When Circe pulls out he wand he is to take out his sword. Circe will then ask him to stay in bed with her and he must agree. He does all that Hermes tells and Circe is shocked that he does not turn into a pig. At first she thinks he is a God but soon realizes that he is just a mortal with Gods behind him. Circe helps Odysseus get cleaned up and makes him look very handsome. She also releases his men. Odysseus and his men stay with Circe for a year. She promises Odysseus and his men that he will support and take care of them. At the end of the year Odysseus's men ask to leave. He agrees to ask Circe and she tells them they must go to Hades, then Tiresias the Theban. The next morning when they are about to leave they see Elpenor fall off the roof. He fell asleep drunk and fell off the roof and broke his neck. Odysseus told his men where they must go and that they are to take a black ewe and a ram to use as sacrifices for the spirits they are to visit.

The Odyssey Book IX

By this time Odysseus has gotten to the King of the island and is now telling the king, Alcinous, his story from when he left the Trojan War. He tells of his journey from Troy to Ismarus. When they went got to Ismarus they took the treasures, the wives, and massacred the men. Odysseus told his men to get back to the ship but they were foolish and drank wine and killed their animals. By the time they got back to their ship the island's men that had escaped came and attacked Odysseus' men. By the time they were able to escape six men from each ship had been killed. As they sailed away Zeus got mad and decided to bring a big storm upon Odysseus and his men. They are in the storm for many days but in the end they end up on the island of the Lotus-Eaters. Odysseus sends some of his men to get food and drink for the others. The men are offered lotus fruit and when they eat it all they can think of is eating more. They have to be dragged back to to the ship and locked up so they don't eat anymore fruit. Next they traveled to the land of the Cyclops. Odysseus and his men hunted the island and 12 ships kill 9 goats each. The next day Odysseus and 12 of his men set out to see if they can get some goods from the Cyclops Polyphemus. While he is gone the men make themselves at home and decide to wait until the Cyclops gets home. When the Cyclops gets back he seems nice at first. But soon after they tell them who they are he snatches up two of Odysseus's men and eats them. The next morning he at two more men and locked the remaining men up for the day. Odysseus formed a plot against the Cyclops. Odysseus sharpened a log and got ready for the Cyclops to return. After the Cyclops had eaten two more men Odysseus offers him wine. When he is drunk Odysseus says his name is "No-One." After the Cyclops is passed out Odysseus and his men thrust the burning stake into the eye of the Cyclops blinding him. When other Cyclops hear the commotion and ask what is going on Polyphemus says that No-One is killing him. The next morning when Polyphemus takes his goats out Odysseus and his men tie themselves to the bottom of the sheep. When Polyphemus feels the top of the sheep there is nothing there. The men are able to escape with sheep from the Cyclops. As they sail away from the Cyclops Odysseus gets cocky and shouts back to Polyphemus. He tells him his name is Odysseus. Polyphemus starts throwing stones at the ships. Polyphemus says that Poseidon his father will make his journey horrible. He prays to Poseidon to make the sure Odysseus doesn't get home and hopes he will finish him off before he gets home.

The Odyssey Book V

At the beginning of Book V most of the God's are sitting down and talking about Odysseus' future and what should happen with him next. Athena tells Zeus that he has been with Calypso long enough and it is time for him to get home to his wife. Zeus agrees and sends Hermes to tell Calypso to let Odysseus get home. He must travel alone but she can give him the help he needs to start the journey. Hermes tells Calypso that she must let Odysseus go back to his home. Calypso is not happy to be told that. She wonders why God's can have any mortal human they want and it will not be taken away but if a Goddess wants to have a mortal they are always taken away. Calypso finally agrees and tells Odysseus to chop down trees to make a ship. Odysseus doesn't believe her and thinks that after he leaves on the ship she will kill him at sea but she promises him that she will make sure he gets started safely and will do him no harm. Once more she gives him the chance to become immortal but he declines. He says that although Calypso is much prettier than Penelope, Penelope is however smarter and he declines her offer. As he put a ship together Calypso gets supplies ready for Odysseus's journey. The next day Odysseus sets out and Calypso gives him the winds needed to start home. Poseidon seeing that the God's let Odysseus go without his permission is very mad. He decides to make Odysseus's journey hard and maybe even kill him. He strikes up a huge storm that makes Odysseus lose his control of his ship. Just as Odysseus was about ready to give up and drown Ino a sea Goddess gives him a shawl that will help him stay alive. He is to find a shore and then throw the shawl back to sea to Ino. By the time makes it to the shore of Scheria he is close to losing consciousness and can barely climb on shore. He sends the shawl back to Ino and crawls to shore covering himself with leaves and falling to sleep with help from Athena.

The Odyssey Book II

The next morning Telemachus gets up and is calls a meeting with the elders and the suitors telling them that he is going to find his father. Telemachus says that a curse has fallen on his house. Odysseus has been gone for over 19 years and his house is in ruins because of the suitors trying to marry his mom. The suitors take all of his food and crowd his house. He tells them that if they don't leave the God's will help him destroy them. The one suitor Antinous thinks he is foolish and stupid. He says that Penelope doesn't want to be married but she is leading them one by offering them hope and promise. She says she will get married after she finishes the burial shawl. But she is cheating them by working on the loom all day and then by undoing the whole thing by night. She has done this for three years and the maid finally caught her and so she had to finish it against her will. The suitor tells Telemachus to send his mother to her father and have him marry her to one of these suitors. Telemachus again tells the suitors to leave the halls of his house or they will die. He says go to each others house in turn or eat on big feast at each house but they must leave his house. Telemachus now has the help of Zeus and Zeus sends down two eagles and they fight in mid air and fly away. A wise man tells the men to follow directions because the eagles were a sign from the God's. The wise man says that Odysseus will be back soon and they will not be able to outsmart him. The suitors say that even if Odysseus was to come back he would be no match for the many suitors to kill him. Telemachus says that he is going to go get a ship and crew. He will travel and if he hears that his father is alive he will wait one more year. If he is dead he will come back and marry off his mother. The meeting is over and Telemachus goes alone and prays to Athena. Athena appears as Mentor and tells him not to worry about the suitors for they are fools and will all die some day. Telemachus then goes to his father's storeroom and gathers all the needed supplies for his journey. Eurycleia, Odysseus and Telemachus' nurse, sees Telemachus and he tells her where he is going but he tells her not to tell his mother for she will not be able to stop him if she does not know. Meanwhile Athena goes to town and gets the ship and crew he needs for the trip. She also stocks his ship with all needed supplies. Athena set sail the ship helping guide it the whole way.

The Odyssey Book I

Odysseus has been gone for 19 years. He went to the Trojan War and has not returned. In Book I the Gods are together talking about Odysseus's fate. Odysseus is in a Sex Goddess's cave. Her name is Calypso and she lives on Pylos and she has told Odysseus that she will make him immortal if he will stay and become her wife. He refuses immortally because he believes that he will get back to his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus. Calypso is keeping him in her cave and he has been there for about ten years. All the God's except Poseidon, God of the Sea, are at the meeting talking about letting Odysseus get home. Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and War and daughter of Zeus, says that he has been there long enough and suffered through enough. Athena then goes to Telemachus' house disguised as Mentes a friend of Odysseus and tells him that she has heard that his father is still alive and he needs to to different places and find if what she said was true. She says that the God's must be in charge of what happens to him but if he goes and asks these people if his father is still alive then Telemachus can save his mother from being married. Telemachus tells Athena that he is sure his father is dead and if he was still alive he would be back. He claims that his house has become ruins for all the suitors that his mother will not get married to. His mother says that she will not get married until she finishes the burial shawl for Laertes father of Odysseus. Athena says not to lose hope and that when Odysseus does return the suitors will either leave running or be killed by Odysseus. She tells him he must go and find a ship and crew. He is to sail to Pylos and visit Nestor, then to Sparta's king. Then when he has finished and come home if he has heard that Odysseus is still alive wait one more year. If he is dead then make Penelope get married to one of the suitors. After Athena leaves he stands up to the suitors and tells them to leave by the next day. If not they would be killed. Telemachus then goes to sleep. His nurse and maid Eurycleia assist him as he gets ready. He falls to sleep thinking about his journey.

Hero Qualities and Themes

Hero Qualities
I think that some of the main qualities of a hero are selfless, bravery, commitment, self reliance and sacrifice. To be selfless means to not have it all about themselves. They must be willing to help others and not be worrying about themselves. To be brave means to be able to take anything that comes your way. Even if something comes up that makes you sad or wanting to stop you have to be keep moving forward. To be committed means staying on you path no matter what. Not giving up even when things get hard. Self reliance is being able to rely on yourself. You have to be able to count on yourself and trust your instincts. Be willing to leave others to get the job done even if leaving means you might not come home. Sacrifice is giving everything up in able to do the best thing to help others. If it means leaving everything you have ever known or giving your right hand for the life of someone else.


Themes
The possible themes are death and resurrection, rescue, bravery and adventure. Almost every character has a death and resurrection. Not all die or lose their life but they change as a character. The whole movie is about rescue. All the characters have their own adventure within the big adventure.

Star Wars Analysis

The Cycle of a Hero
Call to Adventure
In the movie Star Wars I think that the call to adventure is when Luke sees the message in R2D2 and realizes that Princess Leia is in trouble. He want to help Princess Leia and save the galaxy. He has to go find R2D2 because he runs away. Luke is taken out by the sand people and Obi-Wan Kenobi saves him. Obi-Wan Kenobi becomes a helper of Luke. Obi-Wan Kenbobi gives Luke the lightsaber and tells Luke what the message from Princess Leia is about. At first Luke doesn't want to go but after he sees that his family is dead he decides to follow Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The Threshold of Adventure
The threshold of adventure is when Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke, C3PO, and R2D2 go to the bar trying to get someone to fly them to Alderaan. They come upon some danger from the animals/aliens in the bar and from some of Darth Vader's men. They find a pilot named Han Solo and his mate Chewbacca. Han becomes a big helper to Luke even though all Han wants is money.
Tests
One of the groups first tests is to rescue Princess Leia. They have to land on Death Star, Darth Vader's control station. They find their way to Princess Leia and rescue her just in time. They find away out of the line of fire but end up in the garbage dump where the walls start to collapse. They are able to get the walls stopped just in time.
Triumph
The triumph is after Princess Leia leads the group to the Rebel Base and Luke joins the attack on the Death Star. Luke is able to use the force and destroy the Death Star after Han comes back and shoots the attacking planes. They are able to blow up the Death Star but not destroy Darth Vader.
Flight
The flight is the plane ride back to the Rebel Base after they blew up the Death Star.
Threshold Struggle
The threshold struggle is when Luke and Han land at the Rebel Base and are still alive and well. Luke sees R2D2 and is sad but hopeful that he will get fixed. Luke finally realizes that the force will always be with him no matter where he is or no matter what he is doing.
Elixir
The elixir is at the very end of the movie Han and Luke are presented with medals of courage. They are the Heroes.


Literary Archetypes
Heroes and Antiheroes
The Hero in Star Wars is Luke. He is the one who sets out to save the princess and save the galaxy. The antihero is Han Solo because he doesn't believe in the force and he doesn't want to join in blowing up the galaxy when Luke goes.
The Wise Fool
The wise fool is Obi-Wan Kenobi. Many people don't believe in the force. They think that Obi-Wan Kenobi is a stupid old guy or doesn't know what he is talking about but he knows so much and is such a good teacher. Most people don't see him correctly and don't realize how much power he has.
The Devil Figure
Darth Vader is the evil man. He wants to destroy the Rebel forces and take control of the whole galaxy.
The Outcast
C3PO is somewhat of an outcast. He is a robot that nobody wants to listen to him but when they do he has good information. Another outcast is Han Solo. He travels from place to place and is a wanderer. He rebels against God, the Jeti, and the force.
The Double
The force is the the double. It has 2 sides to it, the dark side and the good side. Darth Vader was a Jeti but he turned into and evil person. Luke is on the side and wants to become a good Jeti.
The Scapegoat
The scapegoat is Obi-Wan Kenobi. He lets himself die when Luke is watching because he knows that Luke is not ready to be a Jeti. Only when he is alone and has to fight on his own that he will want to become Jeti.
Temptress
The temptress is the Dark Side. The Dark Side is so tempting and draws you into it because it is so powerful. But when you enter or encounter it, it causes destruction.
The Good Mother
The good mother is Princess Leia. She keeps everyone together and nurtures the others. She provides strength and guidance for the group.

The Tragic Man
Darth Vader
A Belief in His Own Freedom
Darth Vader makes all of his own choices whenever he wants. I don't know if he has any faith and courage but he really doesn't care what happens to anybody else as long as he stays on top. If he doesn't get what he wants he takes his anger out on everyone else by punishing or killing others.
Supreme Pride
Vader thinks that he is the best ever. He thinks that nobody can destroy him. He is somewhat cocky and arrogant. He thinks he is superior to all other men. He thinks he is more like a God.
Capacity for Suffering
Vader has one goal and only one goal and that is to completely destroy the rebel forces and become the greatest power of the galaxy. I think he knows that what he does is not right but he is so driven to be the best. He doesn't endure any pain because he takes it out on the others around him.
A Sense of Commitment
Once Vader says he is doing going to do something he follows through with it. He is more like a dictator. He wants thinks to be done his way and his way only.
Vigorous Protest
Vader doesn't think that it is his fault that Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke have come back to try to destroy him. Any little mistake and he kills the man in charge. He is mad that he is in jeopardy and that the force has come back.
Transfiguration
I don't think that Darth Vader really goes through a transfiguration in Star Wars. If he does it is when he joins the dark side in a different movie. It's not that Vader becomes a better or more understanding person but more the opposite. He becomes evil and overpowering.
Impact
Darth wants to be a hero but he goes around killing and destroying everything in his path. We are what we experience. Darth Vader was a normal guy until he underwent some major changes and experiences. He becomes evil because he thinks that is the only way to help himself and not be an outcast. As you watch the movie you realize that there is always going to be evil in the world and nothing can change that.