With your small group today, engage in a dramatic reading of pages 210-230.
- Building on what we did yesterday, pause to discuss moments where you see dramatic irony. Look for examples not just in the language of the play, but also in the physical actions you imagine taking place on stage as well as the verse form in which the lines are composed.
- In addition, look for examples of lines that could be riddles.
- Post your group findings and noteworthy passages here for use tomorrow in a large group discussion.
5 comments:
Leader:
This is his place, stranger. He's inside.
But here is his queen, wife and mother
of his children (211).
This line break presents dramatic irony in that Jocasta is the wife and mother of Oedipus, not only his wife and the mother of his children.
p. 212 - "you will be glad of it-how could you help it?-though it costs a little sorrow." This is a quote from the messenger when he first arrives in Thebes and is talking to Oedipus. He says he comes bearing 'good news,' yet he is the one who initiates telling Oedipus finding out the truth about his birth.
p.213 - as a stage direction, Jocasta brings the messenger closer to Oedipus, and begs him to listen to what the messenger has to say. This is ironic as the news the messenger delivers is exactly what Jocasta wants to avoid.
p.221 - stage direction, 'Jocasta turns sharply.' She is finally coming to the conclusion that Oedipus is indeed her son, and the prophesy has come true.
p.220 - "your ankles were pinned together. I set you free." The messenger says this to Oedipus, yet it is ironic because he did not set him free. He did just the opposite and by saving him he was ensuring that Oedipus would fulfill his prophesy.
Sara, Gina, Alexa:
We saw a few examples of dramatic irony. The first example is the that Oedipus tried to run away from his parents trying to avoid the prophesy, all the while causing it to come true. He kills his father and marries his mother.
The second example is that he claims that he is the son of Chance and he won't be shameful of his destiny and that Fate is his mother! This is ironic because it is fate that causes disgrace and shame because he marries his mother.
Riddles: pg. 220: "Your ankles were pinned together. I set you free."
pg. 214: "A light tip of the scales can put old bones to rest."
The dramatic irony seems to intensify as the characters approach revelations.For example, on page 215 Jocasta says "Many a man before you, in his dreams, has shared his mother's bed. Take such things for shadows...". Shortly thereafter, both Oedipus and his mother come to the actual realization. We further see how the moods and opinions of the characters are reflected not in their actions, but in the knowledge of those actions' significance.
There are many riddles embedded in the text. There are funny line breaks and the words mirror the meaning.
Examples of dramatic irony include page 215.1073-1075 "And as for this marriage with your mother..." Obviously, this is ironic because he is married to his mother but simultaneously fears it. She doesn't realize that she is the one he has been sowing. ahem. (alternatively, banging)
"He's inside./ But here is his queen, his wife and mother... /of his children."
AWKWARD!
"But still,/ to see one's parents and look into their eyes/ is the greatest joy I know."- Oedipus doesn't realize that he is not truly taking joy in the presence of his own parents; however, he also takes joy looking into the eyes of his wife- also his parent... In this way, it is rather ironic that he discusses the same feelings towards different people, even though he is mistaken.
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