In the face of adversity, what causes some individuals to prevail while others fail? The Shakespearean play of King Lear is characterized by much adversity, devastation, and tragedy. One of the dominate themes in the play is morality, and being able to hold true to morals when they are challenged. One particular conflict that shows this is the relationship of King Lear to his three daughters - Reagan, Goneril, and Cordelia. The daughters are faced with a challenge in the beginning when Lear asks them to tell him how much they love him, in particular a self-honesty challenge. Reagan and Goneril proceed to tell gush their "feelings of love" to their father, in the hopes of inheriting many riches, wealth, and land. Cordelia, however, knows her sisters are only saying things they think will please their father. Though she loves her father, she cannot lie or exaggerate her feelings for these purposes. She notably speaks, "I cannot heave, my heart into my head". She cannot lower herself to lie like her sisters, and tell her father what she knows he wants to hear. This situation immediately sets Cordelia apart from her sisters, and the rest of society for the remainder of the play. She becomes an outcast, but is okay with it because she stood by her heart. Goneril and Reagan have a completely different outlook and journey. They become so corrupted by power and lust, and in the end, the get nothing. Although Cordelia died in the end as well, her heart prevailed. Through Cordelia's adversity, she was able to save her soul because she stood by her heart. She never lost sight of her beliefs, even with all the doubt and temptations around her. She dies an admirable and moral character, completely unlike her sisters. Her sisters failed, and were ultimately doomed because they did not have that anchor that Cordelia did. Their morals were overshadowed by lust and power-hunger. Shakespeare illustrates through the daughters that in the end, the one who "survives" is the moral character. Justice prevails. |
Thursday, October 27, 2011
The Big Question - King Lear
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Oedipus Big Question
In the face of adversity, what causes some to prevail while others fail?
'Oedipus', by Sophocles, is a play based on the relationship of actions and fate. At birth, Oedipus is doomed with the prophecy of killing his father and marrying his mother. When he becomes aware of his "future", he flees in the hopes of avoiding it. As he fulfills the prophecy, he is completely unaware of doing so, since, he does not know who his "real" parents are. Disregarding his circumstances, Oedipus is a very well liked man. He is strong, intelligent, and courageous. Oedipus believes in himself, and rules Thebes as a wise King. When there is no adversity in Oedipus' life, he accomplishes greatness by saving the city from the curse of the Sphynx. When the truth is revealed as to who Oedipus "really" is, everything changes. His downfall dooms him when he recognizes who he is and what he has done. He feels he has failed himself, his wife/mother, his children, and most importantly, his city. He never wants to go on again to see the light of day, and he feels terrible that his children must carry on their lives with such a shameful reputation. He essentially failed himself. Though his circumstances are difficult, he could have made the choice to change his reputation. What Oedipus does not realize is that what he did does not change who he is. In his perspective, he chose only to focus on the terrible aspects of the situation and grieve. A positive outlook could have saved him; but rather, he let the adversity get the best of him.
'Oedipus', by Sophocles, is a play based on the relationship of actions and fate. At birth, Oedipus is doomed with the prophecy of killing his father and marrying his mother. When he becomes aware of his "future", he flees in the hopes of avoiding it. As he fulfills the prophecy, he is completely unaware of doing so, since, he does not know who his "real" parents are. Disregarding his circumstances, Oedipus is a very well liked man. He is strong, intelligent, and courageous. Oedipus believes in himself, and rules Thebes as a wise King. When there is no adversity in Oedipus' life, he accomplishes greatness by saving the city from the curse of the Sphynx. When the truth is revealed as to who Oedipus "really" is, everything changes. His downfall dooms him when he recognizes who he is and what he has done. He feels he has failed himself, his wife/mother, his children, and most importantly, his city. He never wants to go on again to see the light of day, and he feels terrible that his children must carry on their lives with such a shameful reputation. He essentially failed himself. Though his circumstances are difficult, he could have made the choice to change his reputation. What Oedipus does not realize is that what he did does not change who he is. In his perspective, he chose only to focus on the terrible aspects of the situation and grieve. A positive outlook could have saved him; but rather, he let the adversity get the best of him.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
TheBigQ Emily Schloesser
In the face of adversity, what causes some individuals to prevail while others fail?
Personal
1.) Adversity in life is completely inevitable. Everybody will face hard times at some point. The key to success and well-being through trials is perspective. The summer before my junior year, I moved schools completely unexpectedly. I moved houses that summer, out of Cherry Creek School District, with the intentions that I could open enroll and still go to Creek. When I went to register two days before school started, they told me that I could not come back, and I felt completely betrayed and hopeless. I had to move schools, to Arapahoe, a week after school already started. I didn't know anybody who went here, I had to completely start over. The first week, I was so bitter about the situation, and wanted to be absolutely anywhere else but Arapahoe. I wanted my friends, my school, my old life back. One night, I realized simply that I'm stuck. I can't change the circumstances, and what happened...happened. My attitude changed and I started focusing more on the positives of the situation, like the nice people, the awesome teachers, and a completely fresh start. From that day on, it changed. I started to like being at Arapahoe, and then I started to love it. I look at it as one of the best experiences of my life because it taught me how to roll with life's punches and become more of an independent person.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
2.) In Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Janothan Safran Foer, Oskar Schell is a nine-year-old outsider elementary school boy who loses his beloved father in the September 11 attacks. This tragic event completely rocked his world, he lost his best friend, but more importantly the only person who feels understands him. When he finds the mysterious key in the blue vase that belonged to his father, he needs answers, and he would have done virtually anything to get them. He was determined to talk to ever person with the last name "Black" living in New York City, just to see if they knew anything about his father, or what the key meant. He was searching, but did not know what he was looking for. In the end, the key ended up being to Mr. Black's family fortune, something completely unrealted to Thomas Schell. Though it broke Oskar's heart, he still valued the experience. What he was expecting to find- some great secrets of his father's genius, or a fortune of mysteries, he certainly did not. He could have been completely bitter about the situation, given that he esentially wasted two years of his life; however, he was not. Out of his experience, he gained vast knowledge and met unforgettable friends. Though he can never bring back his father, he can do things in his memory to keep him "alive". The ending of this novel is especially touching, because everybody finds peace and cloesure.
Shakespeare
3.) In Shakespeare's famous play, "Hamlet", Young Hamlet also faces great adversity. His beloved father, the King, is murdered and everybody, along with Hamlet's mother, seems to move on and forget about The Great King. Since Hamlet valued and respected his father so much, this kills him. If things could not get worse for Hamlet, he absolutely despises the new King, his girlfriend breaks up with him, and his best friends turn against him. Everything in Hamlet's world is stabbing him in the back. Hamlet does not always have the best perspective on things. He becomes very angry, incredibly sarcastic, and seems to isolate himself into a state of deep depression. Though his circumstances are extremely unfair, nothing can be done about them. Hamlet chooses to focus on the negatives, which idolizes just how bad they were. What he doesn't realize is that the way he looks at things, only affects him. He brought most of his grief upon himself. The end of this play ends up tragically, with most of the characters dying in battles of hatred.
Personal
1.) Adversity in life is completely inevitable. Everybody will face hard times at some point. The key to success and well-being through trials is perspective. The summer before my junior year, I moved schools completely unexpectedly. I moved houses that summer, out of Cherry Creek School District, with the intentions that I could open enroll and still go to Creek. When I went to register two days before school started, they told me that I could not come back, and I felt completely betrayed and hopeless. I had to move schools, to Arapahoe, a week after school already started. I didn't know anybody who went here, I had to completely start over. The first week, I was so bitter about the situation, and wanted to be absolutely anywhere else but Arapahoe. I wanted my friends, my school, my old life back. One night, I realized simply that I'm stuck. I can't change the circumstances, and what happened...happened. My attitude changed and I started focusing more on the positives of the situation, like the nice people, the awesome teachers, and a completely fresh start. From that day on, it changed. I started to like being at Arapahoe, and then I started to love it. I look at it as one of the best experiences of my life because it taught me how to roll with life's punches and become more of an independent person.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
2.) In Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Janothan Safran Foer, Oskar Schell is a nine-year-old outsider elementary school boy who loses his beloved father in the September 11 attacks. This tragic event completely rocked his world, he lost his best friend, but more importantly the only person who feels understands him. When he finds the mysterious key in the blue vase that belonged to his father, he needs answers, and he would have done virtually anything to get them. He was determined to talk to ever person with the last name "Black" living in New York City, just to see if they knew anything about his father, or what the key meant. He was searching, but did not know what he was looking for. In the end, the key ended up being to Mr. Black's family fortune, something completely unrealted to Thomas Schell. Though it broke Oskar's heart, he still valued the experience. What he was expecting to find- some great secrets of his father's genius, or a fortune of mysteries, he certainly did not. He could have been completely bitter about the situation, given that he esentially wasted two years of his life; however, he was not. Out of his experience, he gained vast knowledge and met unforgettable friends. Though he can never bring back his father, he can do things in his memory to keep him "alive". The ending of this novel is especially touching, because everybody finds peace and cloesure.
Shakespeare
3.) In Shakespeare's famous play, "Hamlet", Young Hamlet also faces great adversity. His beloved father, the King, is murdered and everybody, along with Hamlet's mother, seems to move on and forget about The Great King. Since Hamlet valued and respected his father so much, this kills him. If things could not get worse for Hamlet, he absolutely despises the new King, his girlfriend breaks up with him, and his best friends turn against him. Everything in Hamlet's world is stabbing him in the back. Hamlet does not always have the best perspective on things. He becomes very angry, incredibly sarcastic, and seems to isolate himself into a state of deep depression. Though his circumstances are extremely unfair, nothing can be done about them. Hamlet chooses to focus on the negatives, which idolizes just how bad they were. What he doesn't realize is that the way he looks at things, only affects him. He brought most of his grief upon himself. The end of this play ends up tragically, with most of the characters dying in battles of hatred.
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