Journal Blood Wedding

To what extent would you agree..

I think that plot should be more valued than style in the work. To me the plot of the story or play is important because it is what the whole concept of the idea revolves around. Without a plot I doubt the story would be well written and had any meaning to it. Style does come into play to give the story or play it's own individual feel to it. Like in Wild Duck the whole plot of past events effecting future decisions seems to be key throughout the play which gave the play a meaning and with style element it helped the play evolve and become more elaborate. With just style it seems to only give the play a concept but no real idea behind it all. In Blood Wedding it seems plot does have a key role throughout the play. The whole play revolves around a plot which sets the story and gives it something to revolve around. It doesn't just set an idea and just use  style to make it up. I don't know to me it seems that plot does have a big role in plays or stories. Style does come in to play to help evolve and make the play more elaborate but plot does seem to be the key in it all.

Journal 2 TWD

Personal convictions

The Wild Duck seems to touch on secret and lies that are kept from family members. Not exactly sure if the question is asking this but I think that play seems portray kind like today in society how people lie and keep secrets either to hurt someone or just to keep for themselves cause they know that that secret could ruin them. Not really sure if this is correct at all but In the Wild Duck secrets seem to be kept cause the father doesn't want to let the son know what he is doing. Like when his friend gets married or paying for his photography school its all a secret. In society secrets seem to be used to bring someone down or ruin them permanently. Like with embarrassing videos and pictures ect. Secrets come out to ruin, blah. But the thing is I guess the play is trying to portray how secrets seem to have a snowball effect on what is going to happen next in the play. It seems that from one small thing kept from another person may cause a huge scandal that may tear apart everyone and just make everyone split or not trust anyone anymore. It may even just ruin someone. So from this prompt not exactly knowing if I answered the question correctly The Wild Duck seems to show how secrets and lies maybe the downfall of someone if the trust is not outspoken first and revealed to everyone

Journal 1 TWD

"Visual action"

I agree that visual action is important on the stage and in speech. On the stage visual action allows the audience to see physically what is happening throughout the story. In speech the visual action allows the reader to imagine what may be going on during that time in the play or what is happening.

In Oedipus there is a lack of stage direction which lets the reader imagine on what, where and when specific events maybe happening through out the play. Descriptive visual occurs though, for example when Oedipus pokes his eyes out, one is able to visually see what even is occurring and able to cringe from the action that is read.

In The Wild Dick there is a lot of stage direction going on that allows the reader to specifically know every little detail of when, what, and where the event may be occurring. These stage directions help visually allow the audience know where everything seems to be taking place and not have to exactly use their imagination to know what is going on. In the text there isn't so much of visual speech but the constant stage direction seems to make up for the fact that you don't need visual speech in speech to know what is going on I don't know.

Journal 2 Oedipus

Readers are attracted to moments of intensity in a writer's work.

In Oedipus The King there are a number of moments of intensity throughout the play. The part that caught my eye was when Oedipus believed that he should not see anymore and jabs his eyes out.

"He rips off her brooches, the long gold pins holding her robes---and lifting them high, looking straight up into the points, he digs them down the sockets of his eyes, crying..."

So from this entire passage. Oedipus has finally found about the whole prophecy and how he has been doomed from the beginning. Having incest and killing his father really takes a toll on him. It effects him so much that he stabs his eyes out cause he feels that his eyes have been tainted from what he has seen and experienced that he should no more, see what goes on around him. By making this scene so emotional it shows how tragic the actual situation is. It gives the emphasis on how Oedipus may in the beginning known what was going on but never actually thought twice about it. When the event and prophecies actually come true and pass right under his nose, he is ashamed in what he has done and gorges out his eyes. From there on emotions seem to be feeling sympathy for Oedipus but at the same time you may feel he deserves it cause he acted arrogant because he was able to solve the riddle of the sphinx which made him feel like a god. Anyway from this passage the other has conveyed emotionally how the blinding of Oedipus is key and a climax to the whole play.

Questions:
1) Why did Sophocles reveal the truth way before the end?
2) Does the interpretation of the author of knowing how much Jocasta knows about the prophecy effect or mean anything significant.