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Literature & Language
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Topic:
Professional Interview
Essay Instructions:
Compose one carefully planned and organized essay (750 - 1000) words, MLA format) in response to ONE of the following prompts. Support your ideas with specific details from the literature.
1. When one reads Greek literature, he or she learns that the world's strongest force is "fate." Zeus himself has no ability to control fate; the minor gods have no ability to control Zeus; Greek mortals almost always obey the gods, and that appears to be natural order. Any person attempting unfettered free choice is gravely in danger. Heracles, Achilles, Ajax, Odysseus and other heroes obey the gods. How is it then that Oedipus can hear a prophecy that he will kill his father and marry his mother and immediately exercise free will in a doomed attempt to determine his own destiny? Is Oedipus blind? He isn't then, though he will later choose to be. Is he stupid? Apparently not; he solves the riddle of the sphinx, something accomplished by no one else. Is he evil? He seems to be a caring and compassionate king, which seems to rule out a malignant personality.
In a well-organized essay, explain what you think causes Oedipus to attempt to be master of his own fate. Since we are not given his story as a child or adolescent, you will need to use his actions during the play to discover the part of his character that motivates his actions. Answering the three questions posed in the paragraph above may help you find a way to organize the essay.
2. The play, "Agamemnon," is full of references to justice, order and harmony on one side and chaos, discord and disaster on the other. The problem is that there is no agreement between the two sides (the chorus representing the citizens and Clytemnestra and her lover, Aegisthus, as the seekers of revenge) about what justice is and what is or is not natural order. Here are the clues: Agamemnon has sacrificed his and Clytemnestra's daughter, Iphigeneia, to secure aid from the gods for his attack on Troy. Now he is coming home, bringing the daughter of Priam, Cassandra, as part of his booty, but Clytemnestra and Aegisthus are waiting to kill him, which they accomplish. Now the problem is that the chorus--especially the leader--believe the two killers are evil and morally wrong while Clytemnestra asserts that what she does is right. After reading the play carefully, including the introductory commentary and footnotes, offer your opinion about who is guilty and which crimes are the worst. Pay attention to the comments in the introduction about communal justice as opposed to individual justice.
If you were a citizen of Argos at that time before courts existed, what judgment would you pass on Clytemnestra and why?
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3rd April 2012
PROFESSIONAL INTERVIEW
The Greeks are one of the earliest societies on earth to be civilized. Most societies in the world adopted the Greek way of life especially on matters to do with social and economic ways of life. On matters of religion, they had their own gods who they believed controlled each and every aspect of their lives. There was the superior god known as Zeus and below him were the minor gods. Anything thought to have a great impact on the beliefs and customs of their society was referred to Zeus. Other minor issues could be handled by the other gods below him. The gods were believed to have higher mental capacities than those of men (Berens 27).
These gods were highly respected and held in awe. Nobody dared disobey them because the repercussions were unimaginable. Even the known heroes in that society could not think of leave alone disobey these mortals. There were no known events or occasions in the Greek history when the gods were disobeyed. Who then is Oedipus? Where did he get this prophecy from? How blind is he to the consequences of his actions? "The gods directed peoples destiny" (Berens 58)
Oedipus must be a very daring and courageous man who wants to do the unthinkable. He has no respect for the morals and customs in that society and that is why he wants to do a very stupid thing of upstaging his real father in his own home in order to enforce a prophecy. He is ignorant of what punishment the gods will mete out on him when he kills his own father. He is not very inquisitive on the source of the prophecy. He ought to have known that the evil world is also active and we should not take anything that it brings our way. The prophecy could forecast a bad omen and he ought to have consulted senior members of the society to know the way forward.
He does not fear doing what is considered an abomination as long as the prophecy is fulfilled. The gods were believed to hold the sway when it came to interpreting dreams and prophecies that came upon any member of the society. Instead of Oedipus praying to the gods for protection against such a horrible prophecy, he executes it. Due to his independent mindedness he does what is morally degrading and criminal. He seems to be challenging the authority of the gods over their protective role on the society. The source of this prophecy according to him seems to rank higher than these gods.
The fearless character of Oedipus is displayed by the seriousness he portrays. A child who has been born and brought up by his parents is always respectful to them. He owes his adulthood to them. For him to think that he can sleep with the mother after killing his dad is unheard of. Crimes of murder and incest in a household were absolutely rare in the early societies. Oedipus must have been a radical who did...
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