Adrian Hernandez

The O-M-G factor

            Who doesn’t like a good mauling or a good eye gouging?  I mean, in almost every movie today, we encounter the hollow spectacle that Hollywood can possibly dish out to us.  We open the newspaper and can read about decapitations, murders and accidents of all sorts in gruesome detail.  The internet… well, we all know about the internet.  My point is that spectacle is anything but rare in today’s societies.  Industries such as Hollywood and the news thrive upon it.  So, it’s somewhat of a surprise how tragedy can get away with using very little spectacle or hidden spectacle in order to keep the focus on the story without losing the interest of the reader.

            When we read Oedipus at Colonus and Samson Agonistes, we discussed in class how both of them losing their eyesight could be one example of spectacle in tragedy, although its suppressed description made it more of a peripheral item rather than focus of attention.  Furthermore, the loss of their eyesight can be seen as sublime in that they were able to better see the world in which they live even though they are blind.  In tragedy, we find that the story itself carries us forward and that spectacle, among other elements, are simply used to grease the tracks.  According to Aristotle, the production of spectacle depends more on the stage mechanist than on that of the poet.  Whereof, we see the repression of spectacular effects on the classical, tragic stage.

            In our sublime handout, it gives on example of the sublime as Magnificent are the images which Sophocles has conceived of the death of Oedipus, who makes ready his burial amid the portents of the sky.  Loosely, we can observe two items from this statement: death and sky.  Death is the only thing we cannot avoid and is it the cause of great pain and the ending to one’s life.  The portents of the sky, refers to using the beauty of nature to foreshadow something bad.  Much like a thunderstorm, its lightening threatens but its beauty is calming and inviting.  We see one example from Oedipus at Colonus when the Messenger says, “But when he had his will in everything, And no desire was left unsatisfied, It thundered from the netherworld; the maids Shivered, and crouching at their father's knees Wept, beat their breast and uttered a long wail.”  Sophocles uses the fearful imagery of the underworld and thunder and uses it to foreshadow something grim.  While fearful, it’s also intriguing and the spectacle of the event is contained entirely in the words of the character while still being entirely effective.

            It seems that what is deemed spectacular, or being of spectacle, is often an element of what is deemed the sublime.  The audience craves spectacle even if only through words but what is often considered spectacle, should it be conveyed on stage through mechanics or in the mind through imaginative and descriptive prose, is quite appealing and awesome; it has great beauty and intrigue.  Yet with this beauty, the sublime uses other elements such as fear, threat or ugliness to counteract the beauty in an effort to create a long-lasting impression upon the audience.  That which hurts/impacts us the most, is often best remembered.  Nature and love are two prime examples of powerful and beautiful forces which can both heighten our senses and bring about great happiness while at the same time threaten us with awesome power and spectacular elements such as the wind, lightening, water, heartbreak or a sense of desolate and everlasting solitude.  Yet we’ll never forget tropical storm Allison nor will we forget our first love, Allison – the one who broke our heart.