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LITR 4370
TRAGEDY
Midterm2 Samples 2015 (midterm2 assignment)
Model Answers to Part 2. |
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Part 2. Learning about
Tragedy 2: Revise, continue, improve, & Extend Essay
begun in Midterm1
on learning experience with tragedy,
extending to include Sophocles's Family of Oedipus plays.
(Revise / improve midterm1 draft & add at least 5-7
paragraphs for 9-10 paragraph total.)
Tragedy 101
Before I took this course I thought
tragedy was going to be all about the bad things that happen to people, or that
people in the past have done. I did not view tragedy as being humorous, just
plain right sad and depressing. Which is one of the reasons why I wanted to take
this class. I knew there had to be more to what tragedy is than just depressing
stories about how someone killed someone else. Not to my surprise I was
right—there is so much more to tragedy than just sorrow.
One thing that I have learned so far in this class
is how well I can relate to the stories. I never would have thought before
taking this class that I would relate as easily to tragedy, I do not view myself
as a tragic person, honestly. But once I started reading all the different plays
I realized that everyone could relate to tragedy. Tragedy is about loss, pain,
and coping, which is something that everyone has gone through at some point in
their lives if not more than one time.
I have heard of some of the plays we have read in
class before, like Agamemnon, but not actually read it myself. I am glad this
was the first play we were assigned to read actually. It was something I really
did not know anything about, I had heard of it but was not aware of how it would
turn out. I must admit there were certain parts in the play that I had to close
my jaw while reading. For example, when Agamemnon had to kill his daughter in
the beginning, yes this was a tragedy; a parent never wishes to live to see
their child die. But even in this tragic moment I learned that he was being a
hero in a sense at the same time. He had to kill his own flesh in blood but in
return saved many more as well.
When it comes to tragedy it does not always have to
be dark. For example, in Mourning Becomes Electra, I personally thought this
story was a more detailed but lighter version of Agamemnon. While reading this
play I saw it in a new light. I thought that the killing of Ezra was more of a
crime of passion in love than just revenge. When reading it in Agamemnon I felt
that the murder was more revenge than out of love. Now that I am reading more
tragedy I am learning that the tragic event is done as a consequence or
retaliation. This class has started to teach me to look more in depth at the
characters, before I viewed tragedy as the bad guy, there was always a bad guy
who was going to come in and ruin something for some reason, in result causing a
tragedy. But I was wrong: there really is not a bad guy in tragedy just humans.
It amazes me how much more I have learned in just a
short eight weeks about tragedy. Just when I thought I had learned enough about
tragedy and was ready to move on to the next part of the class there was still
so much more that was yet to come. In the last five weeks I have be reintroduced
to Oedipus the King and then introduced for the first time to Antigone and
Oedipus at Colonus. When I saw that I was going to have to reread things I have
already read and learned about before, I honestly was a little put out. I did
not want to have to reread something I have already studied and been taught.
However, after rereading I realized there was so much more to the story than
what met the eye to a young high school girl.
When reading Oedipus the King
I did roughly remember reading the story in High School. However, I did not
remember it being so gruesome. Before rereading it I completely understood why
this was chosen for a tragedy course.
It is a tragic story. Oedipus kills his father, but
does not realize it was his father. If that is not tragic I’m not sure what is.
Then he goes and marries his mother, and has children with her. In my opinion
this is more disturbing than tragedy. However, looking at it now that I am older
and have found love, it is a tragedy that he marries his mother. He fell in love
with this woman who he thought he would spend the rest of his days with. Then
his hopes and dreams for the future are shattered the minute he finds out who
she really is. Then ending their fairy tale by Jocasta killing herself and
Oedipus gashing his eyes out. This is not how I remembered feeling about it in
High School.
I was not aware that there were sequels to the
Oedipus plays. Antigone was an interesting play. I felt like I really connected
to the play more when I saw the few clips of the play that were shown in class.
This play was honestly not one of my favorite plays of the semester after just
reading it. I understood the dramatic scenes better once I saw it portrayed but
the characters. The scene that really made me realize that tragedy can affect
family so badly was when Creon and Haemon have their fight about Antigone. This
scene in my opinion was tragedy in its best. The way that Haemon stood up for
Antigone was passionate. But then when he told his father that he would have to
kill him as well if he was going to kill her, turned it into sort of a romance
tragedy. But then his father was so stubborn that he would not at least come
around to his son’s way of thinking just this one time, was tragic. Creon ended
up pretty much portraying to the audience that his way was more important that
having his son in his life. This was relatable to anyone who has gone through a
tough time with their parents, because they may have not agreed or understood
their decisions or way of thinking.
Oedipus at Colonus was a play I did not even know
existed until a few weeks ago. This play was more of a journey in my opinion.
Unlike the other plays where there were trials and tribulations going on, and
then adding in some tragic moments with conflicts, this play seemed like it was
the happiest it could be for a happy ending for Oedipus. Besides the few
conflicts Sophocles added in there. I felt really bad for Oedipus this entire
play. Here he just wants to end his life where he wants to and Creon is
demanding he come back to Thebes to end the plague that he started. But the most
heartbreaking this in my opinion in this plat was the fact that his daughters
were the ones taking care of him and getting him to Thebes, while his sons fight
over the thrown. I did not view this play as an overall tragic play, however I
saw it as a play that overcomes regret, by letting go of the past. I really
enjoyed The Gospel at Colonus, I thought it helped understand the play in a more
modern way. This is a play that I would love to be able to fit in a High School
class.
My misconception of what I
remembered plays being like, that are completely different now that I am an
adult and have experience more life altering situations makes me understand this
subject so much more. I have been blown away by all the information I have
learned and how I can apply this information in my future classroom. Every time
I learn more it gets me that much more excited to be in my own classroom and
teaching my students. One of the most valuable things I have learned so far in
this class is not just about tragedy and what it is, but that its interpretation
is different for everyone, and that is something that should be embraced.
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