Week 7 Discussion

When Covid-19 started, it was like the whole world had changed. Everyone was scared to go outside, go to public places, etc. I remember sitting on a bus or going on the train how everyone was so scared to even be near each other. And things like social media only made it 100 times worse. With the amount of stuff popping out on the news all over the world about covid-19, the vaccines, politics, etc. all caused problems for everyone. To this day there are still people that are so paranoid that they separate in public area much like before and refuse to stand close to each other. Its become so normal that even when it comes to sitting in areas its almost second nature to have space between each other, something that wasn’t so big to do before Covid. In “Oedipus the king” this is very similar to real life due to how everyone was so scared of the plague they experinces and no one knew what to do.

thinking back to the times during covid I remember everyone being distant and cold to each other due to fear of getting sick. day-to-day life was also more complicated and doing something simple like getting groceries took longer because of safety precautions. Having to stop our daily lives and having to focus on remaining safe is also somewhat of what the citizens in Oedipus the King had to go through as well. In the story, the citizens are told to stop praying and to focus on a cure instead. however, I do believe there are obvious contrasts between our epidemic versus the one in the story. This is because the story takes an unexpected turn and it gives us a plot twist revealing that the person who caused the epidemic was the king himself. comparing that to COVID-19  there wasn’t any sort of plot twist or one specific person in power that caused the epidemic to begin with.

I would rate my ability to read poems a bit better than before these two weeks. If before I was like a 5/10 in reading poems i think it went up to a 6. The ways I think I can be better is identifying the figurative language that is being used in these poems. Also I still think poems are really difficult to understand and I feel like poems are very exaggerated, why use such complicated ways to talk about a lake. “And evening full of the linnet’s wings.” what does this even mean like come on there was definitely something else you can put there. I also just find some poems kinda dumb like Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening By Robert Frost hes just talking about a stop he made in the woods while riding his horse somewhere. I just dont think Im ever gonna be at peace reading poems.

The Covid 19 pandemic four years ago, it was a tragic time that affected all, when Covid hit in 2020, it felt like everything turned upside down, lives were lost, fear spread through the countries and normal life stoped. Schools closed, jobs canceled, and important events were, leaving many feeling confused and scared about what would happen next. Comparing this era to “Oedipus the King,” it’s like seeing history repeat itself. The way the priest talks about the plague in Thebes sounds a lot like how people felt during Covid scared, trapped, and unsure of what to do. But while COVID brought communities together, “Oedipus the King” shows how fear and blame tore people apart, leading to even more problems. In Ecuador, where I was when Covid started, I saw firsthand how people reacted. There was panic as cases surged, and everyone was worried about getting sick.The time became unforgateble marking a before and after, even an end of practices and lives. In the chaos I saw people coming together to help each other out including institutions but it also showed how strong we can be when we stick together for a propuse.

During COVID, people were fearful and seemed to turn on each other. Even if it was not intentional, especially with mandated social distancing, we all became wary of the next person’s actions. We also looked strongly to social media or experts highly respected in the medical field for answers. People became depressed, acted out in strange ways, distanced themselves from people in emotional ways, and partook in destructive behaviors. The population also began to distrust our government. This started with how they handled the beginning of the pandemic, followed by the BLM protesting, and continued to spiral from there. It all came to an intense head during the election and did not stop there. We are still seeing massive distrust in our leaders, and the pandemic seemed to be the catalyst. In Oedipus the King, the Thebans responded to the plague with fear and uncertainty, seeking help from leaders and experts. While they blamed each other and turned to religion. In looking at the commonalities of the story and our experience, there truly were not many differences. Both our modern society and the Thebans shared valid human emotions such as fear and anxiety, and we yearned for solutions for the problem.

During the two weeks of learning poetry I think I’ve been getting a little better at understanding . Being that I’ve always liked to write everytime I want to express myself it makes it easier to sometimes understand a poem that had a lot of feeling to it . During these two weeks I believe I can  still work on breaking poems down and understanding the literature terms that are being used in the poems .

During the Covid-19 pandemic which was now 4 years ago, a lot has transpired during that year. In the year 2020, when covid struck it hit like a bomb leading to millions of deaths of loved ones, no outside contact for months, police brutality, people acting out towards each other in fear of catching covid, schools shutting down, and for me personally and many others the robbery of my graduation. In comparison of the action/events that happened during covid to the reading ” Oedipus the King”, the priest says this line ” A deadly pestilence, is our town, strikes us and spears us not, and the house of Cadmus is emptied of its people while black Death grows rich in groaning and in lamentation”. This line from the priest is similar to how people were feeling during covid. During covid, people started to become fearful and paranoid of catching covid or getting their families sick. It was also a time that people started to have mental health problems, feeling trapped in their homes while also scared to go outside. For a lot of people Covid felt like a time of uncertainty and never knowing if we would recover from this pandemic, which caused a lot of problems for our nation and communities.

During the pandemic, I saw a mix of fear and resilience much like in Thebes. People hoarded supplies similar to the thebans’ desperation. Yet there was also incredible community spirit and support something less apparent in the play where the focus is more on seeking a singular cause and solution to their plague. The unity and shared sacrifice I witnessed were inspiring, contrasting with the isolation and blame in the play.

In the story Oedipus the King, the people in the story went through a plague and tried to find a solution  . Like in lines 68-82  “I pity you, children. You have come full of longing, but I have known the story before you told it only too well. I know you are all sick, yet there is not one of you, sick though you are, that is as sick as myself. Your several sorrows each have single scope and touch but one of you. My spirit groans for city and myself and you at once. You have not roused me like a man from sleep; know that I have given many tears to this, gone many ways wandering in thoughts, but as I thought I found only one remedy and that I took. I sent Menoeceus’ son Creon, Jocasta’s brother, to Apollo, to his Pythian temple,* that he might learn there by what act or word I could save this city. This quote relates to Covid 19 and what was going on with the Americans because when Covid 19 started they quickly started looking for a solution to solve the problem for the sickness/disease that were killing people off . It caused great panic and that’s why guidelines had to be followed to prevent the spread .

In the last two weeks my ability to read English poetry has improved, but there still plenty to learn . Poetry helped me expand my vocabulary and understand literature better. I find difficult challenges in grasping metaphors and deeper meanings because of the vocabulary and used and way of using it in poetry. The language can be tough  and I need more practice to fully understand what the poet is trying to say. I’m also working on recognizing poetic devices like rhyme and imagery. I plan to keep reading and studying poetry to get better in general. I know practice is crucial with continued practice I believe I can learn more understanding and appreciation of English poetry. As an English learner I’m always learning something new about the language and literature, that’s why I think that I had been stock because of not practice my in English in a more social environment do to almost all the people I know speak Spanish.

When COVID was announced, the American population started to panic and everyone was in quarantine. I also witnessed that during COVID there was a shortage of toilet paper and hand sanitizer. The same thing happens in “Oedipus the King”, the people were worried about the virus. In contrast people were blaming China for the cause of COVID, just like Oedipus blames Tiresias and Creon for making plans without his consent. The people of Thebes saw the virus as a curse while we saw this as a virus. COVID has affected everyone as we were in quarantine for a while. People were questioning when the virus will be over and when will everything go back to the way they were. COVID was one of the big things that has happened to all of us. Once we were all out of quarantine after a while, things slowly start going back to normal again.

During  covid 19 everyone was on quarantine. i remember when nobody was allowed to go outside and everyone was fighting to get the essentials for their homes. i also remember when there was a lot of fear and panic during those times. just like in the story Oedipus the king. people were scare because of  The outbreak of the plague instills. Chaos, among the people of Thebes causing distress. The Priest paints a picture of the city’s condition lamenting, “Thebes is, in decline. A curse befalls our crops and fertile lands; livestock fall ill and perish while women face death during childbirth with newborns failing to survive. The relentless fever brought by the plague ravages our city. Then during the pandemic people feared of  catching covid and it spreading around the world.  another similarity  the American people had with the plague was the denial and blame. Oedipus and others initially deny their roles or knowledge in the curse afflicting Thebes. Oedipus even accuses Tiresias and Creon of conspiring against him. while americans and some other countries blamed China f or the start and spread of covid.

During the times and height of covid everyone was reasonably scared and confused. What I personally saw was people not knowing what exactly this virus was and how to properly protect themself from it whilst mourning their loved ones who unfortunately were victims of the virus. Comparing this the play “Oedipus the King” like when the people in the story were also scared and confused. Not knowing what this plague was and not understanding the deaths trying to put some reasoning behind it. “I know you are all sick, yet there is not one of you, sick though you are, 70 that is as sick as myself. “

During the pandemic I was still living in the Dominican Republic. I remember that people’s behavior changed a lot during the lockdown. I remember watching the news and seeing people acting desperate at the grocery store trying to buy as much food as they could so they could stay at home and not be exposed to the virus. The [lay showed how the people of Thebes were suffering because of the plague that was attacking their city. They went to their king Oedipus to ask him for help because a lot of people were dying as a consequence of the plague, as it is expressed in the next quote. [and the house of Cadmus is emptied of its people while black Death grows rich in groaning and in lamentation.”  I choose this particular quote because during the pandemic people were desperate to get medical attention to their loved ones that were sick of COVID. In my country, people used to go to important institutions to ask them for help to save their family members. That is why I choose this quote to connect how the desperation of a population makes them decide to go to an important person (in this case, Oedipus the king) to try to save their family members.

When the Covid-19 plague was brought to the attention of the American people, a widespread of panic and scatter took place. A comparison I found between the  American people during Covid-19 plague and the people of Thebes in “Oedipus the King”,  during their plague is that both people were desperate to find a solution to end the plague. Yes, the people of Thebes felt that their plague was a curse and our plague was a virus, both people wanted it to be over. I personally witnessed many states make social distancing a requirement when you were out in public, people wearing masks, and no toilet paper or other basic necessities that were needed. I also experienced deaths in my family and went through having Covid-19 personally twice. Now Covid-19 was a global issue but to the people of Thebes the plague was thought to be a curse due to the people ill ways.

During Covid, the behaviors of the American population that I personally witnessed was a worldwide worry and panic. No one knew how to handle this on their own, so like the people in Oedipus the King, they turned to the “authorities” or government because that’s who is there to protect and keep them safe. In contrast, during covid 19 we had Donald Trump as President. His responses to the pandemic were not very leader like and as we can see Oedipus was not very leader like either. Oedipus had killed his father and married his mother. Knowing this, the chaos that followed the pandemic and the plague in both cases were getting out of hand. In Oedipus the King, we see that he sent his brother in law to figure out a solution, like the government today. The President has people to do things for them in situations like these. The plague and pandemic are similar because it was a dark time for the citizens and for the government as well. No one knew the solution to this new problem.

As I think back of covid-19 days those days were really miserable for India as my homecountry where I was present that time.There were social distancing, people wear masks and there were no gathering and people were afraid to go out even if they have to buy something whereas in “Oedipus the King” the people in Thebes, the play depicts a city suffer with a deadly plague caused by curse.Comparing specific scenes, in Oedipus the King,the people of Thebes are desperate for a solution to the plague, evident in lines like “Each of you suffers in himself alone, not for himself,but for the city”. In contrast,during the Covid-19 pandemic,people faced a shared global issue,adjusting their lifestyle according to the situation.People of my countries followed the proper guidelines given by the government to protect themselves from covid-19.People in Thebes also took the measures to protect themselves from the deadly Plague.Both scenarios illustrate the complexity of navigating the balance between their lifestyles and managing their daily life.

When COVID was at it’s height, I still lived home in St. Thomas, USVI. As a US territory who’s main and only industry is tourism, we were a bit slow on the uptake of closing off our borders. Because of that, our island notice an uptake in “statesiders” (fellow US citizens who lived on the mainland/continental US) traveling to our island to vacation because of a current lack in mandates. It took as little as a month for their to be an identified case of COVID within the community, and three months for an upsurge in cases, forcing the USVI to close its borders indefinitely. Despite being a US territory and having confirmed cases, it was a bit difficult for our government to enforce mask mandates because of a lack of supplies (our inventories are usually shipped through Puerto Rico whose borders we also closed in light of the now global pandemic. However, once those regulations were planned out and essential workers we allowed to resume work both in Puerto Rico and the USVI, we were able to continue about life with a new sense of “normalcy” Similar to the citizens in Oedipus, our community immediately sought guidance from our government. Despite having a small number of cases initially, we understood how a “plague” such as COVID would negatively effect our only means of producing profit for the islands. In Lines 62-64, readers note that the community tells their king “You freed us from the Sphinx, Oedipus, our king; and in your care we find ourselves lifted from the surge of death.” Like those individuals we relied on our government now more than ever since our GDP tanked after all four islands were negatively impacted by category 5 hurricanes Irma and Maria no more than three years prior. As a […]

In the play “Oedipus the King,” the people of Thebes are struck by a deadly plague that leaves them desperate and vulnerable. They plead with their king, Oedipus, to find a solution to the epidemic. Meanwhile, Jocasta enters and criticizes Oedipus and Creon for their insignificant arguments during the crisis, asking, “Are you not ashamed to air your private griefs when the country’s sick?” (Lines 741-743). This emphasizes their mutual sense of urgency and the need to prioritize the greater good over personal disagreements. Similarly, during the COVID-19 pandemic, some Americans followed public health guidelines eagerly, while others opposed restrictions and emphasized personal liberation. This reflects the tensions in Thebes, where some characters, like the Priest and Jocasta, prioritize addressing the plague as a community. In difference, others, like Oedipus and Creon, are consumed by personal disagreements regardless of the bigger crisis. Both situations showcase the complicatedness of balancing individual rights with coordinated well-being during times of crisis.

During the Covid-19 pandemic I remember people being in a constant state of worry and panic. WHO urged everyone to wear masks and gloves and limit contact with people as much as possible to limit spreading further the virus. But there was a lot of controversies about the methods used by the government to deal with the outbreak, and people were also putting blade at the government for even starting the virus, especially the Chinese government. A contrast between how the American people and the people of Thebes in Oedipus the King is an how they approached their plagues. In Oedipus the King the people turned to their government (the king) who they fully trust in to help them discover how to deal with the plague and get rid of it. “We have not come as suppliants to this altar 35 because we thought of you as a God, but rather judging you the first of men in all the chances of this life and when we mortals have to do with more that man. You came and by your coming saved our city, 40 freed us from the tribute which we paid of old to the Sphinx,7 cruel singer. This you did… it was God that aided you, men say, and you are held45 with God’s assistance to have saved our lives.” Whereas in America people weren’t really sure if they could trust what the government says, especially when it came to the virus. Another contrast is that when the Covid 19 pandemic hit health organizations were already working on health precautions to take to keep everyone safe and reduce the death toll as much as possible, whereas the people in Oedipus went to their temples acquiring of their gods on how to stop the plague from affecting them. […]

After thinking back to the COVID-19 days I noticed a big contrast in the way an outbreak was handled. In “Oedipus the King,” there’s a scene where the people of Thebes beg Oedipus to save them from the plague. They tell him, “You freed us from the Sphinx, Oedipus, our king; and in your care we find ourselves lifted from the surge of death” (Lines 62-64). This shows how much they rely on Oedipus to solve their problems, without taking much action themselves. In contrast, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a big focus on people taking responsibility for their health and stopping the virus from spreading. Public health campaigns encouraged things like wearing masks, washing hands, and getting vaccinated. While not everyone followed these guidelines perfectly, there was a big effort to teach people how to be responsible and safe.

  Back during covid one of the big things were that people were scared to go outside. Even when people were outside they would avoid each other and if you were to cough then you would be given a look then people would slowly move away from you which can kind of be related to the play due to the fear of dying. Covid was a time where people were actually scared of dying on a worldwide scale. At one point it just seemed like there was no way to stop what was going on just like in the play when Oedipus said this . “But no man has power to force the gods to speak against their will.” in this way everyone predicted that death was coming and no one was able to stop what was going on. Covid was a really bad time I would hate for another pandemic to happen again.

During the global outbreak of the coronavirus, we all witnessed heart-wrenching stories firsthand, with countless people losing their loved ones, and many others passing away due to the lack of cooperation from others. In “Oedipus the King,” the people also suffered from a nationwide epidemic, just like us, placing their hopes on the national leader. However, as we have seen, no country’s policy was able to completely stop the plague, mirroring the torment experienced by the people in the story. Whether in reality or in stories, there will always be dissatisfaction and resistance, leading to more people getting hurt. During the pandemic, I lived in China, where everyone was quarantined at home, with no one allowed to go out. Everyone monitored each other, and the situation was initially very successful. In less than two months, the virus in cities was isolated, people wore masks outdoors, and used a special virus QR code to facilitate scanning and confirmation of health status. In 2020, when the whole world was quarantined at home, I could travel through various cities in China, walking in bustling night markets. But no one could accept being locked at home forever. I remember in 2021, when the coronavirus variant swept across the globe again, but this time the virus was not very harmful, many countries opened up policies, while China locked down the entire country again, with no one allowed to go out. However, a few months later, people realized that it was impossible to avoid infection, and began to resist. In Shanghai and Xinjiang, people started a series of resistance movements, known as the “White Paper Movement,” expressing their dissatisfaction with the government by holding up a blank piece of paper. Less than a week after the outbreak of the movement, China reopened, and no one escaped […]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, health fears and social restrictions changed individuals’ communications and behaviors. Whether a person has lost their loved ones, struggled with isolation, was personally sick, or lost their job, each was affected differently. Throughout the pandemic, I observed many behaviors among the American people that can be likened to some characters in the play Oedipus the King. After the government commanded that people uphold various measures like wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, and adhering to stay-at-home instructions, several individuals did exactly what was required. Conversely, some Americans did not strictly follow the government guidelines. In the play, there are instances of individual and collective suffering due to the plague; just like during COVID-19, people suffered individually and collectively. Accordingly, the American people turned to their leaders to save them from the pandemic, just like the people in the play turned to their king, Oedipus, to be saved. The priest pleads on behave of the people of Thebe, saying, “And now, Oedipus, our peerless king, all we thy votaries beseech thee, find, some succor, whether by a voice from heaven, Whispered, or haply known by human wit” (Lines 46-48). This is an indication of collective suffering denoted by the outbreak of Covid-19. Just like in the play, American people suffered collectively, leading to regular quarantines of people from the same families and different families. The obedience among the majority of Americans is likened to the character Creon in the play, which emphasizes obeying the government and the gods. His decision to follow Apollo’s prophecy and enforce the laid-down measures to rid Thebes of the plague can be likened to the American people who followed the WHO directives. On the other hand, there were various instances of defiance among individual Americans, just the Thebes. Some Americans went against the […]