Prompt: How would you rate your ability to read and understand Oedipus the King? What parts were you good at? What elements were challenging for you and why? Did you like reading this play? Which character would you want to portray if you had to be in a production of the play, and why would you choose to play this character? To submit your Week 8 post, follow the steps below. 1. Scroll up to the black strip at the top of the screen and click the black “plus” sign inside the white circle. It is located to the right of the course title. 2. In the box that reads “Add title,” type in a title that includes your first name, last name, and the words “Discussion 8” (example: John Hart Discussion 8). 3. Type your response in the text box. Remember that your first post must be at least 150 words in order to receive full credit. 4. Navigate to the right side of the screen and choose the Post Category “Week 8 Discussion” (or whichever week is current). Never choose anything in the box that reads “Category Sticky.” Click for screenshot. 5. To add media (optional), click the “add media“ button in between the title box and the text box. Do not add the image directly to the media library. To get the image to show in the tile preview, go to “featured image > add featured image, in the lower right-hand side.” Click for screenshot. 6. Publish the post by clicking the blue button on the right. 7. Please leave a thoughtful reply to the post of one other classmate. Remember that your comments to others should be at least 75 words in order to receive full credit.
Week 8 Discussion
I would rate my ability to read and understand Oedipus the King from a scale of 1 – 10 a 3 because I am not comfortable in reading plays. I find it difficult to switch between characters, especially the chorus. To me jumping from one character to the other is not a smooth and easy transition, I prefer reading traditional books and stories, and this led to me being confused the entire time while reading this play. I did not enjoy reading this play, I was completely lost, it was not my cup of tea, but even though I did not enjoy the play, if I were to pick a character for me to play it would be Creon, because he wanted stability of Thebes!
Overall, I didn’t really enjoy reading Oedipus the King, I’m not a fan of plays in general and this one was especially boring in my opinion. The old English is which it was written made the story feel like a drag and it wasn’t an attention grabber for me. I was fully able to read it but I don’t think I would read it again at least not by choice, and I most definitely would never choose to act out this play.
if I had to rate my ability to understand the play Oedipus the King I would rate myself a 5 or 6 out of 10. I think I was good at understanding what was going on to a certain extent however the way that the story is told and the vocabulary that is used makes it difficult to notice what is happening. the overall vocabulary and the way the story was written in really long paragraphs made it difficult for me to keep up with the story. if I had to be honest I didn’t like reading this play because it was confusing however taking the time to dissect each paragraph somehow still made the experience memorable. If I could play someone in a production of this play I think I would want to portray Creon because I found it interesting how he was content with not wanting to be king and found the life of being a king to be burdensome.
My ability to examine and understand the play “Oedipus the king” is a 8/10. Some of the symbolism and just wording in general I can say were a little challenging for me because I couldn’t understand everything all to well, however from beginning to end I really enjoyed this story. One of the main ideas that were in Oedipus the king was this idea of free will. I liked how much of a leader and how strong willed at the beginning to the story, always one step ahead ready to go, especially during the plague. Oedipus the king ultimately ends with him fulfilling a prophecy to where he ends up killing his father and marrying his mother, a disturbing twist of fulfilling a prophecy to where even as a king he was nothing more than a pawn in a destiny that was forced upon him with no escape (I’ve always enjoyed reading literature that question things like free will), which also gives readers questions as to whether or not one can escape their destiny regardless of what choices they make. If I had to choose to be a character, it would probably be Creon, due to the fact that in the end, the sideline character gets all the benefits the main character should’ve had, without nearly as much loss.
I would rate my ability to read Oedipus the King a 7 due to me reading plays in previous classes. I did struggle with the use of Greek language in the play because I am not accustomed to reading Greek language. Besides the minor struggles I faced while reading the play I like the play because of the drama that it displayed in the play. Once I learned that the play was about a son killing his father and marrying his mother, my attention was focused on the play because to me it gave scandal of something that could happen in today day and age. I myself like drama movies and don’t mind to read about public scandals from time to time so to be able to read about a Greek scandal was exciting. If I had to portray a character from the play I would want to be Oedipus because of his persona of being a strong person and taking responsibility for his actions.
I feel my ability to examine and understand Oedipus the King as quite solid. It is a classic Greek tragedy it really is stood the test of time. Some components have been a bit confusing with all of the symbolism and dramatic irony happening, however after class discussions, I felt like I had a good draw close on the overall subject matters and messages of the play. The way Oedipus unknowingly fulfills the prophecy of killing his father and marrying his mom is just so messed up, yet captivating. Overall, analyzing Oedipus the King become simply challenging at instances, but completely well worth it. I would love to play Creon inside the play because he simply looks as if I should relate to him inside the way he doesn’t need to be a king but receives all of the advantages. Creon just seems like he is just kind of hiding in the background in the play so I would probably play him
Reading Oedipus the King was fascinating to me, especially knowing how old the story/play is. It had me thinking about what inspired Sophocles to write this, and if he pulled elements from things he had seen in his life. I had read Oedipus the King in high school, so I knew what to expect. However, my memory had faded a bit, so certain elements of this story were brought back to my attention. This included Jocasta hanging herself, and Oedipus gouging out his own eyes. The dialog was challenging for me, seeing as it was written and translated an extremely long time ago. Having it explained in class was helpful but was difficult to understand while doing some of the reading on my own. If I were to be in a production of this play, I would probably want to play the role of Jocasta because she seems like an interesting character. While she seems strong willed and put together, she folds under the weight of her tragic findings. Upon finding out that her entire marriage is a sham and that she has married her own child, she decides to end her life. It would be interesting to get into the mindset of someone who goes into full reaction mode after having the rug pulled out from under them.
During this week of class reading “Oedipus the king”, I would rate my ability to read and understand the play as a 9 out of 10. “Oedipus the king” is a Greek tragedy about a man who unknowing fulfills a prophecy by killing his father and marrying his mother. As someone who doesn’t read plays very much, my rating of a 9 out of 10 for reading and understanding is pretty good. While reading the play, I’ve been able to understand the plot pretty well but I’ve had trouble understanding some words and the placement of words have also been a little difficult to understand. Reading this play I actually found myself liking the story and the characters a lot. This story had themes of fate and freewill which I enjoyed how Oedipus was persistent to find out the truth about himself. In the production of this play, I would want to play Oedipus. I would want to portray the character Oedipus because for starters he’s the main character. I would play Oedipus because his character changes over the course of the story as he unveils more information about his origin and prophecy.
i would rate my ability to read and understand Oedipus the King would be subjective. the parts i did understand were the dramatic irony of the play. i also the tragic events and the exploration of freedom versus fate. these elements resonate with me due to the timeless importance and psychological depth. the elements that were challenging to me were the difficult language they used in the play, also the cultural context of Greek society required a lot of effort to fully understand . adding on to that trying to figure out their moral dilemmas and the psychological turmoil of the characters, especially Oedipus. even withe challenges i think reading the play was an interesting experience . the character i would like to portray if i had to would be Oedipus himself. one reason is why is because he is the lead of the play. then playing the character would be an acting challenge try io reenact his emotional journey
Well I think i would rate my ability to read and understand Oedipus the King from a scale of 1 to10, a 7.I was fine and okay with the reading even though some words were not something i was used to but the understanding what i was reading was a bit hard.Well at least when i was reading it to myself. But when we did the class discussions it was way more easier to understand. I think because we were taking a break after every line. And really closely observing it. At first I was not really enjoying the book. But then I searched up the overall summary of the book and they said something about a son killing their dad and marrying their mom so then I was hooked and started to really like it. The book. Not the killing and incest. And I think I would want to be Creon. He is super cool and chill. And like the most logical. I think he was like the most sane person throughout the play.. Also maybe Tiresias , he was also super chill as well. He said what he needed to and when Oedipus was saying rude stuff to him he was really mature about it. And just went about his day.
The play is a classic tragedy with so many layers to explore. I found the concept of fate and the tragic flaw of Oedipus intriguing. It made me question the boundaries of free will and the power would love to portray Oedipus himself. His journey from confidence to despair is incredibly compelling and I would enjoy delving into the complexities of his character. The play delves into the themes of fate and tragic flaw making us ponder the boundaries of destiny and free will. It’s fascinating to see how Oedipus’s actions unknowingly lead to his downfall showcasing the power of self-fulfilling prophecy.
I would rate my ability to understand “Oedipus the King” as fairly strong. I’m good at grasping the main plot and themes of the play, such as fate, hubris, and the consequences of one’s actions. However, I might find some of the language and cultural references challenging to fully grasp without additional context. Overall, I enjoyed reading the play for its gripping storyline and complex characters. If I had to portray a character, I would choose Oedipus because of his dramatic arc and the opportunity to explore the depths of his character’s journey from confidence to despair, which would be a challenging and rewarding role to tackle.
So, I would rate my understanding of Oedipus the King as 5/10. I do not understand the play in one reading especially the old plays like these because I am not used to reading such difficult words and do not even know their meaning. I am used to reading modern plays as they have easy language usage, so it is easy to understand them. But I appreciate the Professor as during the reading of the play she explained each line and the plot and even asked questions so we all could understand that. I enjoyed reading the play but not that much because of the language usage of difficult words. If I want to play one role from this play then I will choose the character Oedipus King because of the different stories in the play, and his multifaceted nature, allowing me to delve into themes of fate, hubris, and self-discovery, making it a challenging and engaging role.
Oedipus the King is a classic Greek tragedy with rich language and complex themes. Many find it challenging at first due to its antiquated language and cultural context. However, with repeated readings and careful analysis, I understand the text better. I would rate my ability to read and understand Oedipus the King is 5/10. My biggest challenge is adapting to the ancient Greek style of writing, which can feel verbose and ornate compared to modern prose. Additionally, understanding the cultural and historical context of the play, including its references to Greek mythology and religious beliefs, can be daunting for me. Oedipus isn’t my cup of tea I don’t really enjoy it. I would like to portray Oedipus the King because of his sense of authority and charisma.
My understanding of Oedipus the King is about a six out of ten. In my opinion, because we are so used to modern English, the vocabulary or wording was a little hard to grasp. That was the main reason for why the play’s old English made it difficult to understand. That being said, I did enjoy reading the play, and it was more enjoyable when my classmates got to play characters. I found the play to be interesting.If I had to choose, I would like Creon to play the part. Through his interactions with Oedipus, we were able to look at morality and the relationship between power and authority. Creon’s transformation from a loyal subject to a troubled king was interesting.
As a student who hasn’t read many plays, I think my level of ability to read and understand “Oedipus the King” is about average. It was easy for me to follow the plot and bigger story. I also got the play’s key ideas and messages. But I had trouble understanding some of the more complicated words and subtleties in the text, which made some parts hard for me. The ideas of fate and free will is one of my favorites to think about. These parts of the play were interesting and made me think deeper. Overall, I liked reading “Oedipus the King” because it had a lot of interesting stories and topics that are still relevant today. Being Oedipus himself would be my choice for a role in a production of the play. His character changes dramatically over the course of the play, which would be hard but satisfying to play on stage it would feel as me and the character are both developing. Plus, his complicated mind and inner battles would give the character a lot of depth.
I would rate my ability to read and understand Oedipus the King a 6/10 because I*m still getting a bit confused on how the play was worded. I feel the beginning of the play was much easier to understand then the end. I feel I was able to read the play and understood parts of it but others not so much. If it weren’t for Professor Conway stopping us and going thru the lines and explaining what was happening, I wouldn’t have been able to break it down that way on my own. There is a much deeper meaning to this play and I’m glad she stopped us; I enjoyed it better!!! If I had to choose a character to portray, I would choose Creon, because he seemed to appreciate what he had, unlike Oedipus who didn’t. At least Creon seemed happy with what he had, and I would rather live my life like that.
I would rate my ability to read and understand Oedipus the King a 5/10 as I’m still getting confused on how they word things out. Besides that, I feel like I’m doing alright with my ability to read Oedipus the King. Reading the poem was ok, but understanding it was what was a little challenging for me because I had to figure out the deeper meaning of what writer was trying to show. I feel like I did enjoy reading this play even though I seemed kind of lost. If I were to be part of a production of a play, I feel like the character that I would want to portray is Oedipus because putting yourself in the same situation as him would also make you feel paranoid by all of the things that’s been going on to the point where you start suspecting of everybody since you feel threatened.
I will rate myself understanding “Oedipus the King” as 7.5/10,I can recognize and interpret the use of literary devices like irony (especially dramatic irony), symbolism, and foreshadowing, all of which are crucial to the play’s impact. In the story, No one can run out from the destiny.While I can understand and describe the emotional landscape of the play, I don’t experience emotions, so the emotional resonance and the tragic impact of the play on the audience are aspects I know of theoretically rather than experientially. If I could, I would like to be Creon. For me, he represents reason and power, and possesses profound wisdom. He also displays loyalty and integrity: in the play, Creon shows loyalty to his family and country. Even though he occupies an important position within the power structure, he doesn’t seem to seek more power through improper means. His actions reflect a respect for justice and order.”
Hello professor, So at first when we started reading “Oedipus The King”, I would rate my ability to read and understand what I am reading in between a seven and an eight. I say this because yes I was reading the words with no problem however, I had to read the text a few times to really understand what was going on. I feel like I had to read it over again because of the terminology that the play is spoken in. Keep in mind this play takes place a very long time ago. We are talking 420-430 b.c . After reaching to about the middle of the story continuing to the end, it became more familiar to me therefore it was much more easy to understand. I noticed that one way for me to be able to grasp a concept or terminology, I obtain and store the information better through repetition.
I think that I could understand ‘Oedipus the King’ to a decent level. The play explores deep themes that demand critical thinking. For example, it delves into the concept of fate, which refers to events that are already determined, and our level of control over our lives. Also, the characters are intriguing. They face complex problems and emotions. Oedipus, for example, tries to uncover his past, while Creon desires power but also has to manage his relationship with Oedipus. Despite the play’s complexity, I enjoyed it because it’s entertaining and raises significant questions. If I had to choose a character to portray in the play, I would choose Creon. He experiences many changes, and it would be interesting to portray his struggles with Oedipus.
Reading & understanding opedius the king I would probably rate myself like a 6.5/10 because it does have a lot of complex vocabulary & elements . Also because they’re a couple mistakes made with the dialogue. Another thing is I had to read it multiple times to actually understand what was going on which made it a bit challenging. But the character that I would’ve like to been was Jocasta because it seems like Jocasta really tried to be the problem solver to everything & that’s how my personality is in real life , I don’t really like to see people go through problems without finding a solution so I try to help them mostly or I really try to be there to comfort them no matter what the problem is . Overall I really like getting to understand the reading & I will try to do it more often as possible because during this course poetry had really opened up my eyes in many ways .
If I had to rate the way that I read/understand Oedipus the King, I would rate myself with a 6/10. The play is very interesting, that is something that I liked. Every character brings something different to the story. However, there were a lot of parts when I found myself confused. The vocabulary used in the story is complex, so a lot of times I had to go back and read through lines very carefully to understand. I loved to participate in the reading as well. I feel like I was playing the actual role in the play lol. Overall, it’s a very interesting reading but challenging as well. I also believe that the fact that it is a long story may have confused a few people in the class just as I was, because we had to read the story in parts. That confused me because by the time we were able to read the next part in the next class I already forgot what we had read in the past class. The character that I would choose would be Jocasta. Because she was so caring and wanted to understand Oedipus every time. I liked her role a lot, I think that she contributed a lot to the development of the story.
I would rate my ability to read and understand Oedipus the king is a good 8.5/10. The parts of the act that were very straightforward were the easiest part that I could understand. When their were parts hat the Chorus would elaborate made it also easy to understand what is happening at that point. The hardest part while reading this act were the metaphors that they would use to describe a feeling or situation, and difficult language that I have to go back and reread a couple times In order to understand what was happening. I really enjoyed reading this act but this act needs to be reread a couple times to really understand the situations, at first it was getting boring but the more I was reading this act it got more and more interesting that I wanted to read more and more. I would want to portray Oedipus in the act because he was the main character and a strong character in which we see how his traits has changed throughout the play, I would like to act with passion and anger like Oedipus.
I would rate my ability to read and understand Oedipus the King, as mildly efficient. I understood the beginning very easily, but the ending got very confusing. I did enjoy reading the play because it is different and interesting. However, the elements of Oedipus towards the end were very confusing. This was confusing because the lines got shorter and harder to comprehend. When we were in class and we broke down the lines, understanding every word and part of the lines helped with my confusion. If I could pick a character to portray if I had to be in a production of the play, I would be Creon. I would choose him because he seemed content with what he had. Unlike Oedipus, who was very short-tempered and oblivious to his own murder. I think the best character was Creon, even if I had to become King, I would still choose Creon. He would be a good leader and be happy.
When Reding “Oedipus the King” had its challenges for me especially with the formal language and vocabulary used in the play. But I found it easier to follow along and understand with the help of the professor recaps and class discussions. The character I connected with was Creon, Oedipus’s brother, he plays a significant transformation in the play, which I found interesting and how he took the responsibility when becoming a king, I would choose to portray Creon because of his realistic behavior in the play. Creon is left to assume the role of king, despite the challenges and bad conditions thrown at him, Creon maintains a calm and acts rational, focusing on the stability of the people and the city’, highlighting his growth and development throughout the play. The story ends with Creon being the king and driving to stability an entire city, leading to a happy ending for him.
