The other group did the fishbowl all final period long.
Fishbowl discussions:
- How does Pi, Hamlet, and Oedipus display heroism? What did they do to show heroism?
- They all show heroism in their own way
- How is Oedipus shown as a hero. He killed his father and married is mother.
- Can we blame Jokasta for Oedipus’s mistakes?
- Everyone is at fault for their own actions.
- At the same time she was the one who sent him away and she was part of the dissbanning.
- Do you think the people are in charge of their own faiths?
- A lot of life is out of your control. A lot of things just happen and that’s what makes you who you are.
- Who do you think is the antagonist in Oedipus?
- It’s Oedipus himself.
- Why doesn't Oedipus just kill himself instead of stabbing his eyes?
- Oedipus wants to be able to “see better” so killing himself wouldn’t show him better.
- What is saffer? Pursuing truth or staying in the darkness?
- Truth is scary. The truth can hurt you.
- If everyone told the truth in the beginning then nothing would have happened the way it happened in Oedipus.
- Would everything have still happened? If the truth was told?
- Can Oedipus really be blamed for the situation he was in?
- He didn't know. He shouldn't be blamed because he didn't know that he was adopted. He didn't know that he killed his father and married his mother. He thought his “adopted parents” were his actual parents.
- He is to blame for killing his father. He was very arrogant.
- His downfall is arrogance.
- How do they all show leadership? And do they all show positive forms of leadership? Or are some negative?
- He does everything he can do to help his people and help his land.
- He also asked to be banished from his land once he found out about the prophecy and it was him.
- He always uses I. We is what true leadership is run off of.
- IS Oedipus a man of action or inaction?
- He is a man of action. He did everything he could in his power.
- He stuck to his word.
- Hamlet is a man of inaction because he waited the entire book.
- Does it matter how long it takes to do your action?
- Yeah because it caused more deaths that way.
- Should Oedipus call himself the worst of men?
- No because what happened to him could have happened to anyone.
- Where do these prophecies even come from? Why do they happen?
- If he was truly bad then he would have just stayed there and let everyone suffer. He puts the people ahead of him.
- Is the ending of Hamlet or Oedipus more tragic?
- Hamlet because because it was drawn out. It took its time. Oedipus was so quick and so fast that it wasn't really interesting.
- Oedipus because it was more interesting. He didn't know who killed the previous king and he was certain to find out who did.
- How do all three texts display being lost?
- They all feel helpless.
- Out of all three who do you have more sympathy for?
- Oedipus because he never knew what was going on.
- Which character showed the most strength?
- Pi because he literally survived off of nothing and survived living with a tiger.
- Which shows the most religious values?
- Pi because what got him through was praying and believing that he could.
- Their beliefs change when they are put into situations.
- In all three texts what is the importance of fatherly figures? Does it play a big role throughout the scripts?
- It plays a huge role because I believe that we are a product of our parents. As fathers go, every guy has a spot in their hearts for their dads because we see part of ourselves in our fathers.
- If pi had the tiger and hamlet have the ghost what is the figure in Oedipus?
- Apollo because we never really see him but he’s one of their gods that has a big impact throughout the book.
- Can we blame the gods for all of Oedipus’s problems?
- They are definitely to blame because they are the reason why he ended up killing his father and having children with his mother.
- How does the Oedipus complex play into hamlet?
- I thought it was weird because for some reason hamlet felt he needed to have a strong relationship with his mother while all that was happening.
- Why do bad things happen to good people?
- Since Oedipus didn't die he probably learned from it and became one of the wisest people out there.
- Does he learn from it?
- Do you think the characters happened to them in the end?
- I don’t think that anyone deserved that. It just happened but none of them deserve it.
- Why do you think it is a common thing to have misfortune in these stories?
- It tells a better story this way. If all these bad things never happened it would have been an ongoing story and not very interesting.
- What do you think happened to Oedipus's children?
- Why is there a theme of incest in Oedipus and Hamlet?
- There is a lot of incest in Oedipus but in Hamlet it is a thought about incest.
- Why are women shown as the weaknesses?
- I don’t feel that they are shown as weaknesses because …..
- IS there any similarities between hamlet and Oedipus moms?
- They are not really the same because they all have different themes going on.
- Don’t the mothers of hamlet and Oedipus know something but never say anything?
- In Hamlet and Life of PI their themes are full of death and suffering. What do you think is their mindsets? Are they similar? Are they completely different?
- Hamlets thoughts are revenge. Pi is just thinking he needs to survive and he may feel guilty because he is the only one to survive.
- They both have a goal but they are different. They have different weights being pressed upon them.
- Is Pi the only one who had to deal with survival?
- Oedipus had to deal with survival because he is now living with the guilt.
- Pi in more struck with trying to survive but Oedipus also survives.
- How does Oedipus’s views of himself change throughout the book?
- he thinks of himself so highly but then it changes and now hes not so high up and he sucks.
- In the end of Oedipus is he a hero or a villain?
- He is still portrayed as a hero. He still saved the land. He has saved it twice.
This discussion lead to a great fishbowl and really brought out key points towards Oedipus.
