December 16th

In class today we split up into our two groups. The people that were writing the paper worked on finalizing them. They then turned in their papers at the end of class.

The other group did the fishbowl all final period long.
Fishbowl discussions:

1. How does Pi, Hamlet, and Oedipus display heroism? What did they do to show heroism?
1. They all show heroism in their own way
2. How is Oedipus shown as a hero. He killed his father and married is mother.
2. Can we blame Jokasta for Oedipus’s mistakes?
1. Everyone is at fault for their own actions.
2. At the same time she was the one who sent him away and she was part of the dissbanning.
3. Do you think the people are in charge of their own faiths?
1. A lot of life is out of your control. A lot of things just happen and that’s what makes you who you are.
4. Who do you think is the antagonist in Oedipus?
1. It’s Oedipus himself.
5. Why doesn't Oedipus just kill himself instead of stabbing his eyes?
1. Oedipus wants to be able to “see better” so killing himself wouldn’t show him better.
6. What is saffer? Pursuing truth or staying in the darkness?
1. Truth is scary. The truth can hurt you.
2. If everyone told the truth in the beginning then nothing would have happened the way it happened in Oedipus.
3. Would everything have still happened? If the truth was told?
7. Can Oedipus really be blamed for the situation he was in?
1. 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.
2. He is to blame for killing his father. He was very arrogant.
3. His downfall is arrogance.
8. How do they all show leadership?  And do they all show positive forms of leadership? Or are some negative?
1. He does everything he can do to help his people and help his land.
2. He also asked to be banished from his land once he found out about the prophecy and it was him.
3. He always uses I. We is what true leadership is run off of.
9. IS Oedipus a man of action or inaction?
1. He is a man of action. He did everything he could in his power.
2. He stuck to his word.
3. Hamlet is a man of inaction because he waited the entire book.
4. Does it matter how long it takes to do your action?
5. Yeah because it caused more deaths that way.
10. Should Oedipus call himself the worst of men?
1. No because what happened to him could have happened to anyone.
2. Where do these prophecies even come from? Why do they happen?
3. If he was truly bad then he would have just stayed there and let everyone suffer. He puts the people ahead of him.
11. Is the ending of Hamlet or Oedipus more tragic?
1. Hamlet because because it was drawn out. It took its time. Oedipus was so quick and so fast that it wasn't really interesting.
2. Oedipus because it was more interesting. He didn't know who killed the previous king and he was certain to find out who did.
12. How do all three texts display being lost?
1. They all feel helpless.
13. Out of all three who do you have more sympathy for?
1. Oedipus because he never knew what was going on.
14. Which character showed the most strength?
1. Pi because he literally survived off of nothing and survived living with a tiger.
15. Which shows the most religious values?
1. Pi because what got him through was praying and believing that he could.
2. Their beliefs change when they are put into situations.
16. In all three texts what is the importance of fatherly figures? Does it play a big role throughout the scripts?
1. 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.
17. If pi had the tiger and hamlet have the ghost what is the figure in Oedipus?
1. Apollo because we never really see him but he’s one of their gods that has a big impact throughout the book.
18. Can we blame the gods for all of Oedipus’s problems?
1. They are definitely to blame because they are the reason why he ended up killing his father and having children with his mother.
19. How does the Oedipus complex play into hamlet?
1. 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.
20. Why do bad things happen to good people?
1. Since Oedipus didn't die he probably learned from it and became one of the wisest people out there.
2. Does he learn from it?
21. Do you think the characters happened to them in the end?
1. I don’t think that anyone deserved that. It just happened but none of them deserve it.
2. Why do you think it is a common thing to have misfortune in these stories?
3. 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.
22. What do you think happened to Oedipus's children?
23. Why is there a theme of incest in Oedipus and Hamlet?
1. There is a lot of incest in Oedipus but in Hamlet it is a thought about incest.
24. Why are women shown as the weaknesses?
1. I don’t feel that they are shown as weaknesses because …..
25. IS there any similarities between hamlet and Oedipus moms?
1. They are not really the same because they all have different themes going on.
2. Don’t the mothers of hamlet and Oedipus know something but never say anything?
26. 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?
1. 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.
2. They both have a goal but they are different. They have different weights being pressed upon them.
27. Is Pi the only one who had to deal with survival?
1. Oedipus had to deal with survival because he is now living with the guilt.
2. Pi in more struck with trying to survive but Oedipus also survives.
28. How does Oedipus’s views of himself change throughout the book?
1. he thinks of himself so highly but then it changes and now hes not so high up and he sucks.
29. In the end of Oedipus is he a hero or a villain?
1. 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.