Sophocles Philoctetes Essay -- Sophocles Philoctetes Essays

Sophocles' Philoctetes â€Å"No word. Then I am nothing† (950) â€Å"Who will say word of greeting to me?† (1354) In his lecture Oedipus at the Crossroads, Simon Goldhill addresses the idea that the incest between mother and son results in the collapse not only of the characters, but of language itself: or rather, of the language the characters use to express their despair. The fact that Oedipus stumbles on the words â€Å"Daughter, sister†¦Ã¢â‚¬  reflects this breakdown of language. In Sophocles’ Philoctetes, there is a similar sense of shattered language, but here it is more a case of being abandoned by language, of language and civilisation being so intrinsic to each other that being left behind by one implies being left behind by both. The Chorus’s description of what they imagine Philoctetes’s solitary existence to be like reflects this: â€Å"He cries out in his wretchedness;/there is only a blabbering echo,/that comes from the distance speeding/from his bitter crying†(187), using lack of dialogue to represent his solitude. Similarly, it is significant th at it is not distinct words that announce Philoctetes’s approach the first time he comes on stage, but rather â€Å"the voice of a man wounded† and â€Å"a bitter cry† (209,210). And it is no coincidence that upon meeting Neoptolemus, Philoctetes’ greeting becomes an insistent, repetitive cry: â€Å"Take pity on me; speak to me; speak/ speak if you come as friends. / No—answer me/ If this is all/ that we can have from one another, speech, this, at least, we should have† (230). Just as, when Odysseus’ plan has been revealed and the men are preparing to leave, Philoctetes’ supplication is â€Å"Your voice has no word for me, son of Achilles? / Will you go away in silence?†(1065). Speech is equated with pity, di... ...sation. The Chicago version of this passage reads: â€Å"Farewell [†¦] the deep male growl of the sea-lashed headland [†¦] where many a time in answer to my crying in the storm of my sorrow the Hermes mountain sent its echo!† (1460) while in the Francklin version he states, perhaps more aptly (as his passiveness is felt much more), â€Å"Farewell the noise of beating waves, which I so oft have heard from the rough sea [†¦]Oft th' Hermaean mount Echoed my plaintive voice†. In both cases there is a keen sense of release, of breaking free, of the relief of knowing that one’s words will bear fruit to something other than a dim reflection of themselves, that one’s attempts at dialogue will not be met with a wall of silence. It is an ending that resounds with possibility and potential: the world Philoctetes is about to re-enter is a veritable blank page. A â€Å"great destiny† awaits him.

Compare and Contrast Essay on King Lear and Macbeth

Shakespeare had written many plays in his life time, some of them included various tragedies which included King Lear and Macbeth. All of Shakespeare’s plays had a theme which was used to help the story’s plot to advance further, making events much more interesting. King Lear and Macbeth both have a common theme of madness that is apparent throughout the play which has been depicted differently. They are both written in different ways but still share a same purpose. The essay will be broken down into three parts; firstly we will look at the way madness is viewed in Macbeth. Secondly, we will look at the way King Lear portrays madness lastly we will compare the two to see how differently madness is displayed. While both plays share this similarity, the plays differ by the way the theme of madness is executed. In Macbeth, both the main characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth begin to show clear signs of madness through alterations in their physical senses. (smell, sight etc. ) this is evident when Lady Macbeth hallucinates that her hands are still covered in king Duncan’s blood despite having washed then several times. Here’s the smell of blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. (Act 5, scene 1, 46-47) Shakespeare uses imagery to give a better understanding of what is going on within the characters mind. Here madness is altering Lady Macbeth’s sense of smell and sight, this tricks her into believing that King Duncan’s blood will never dissipate from her hands even though they are perfectly clean. Another example of the theme of madness that is characterized by Macbeth is found in act three, scene four, the climax of the play. Immediately guilt ridden from ordering the murder of Banquo, Macbeth reaches his pinnacle of madness; exemplified by his delusion of Banquo's ghost. Showing that he can no longer differentiate between reality and his imagination Macbeth shouts, Avaunt! And quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee! Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold; Thou hast no speculation in those eyes Which thou dost glare with (III. iv. 93-97). Ross responds to him, What sights, my lord (III. iii. 118). The Insanity of Macbeth is shown in these quotes. Shakespeare's description of Macbeth's thoughts visibly reveals the theme of madness. Shakespeare portrays madness among many of his characters, and he returns to the theme again and again. Indirect characterization in the form of Lear's mad speeches allows Shakespeare to convey the theme of madness. For example one of Lear's first speeches after things started to go bad for him, Poor naked wretches, wheresoe'er you are, That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm, How shall your house-hold heads and unfed sides, Your loop'd and window'd rag-gedness, defend you†¦ (III. iv. 35-38). Lear's insanity increases throughout the play, demonstrated to the audience through more speeches, until his emotions overthrow his reason at the climax of the play. Lear randomly shouts in to the storm, Rumble thy bellyfull! Spit, fire! Spout, rain! Nor rain, wind, thunder, fire are my daughters. I tax not you, you elements, with unkindness. I never gave you kingdom, called you children (III. ii. 14-17). The example of Lear invoking the storm to destroy the seeds of matter along with many other absurd statements illustrates that he has an unsound mind and it is made clear to the audience by his words. Shakespeare expands on the theme of madness in King Lear by Lear again using his words to express the reason for his insanity. The cause is the realization that his daughters Goneril and Regan do not love him. What finally pushed him over the edge was the cruel actions afflicted on him by the people that supposedly loved him. To such a lowness but his unkind daughters. †¦ ‘Twas this flesh begot Those pelican daughters describes Lear of the cruelty of his daughters (III. iii. 76,80-81). The character of Lear produces the theme of madness by expressing his own increasing insanity and reasons the reason for it in raving tangents. The style and depiction of the theme of madness are very different in both plays. Macbeth shows madness in the main characters with lots of imagery, giving a very physical sense of feeling towards the audience making them have a better understanding of what the characters are feeling. In King Lear madness is depicted through the main characters dialogue. This is meant to show the psychological turmoil going through the character’s mind which helps the audience understand why and what the character is doing within the play. In conclusion it is clear that madness was a very re occurring theme in both plays King Lear and Macbeth. However, the style in which the madness was depicted in each play is very different, in Macbeth madness within the main characters is shown through basic hallucinations through sight and smell, whereas in King Lear Shakespeare wanted the main characters to display madness through the dialogue. Both techniques used by Shakespeare were made to ultimately give more of an understanding of what is going on within the play. Both uses of madness are equally effective depending on which kind of play is written

5 Techniques to Become Fluent in Italian

There are a number of academic papers and tips from expert language learners that will help you become fluent in Italian, but you might be surprised to know that while those techniques are great, its really daily commitment that seals the deal on the way to fluency. As you go about your daily studies though, there are five techniques that will help you get ahead  as a student of Italian. 5 Techniques to Become Fluent in Italian 1.) Passively watching or listening doesn’t cut it as practicing the language There is a vast difference between actively listening and benefiting from something in a foreign language and passively listening to it while ironing your button-downs or driving to work. When you listen to something in a foreign language,  like a podcast, you need to have one sole purpose for doing so. For example, if you’re looking to improve your pronunciation,  focus on the way the speakers are pronouncing words, where they pause, and where they put the emphasis. This way you are able to focus on one area and make more progress within it. And speaking of pronunciation†¦ 2.) Rushing through the pronunciation sections of each course is detrimental Pronunciation IS important and taking the time to understand the correct way to say things helps you understand the spoken language and feel more confident when you start producing the language on your own. If you travel to Italy and and start a conversation, an Italian person is more likely to feel comfortable speaking to you and will continue in Italian if she or he can hear that your pronunciation is clear.   Plus, there are added side effects of helping you with sentence structure, grammar and vocabulary. 3.) Dont sip  the immersion Kool-Aid that being in the country is  going to vastly improve your language ability The truth is that  going to Italy at a beginner level  is  lovely, but not as beneficial as if you were  at an intermediate level. At an intermediate level, your capacity to notice details, pick up on patterns within the language, and remember more of what you hear around you expands. Studies have shown that going as a beginner is too soon and that you’re too far along if you go at an advanced level. You’ll make the most progress as an intermediate learner. Im not suggesting that you shouldnt go to Italy as a beginner, but what I am trying to say is that youll have the best experience if you manage your expectations beforehand. 4.) Know how to work with a dictionary Katà ³ Lomb, a Hungarian polyglot, claims that dependence on dictionaries can cripple your ability to produce language on your own. I would agree with her and elaborate that it cripples your trust in yourself. Every time you choose to run to a dictionary instead of giving the word you know you’ve learned thought, you tell yourself that the dictionary is more reliable than what you’ve stored. Don’t do that. You can’t run to dictionaries in live conversations, so learn to trust and rely on yourself while using a dictionary as what it’s meant to be – a study aid. If you want to use something on a regular, the best method would be digital spaced-time repetition flash cards. 5.) Roadblocks are going to plop themselves in your way as if they owned the place Time will  take a vacation and leave you wondering where it went, money will be tight and limit how many classes you  can pay for, and family or school or Netflix will demand your attention. What I want you to do is to  anticipate the roadblocks and plan ways around them. When you don’t, they have a tendency to run your life and will leave you at the airport at the end of another trip wondering why you’re stuck at exactly the same place you were the year before. Youll find that youre more creative in solving problems with your studies before they happen than you realized. Buono studio!