11/4/19 - 11/6/19 Matthew Keeler PD1

Aim: Why and how does Hercules’ characterization make him one of the most memorable figures in Greek Mythology? 

We started out the class discussing the definitions of the words “daimonic” and “anagnorisis”. Daimonic as an adjective means being motivated by a spiritual force. As a noun it is an unknown place that leads to self-destruction or self-discovery. This will lead us to either find destructiveness or creativeness and could go either way. This can lead to anagnorisis in which we come to the realization of what we do. The character makes a critical discovery and it can be the hero’s sudden awareness of the situation. 

After this discussion we watched a film adaptation of Hercules. It starts out with a fight scene in which Hercules shows of his heroism and is able to save a life and use his creativity for good. In this adaptation Hera is the one who kills Hercules’ family instead of Hercules carrying the guilt after being possessed to murder his own family. This show has more of a portrayal of Hercules as a hero. 

Aim: How are death and mortality approached in the Oedipus Trilogy?

Do Now: Think about how suicide is used in Antigone and compare it across time periods and cultures. What kind of clout does suicide have? Why does/doesn’t it bear the same weight now and today?

In Japanese culture, it was seen as a noble way to die after a war defeat. They believed that this was an honorable way to go out compared to nowadays which has a very negative connotation to it. Today theres more of a psychological impact on suicide now compared to back then when it was more of a wartime death. Additionally, in the Christian aspect of life suicide is viewed as one of the greatest sins next to murder because you are taking away one of God’s gifts which give suicide a negative connotation.

Fate Versus Free-Will

From the Greeks as learned that the more we try to avoid fate the more we play into it. Nobody (No titan or God) could change fate. 

Antigone-The First Rebel Feminist

They believed back then that killing “bad people” was justified and that justice was being served. Antigone goes against the law because she believed that it was wrong and shouldn’t be the one to say where she can and cannot bury her brother. Laws of Creon are the laws of the land and she believes that she has burial rights for her own brother. The formula for justice is really embodied with the fact that the punishment of the crime equals the magnitude of the crime that was committed. 

Universal Law must pass a cultural/philosophical litmus test. Cross cultures it is not right to commit those crimes. 

Antigone believed that the Laws of Creon do not have the power over the divine law of Greek burial. She has the power of the Gods on her side as the laws of the Gods are much stronger than anything Creon may develop. 

Today we learned about suicide and how it was viewed throughout different cultures. Our discussion continued by learning about crime and the meaning of universal law. In this we learned that according to the Greeks the law of the divine is greater than the law of the land. 

We learned this because it is important to understand why Antigone believed she was right in burying her brother. She felt that there was no law of the divine denying her burial rights, thus her crime was justified. 

We can use what we learned in future stories because now we have to take all laws that come into play and keep the idea that law of Gods outweighs law of the land.