Literature Exam Review (FOR KATHRYN ONLY) Flashcards
What is a proem?
• Introduces the story and also tells the end result in the Aeneid
• The Aeneid Proem:
I sing of arms and of a man: his fate
Had made him fugitive; he was the first
To journey from the coasts of Troy as far
As Italy and the Lavinian shores.
Across the lands and waters he was battered
Beneath the violence of High Ones, for
The savage Juno’s unforgetting anger;
And many sufferings were his in war –
Until he brought a city into being
And carried in his gods to Latium;
From this have come the Latin race, the lords
Of Alba, and the ramparts of high Rome.
Tragedy proems:
o Eumenides: There is no proem. The readers are left guessing at the creatures on the floor (the Furies) and the man with his sword drawn and still dripping with blood. However, Pythia has a proem to her worship: Earth, Themis, Phoebe, and Phoebus then Pallas, nymphs, and Bromius (Bacchus).
o The Bacchae: Dionysus speaking – so/so provided with background but not foreshadowing
o Theban Trilogy: no proems whatsoever
o Agamemnon: no proem; however, does provide a TON of background info on Iphigenia’s death, but if there was foreshadowing, it would let down Clytaemestra’s act.
o The Libation Bearers: Chorus gives a bunch of background info that wasn’t necessarily in Agamemnon after Orestes speaks. No foreshadowing.
o Prometheus Bound: perfect combination of starting the story and giving background as well, but foreshadowing that Prometheus’ liver will be pecked out when chorus are bird-like creatures
Aeschylus’ hero
Orestes and Agamemnon with dichotomies instead of bravery and wisdom
Orestes
courage vs. cowardice
o Courage: 1) coming back because of awful things going on in the house and Electra being treated as a slave, 2) continues with his plans even after the chorus warns him of the Furies, 3) confronting his mother and acting with Pylades at the gates, and 4) not regretting what he did
o Cowardice: 1) going mad (no mind strength), 2) running to Apollo, and 3) only staying strong in what he did after Apollo confessed prophesying
Agamemnon
wisdom vs. foolishness
o Wisdom: 1) sending herald and 2) thanking the gods and others for helping him through the war to achieve this honor (wisdom in the gods’ eyes)
o Foolishness: 1) doesn’t listen to Cassandra, leaves her with Clytaemestra and the chorus, wants to deliver her to the servants chambers, 2) chose to go rescue Helen over his daughter, Iphigenia’s, health (it seems pointless now as the chorus points out because Menelaus was lost at sea during a storm – situational irony), and 3) walking down red carpet
Virgil’s hero – Aeneas
o Bravery and wisdom
o Bravery- 1) balance between fear and hope- Book 1 chooses hope and bravery in hiding sorrow for Orontes after Juno does her thing with Deiopea for his men and goes to find shelter, 2) confronting Turnus at the end of Book 11, and 3) brave on battlefield especially when 7 brothers throw spears at Aeneas but Venus misguides them, then he calls on Anchises to guide his spear into Maeon then he runs through Alcanor’s arm when he goes to his brother’s aid
o Wisdom- 1) followed Apollo orders through Helenus to sacrifice to Juno before he sets sail again, 2) following Mercury’s instructions to leave Dido and continue on to Ausonia, 3) follows Nautes’ advice to not stay in Sicily but to continue on to destination and to leave Acestes with a small group on Sicily – create Acesta
My hero
o Not only bravery and wisdom but also kindness and the ability to listen (despite some of the Greeks tragedies)
o Kindness: when Latins come for temporary peace, he says he would’ve given it to them and didn’t want to abandon friendship (the Latins are surprised and Drances, a Latin, proclaims glory of Aeneas).
o Ability to listen: use examples from wisdom
Action
respected, powerful, and occasionally kind
Ovid’s view of gods
o Pentheus and Bacchus (prominently ruthless and powerful)- 1) very respected through Tiresias – makes Bacchus sound like a terrifying god (which he is) instead of the party god everyone thinks he is, 2) powerful through Acoetes – men find him on the ship, Acoetes recognizes he is a god and suggests they don’t disturb him but he is almost killed for that, Bacchus wakes up in time, commands them to take him to Naxos but they don’t, he grows angry, vines engulf ship and sailors turn into dolphins except Acoetes, and 3) kindness – sparing Acoetes (which could also be punishment)
o Athamas and Ino- kindness- Venus prays to Neptune to make Ino and her child Melicerta divine after they run away from Amathas who has gone crazy (by Juno and Tisiphone) for Ino and him worshipping Bacchus
o Apollo and Daphne (converse)- 1) respected- Cupid hates Apollo for making fun of his shooting skills and treating him like a baby, 2) powerful- cannot resist Cupid’s revenge in charms, and 3) kind- makes fun of Cupid
Euripides’ view of gods
o The Bacchae- (prominently kind and powerful)- 1) respected through Semele, checking to see if everyone else is like that but they’re not so he makes the women go crazy, 2) powerful- Pentheus’ palace erupts into flames and kinda lightning, Bacchus goes before chorus and says he did that, and 3) gives Pentheus a second chance
Virgil’s view of gods
o 1) respected- Helenus and Apollo/Juno, Mercury, Neptune (in Iliad and beginning of Aeneid)
o 2) powerful- Venus’ powers of deception with Zeus in Book 1 (he showed favor to Antenor-son of Priam who escaped long before Aeneas- why not Aeneas?), when Jove guards the Trojan’s ship from burning in scaring them away, Juno and the snakes and Furies
o 3) kind- Juno saving Turnus (disguises as Aeneas and leads him onto ship then cuts the rope)
My view of gods
o All these things yet arrogant and/or prideful
o 1) Juno shocked that she can’t stop the Trojans, compares herself to Minerva, 2) Diana=too prideful in Camilla, sends Opis down to kill anyone who hurts her, 3) converse: Apollo more interested in Aeneas’ well-being than his own when he speaks through Sibyl and Helenus
Catharsis
o Oedipus the King
o 1) pity: truth hidden from Jocasta so wasn’t her fault she fell into this situation where she married her son after he defeated the Sphinx and eventually fell in love with him, brings on depression when she finds out, hangs herself to which Oedipus gauges out eyes
o 2) fear: things hidden from reader in life, injustice
o Oedipus at Colonus
o Pity: 1) when chorus questions Oedipus, he leans heavily on Antigone for he is tired and old, 2) Oedipus can’t be buried in homeland because he was banished by his own curse, and 3) sons only want to take him back and comfort him in death because if Oedipus dies on their soil then it will be blessed
o Fear: 1) kidnapping – Ismene and Antigone captures and Oedipus could do nothing, and 2) an enemy that used to be our friend but then turned on you – Creon (now power-seeking and evil)
o Antigone:
o Pity: 1) Antigone hung because she did the kind act of burying her brother and 2) Haemon dying with Antigone before they could get married
o Prometheus Bound
o Pity: 1) Io- cursed by Zeus, she tried to resist temptation but he overcame her, now faces torture and very long journey and 2) converse: none for Prometheus, is not changed, still childish
o Fear: 1) Hera was jealous and that was it – fear of being taken advantage of then blamed for it and 2) someone laying jealousy, pride, hurtfulness, anger, and injustice upon you
o Agamemnon:
o Pity: 1) watchmen waiting on the rooftop for 10 years and 2) Cassandra: already knew she was going to die, sold in the Trojan Women, killed by Clytaemestra out of jealousy and spite
o Fear: 1) Cassandra: suffers from another’s jealousy
o The Libation Bearers
o Pity: 1) Electra- clothed in black with attendants at Agamemnon’s grave, unimportant in Clytaemestra’s new life and 2) Orestes feels awful and guilty after kills mother (Apollo told him to): raises question should he have done it or not? (would’ve ended up the same as Jonah)
o Fear: 1) end up like Electra: injustice
o The Eumenides
o Pity: 1) maybe some while the trial is going on, but both end up winning something so the audience can’t really feel pity for them
o Fear: 1) injustice- Orestes has to be chased by Furies (Apollo doing ^see above)
Euripides’ pathos in the Bacchae
o 1) shepherds and cowherds have been attacked by Bacchae (didn’t deserve it, going to earn honor and kill Agave, ended up having battle at Cithaeron), 2) more sad for reader because they can see what will happen to Pentheus (Dionysus guiding him: wear Bacchic clothes, leads into tree to see the battle, wig falls off, torn to shreds), 3) Agave when finds Pentheus’ head stabbed on her wand as she carried it into the city, Teiresias holds light in front of her, 4) Cadmus turns into snake, and 5) converse: Euripides portrays Teiresias perfectly that when Pentheus tears them down, the readers don’t feel sorry for him because he is so wise and they know he’s right about everything
Hubris
o Agamemnon:
o 1) Aegisthus: prideful, rejoices at Agamemnon’s death, wants Clytaemestra to himself, 2) converse: Agamemnon embarrassed (worried about damaging his pride) so walks down red carpet even after arguing with Cly. about it
o The Libation Bearers:
o 1) Orestes starts out confident with Pylades and a plan
o The Eumenides
o 1) Clytaemestra expecting to be avenged when comes back as a ghost
o Prometheus Bound
o 1) major issue- not broken, does not stop believing that what he did for the humans was right (Oceanus tries to go talk to Zeus but Prometheus gets angry and then makes excuses for it like he doesn’t want Oceanus to end up like Atlas when really Prometheus just doesn’t want to have his pride hurt.), 2) chorus rebukes him but he says it is easier to rebuke the sufferer than to suffer, 3) remains silent when people keep rebuking him, 4) tries to turn Hermes against Zeus (calls woman), and Hermes retaliates
o Oedipus the King
o Won’t accept the fact that he is the killer and then blames it on Creon who is resentful (1st step in character in Antigone
o Oedipus at Colonus
o Creon- thinks he can kidnap girls
o Antigone
o 1) Ismene wants glory, 2) Creon vs. Haemon (a bit of both
o The Bacchae
o Pentheus
