Oedipus and Psycho Brainstorming List

Brandon Ong B Block

9/30/14 Mr. Waddell

Oedipus and Psycho:  THE BRAINSTORMING LIST (a thorough list of details, narrative elements, ideas, etc. that the two stories have in common. This could be completed in the form of a big Venn diagram or some other chart type thing.)

Oedipus Rex:

• Oedipus’ downfall, fatal encounter with his real father, and marriage with his mother is guided less so by his own true desire by arguably, by fate.
• There is a mythical and supernatural element to Oedipus Rex - from the blind seer, the Sphinx and the prophecies from Delphi.

Similarities:

• both share a character who has been affiliated with their mother's in a perverse way : Norman Bates in Psycho, who dead mother is living in Norman’s pysche as an alternate personality after his father passed away, leading the pair to live as if they were the only two people in the world, thus igniting the Oedipus Complex which is subconsciously suppressed at a young age.

Oedipus in Oedipus Rex, while more due to fate, pursues a relationship, unknowingly,

with his mom, Jocasta, even having children with her.

• both share the commonality of having sight/eyes as major symbolism
• both share the aspect of beginning with a conflict that leads to the major problem:

Oedipus Rex begins with the problem of finding who murdered Laos to stop the plague of Thebes and transpires into Oedipus’ search for his true identity

Psycho begins with Marion stealing cash and with her death at the Bates motel, transpires into a movie about Norma Bates, who has gone insane, with his mother serving as an alternate personality.

Pyscho:

• The downfall of Norman Bates is less guided by fate, as is seen in Oedipus, and more so by a somewhat realistic story of how Norman's dead mother is living in Norman's psyche as an alternate personality, for his father died, Norman and his mother lived in an isolated environment: as if they were the only people in the world. And when his mother found a lover, murdered them both out of jealousy. Through guilt, Norman "erased the crime" by bringing his mother back to life in his own mind.

Oedipus Two Paragraph Prompt

A Two paragraph response to the following prompt:

Teiresius and Creon tells Oedipus that he “weaves” his own “doom”.  Oedipus, meanwhile, insists that fate has brought this curse on him. Who is right? Explain your answer in a well supported paragraph.

While both the blind seer, Tiresias, and Oedipus’ brother in law and uncle, Creon, tell Oedipus that he “weaves” his own “doom,” it is well supported that it is destiny which leads to his inevitable downfall. Indeed, Oedipus is correct in his insistance that fate has brought this curse upon him. While Oedipus Rex begins with the conflict of freeing Thebes from the plague by finding the person, or party, responsible for Laos’ death, the true conflict lies in Oedipus finding his identity. And through this process, from the input of Tiresias, the blindseer, messengers and shepherds who were present at the crime,  to Oedipus` own memory, actions, and experiences, it is evident that he had no way in knowing just how terrible his actions were. There is nothing Oedipus could have done to prevent his tragic demise. There is simply too much evidence which supports Oedipus claim that fate is the cause of his “doom” and not himself, as Creon and Tiresias claim. To start, it is widely known that Oedipus himself is a wise man, for it is he who saved Thebes from the Sphinx by solving a puzzle. With that said, it is strange that honorable and hoeric Oedipus, who holds such immense intellect and insight, enough to solve the puzzle of the Sphinx, would commit such atrocities. But yet, he did; through a series of unfortunate events in which he had no knowledge of the true nature of things.

Besides it being known that Oedipus is a hero: man of great insight and knowledge, Oedipus also reveals that he had made efforts to prevent committing the sin of killing his father after being told he would by a prophecy after visiting Delphi. Upon hearing that he would kill his father, Oedipus left Corinth, where he was raised, in order to prevent the slaying of his father Polybos, and when news that Polybos had passed away due to natural causes, Oedipus was overjoyed as it meant that he had dodged the prophecy. Through all of this, it is shown that Oedipus did everything within his knowledge and power to prevent the prophecy from occurring on his end. There was no way Oedipus could have known how cruel fate would be in having it so that he would somehow cross paths with his real father, Laos, and kill him. Also, after hearing that Oedipus would one day kill him, Laos also took drastic measures to prevent the prophecy from occurring by binding Oedipus’ ankles together and having him die in the wild. It is due to fate that baby Oedipus would be rescued by a shepherd and be sent to be raised in Corinth and then eventually carrying out the prophecy in the end. All in all, from the idea that Oedipus is known to be an insightful and knowledgeable hero who saved Thebes from the Sphinx, to the measures both himself and Laos took in preventing the prophecies from occurring, it is evident that Oedipus is correct in his proposition that fate is what led to his “doom.”

Oedipus Rex Guide Questions

Brandon Ong 9/28/14

Mr. Waddell B Block

Oedipus Rex Guide Questions

1. Creon tells Oedipus that he has “lost his sense of balance” and is “sullen in yielding and brutal in rage”. He also asks aloud: “Was he in his right mind?”.  How would you describe Oedipus’s madness?  Is he crazy or merely confused?  Is his pursuit of the truth noble, or merely insane?

Oedipus pursuit of the truth is insane, instead of what he believes it to be: noble. In trying to find out the murderer of Laos to stop the plague of Thebes, Oedipus loses all rational thought and fair judgement. He accuses Creon for being the murderer of Laos with very little supporting evidence. Even when the legendary Tiresias, sent by Choragos, comes to reluctantly offer his wisdom to Oedipus, Oedipus, who dislikes what he hears, irrationally ignores what Tiresias tells him at first. Failing to realize that the person who murdered Laos and thus the person who would cure Thebes of the plague is actually himself, Oedipus goes insane in trying to find the culprit, ultimately turning the search for the murderer into a search for his true identity, yet even then, he constantly ignores the clues and hints that surround him throughout the entire play, contributing to how insane he is in pursuit of the truth.

2. Oedipus calls himself an “abomination” for killing his father and marrying his mother. If he was aware of neither, why does he call himself evil? Is a man responsible for the evil of his actions if he is truly unaware that they are evil? In other words, is ignorance a good excuse?

A man should not be responsible for the evil of his actions if he is truly unaware that they are evil. Especially for Oedipus, who unknowingly killed his father, and is seemingly powerless in this twisted prophecy that he is part of, Oedipus should not be held accountable, as he even made an effort to prevent the prophecy he was given which said he would murder his own father by moving away from Corinth. Oedipus did everything he could to avoid it and it is only through unknowing fate that he killed his father and married his mother. Oedipus calls himself evil despite being unaware of neither, probably because of the fact that despite not knowing it, he is still the one who committed the atrocities. Oedipus also calls himself evil for seemingly to fail to realize it all sooner, as the hints and clues were all there, whether it be his name, his injury, or what the messengers told him, Oedipus might feel disgraced that he had unknowingly ignored it in the past.

3. Recount the events that lead up to the self-blinding of Oedipus.  Why does Oedipus choose this form of self-punishment and what is the symbolic significance of this act?

Prior to the self-blinding of Oedipus, the messenger who took baby Oedipus to Corinth is brought forth, revealing the truth, and Jocasta kills herself after hearing the news. Oedipus chooses to blind himself with Jocasta’s pins. His self blinding contributes to the theme of sight. The symbolic significance of blinding himself is that it goes to show how Oedipus failed to see all that he has done despite being surrounded by clues and hints, such as his injured foot, name, and the information given by the messengers and prophet, Tiresias.  Also, it is quite ironic as Oedipus disrespected Tiresias for being blind earlier on and now Oedipus himself is blind.

4. What is the significance of Jocasta’s constant admonitions to Oedipus that he stop thinking about the prophecies and stop worrying about his fate?  When does she really learn the truth, in your opinion? Support your answer with examples from the text.

The significance of Jocasta’s constant admonitions to Oedipus that he stop thinking about the prophecies is that it demonstrates that Jocasta is fearful of the truth being revealed, and her fear of the truth signifies that deep down inside, Jocasta most likely knows that Oedipus is responsible for the death of her first husband, and even worse, that she is married and had children with her own son. Arguably, Jocasta really learns the truth when she tells Oedipus: “Why should anyone in this world be afraid, Since it is fate rules us and nothing can be foreseen? A Man should live only for the present day,” as she attempts to persuade Oedipus to forget about the past and to only live for the present day, even going as far as to say: “Have no fear of sleeping with your mother: How many men, in dreams, have lain with their mothers!” which is all in all, pretty sick and disturbing but ultimately goes to show that Jocasta, at this point, has the vague idea that the worse may be true and is now attempting to persuade Oedipus to pursue the prophecy no further.  

5.  How is this play actually about repression?  What are some examples of Oedipus repressing memories or feelings that he would prefer not to confront?

There are many moments throughout Oedipus Rex that show Oedipus, and others, such as Jocasta, repressing memories or feelings that they would prefer not to confront. All in all, this play is about finding Oedipus finding out his true identity. Initiated by the plague on Thebes which causes Oedipus to seek that who killed Laos, Oedipus, through messengers and prophets such as the shepherd and Tiresias, receives hints and clues about himself, with many leading to him being the murderer who killed Laos, as well as him being the son of his own wife, Jocasta. With that being said, there are straightforward clues which point to him being the person the prophecies speak of, such as his injured ankle, the result of his fathers doing, as well as his name itself, Oedipus, which means swollen foot. Also, it is seemingly clear that Oedipus is responsible to Laos death, but Oedipus seemingly denies the truth and goes to all efforts to have it be confirmed by the shepherd/messenger, putting aside all the hints and clues which surrounds him.

6. While the entire play contains multiple references to the eyes and sight, there are also many references to light and darkness as well.  How are these motifs related to ideas related to personal responsibility and self-knowledge?

The motifs of eyes and sight, and light and darkness, are related to the ideas of personal responsibility and self-knowledge in that one holds to their very own responsibility and self-knowledge what they know and what they don’t know, what they can see and what they already know. Oedipus has no sight of the future, but through his own knowledge, what he already experienced, and the information provided by the messenger and prophet(Tiresias), Oedipus holds the responsibility of putting the clues and hints together, that is, that he is the one who killed his father, Laos. While it may be true that Oedipus has very little say in what happened or what will happen, it is his own personal responsibility to not ignore what he already knows or has seen, and to put together his experiences and the clues surrounding him to make the twisted realization.

7. Discuss a few ways in which Oedipus Rex demonstrates the conflict between fate and free will. Ultimately, is Oedipus more a victim of prophecies and fate or is he a victim of his own bad decisions?

Oedipus is a victim of prophecies and fate. One cannot control their circumstances at birth. It is due to fate that Oedipus is born to King Laos, who received a prophecy telling him that he would be murdered by his own son, causing Laos to leave young Oedipus to die. And even after being saved by the pitying shephard and then being raised as a prince in Corinth and hearing that he would one day murder his own father, Oedipus` actions of moving away from Corinth to prevent the prophecy from occurring demonstrates that his own decisions are all part of an unavoidable, twisted fate, for no matter what he does, his tragic demise cannot be stopped.

The Birds Writeup

Brandon Ong 9/15/14

Mr. Waddell B Block

A Response to The Birds

Corny, annoying, and unsatisfying are the three words which describe The Birds. While the technology at the time of the creation of the movie may not have been at such a level as to bring more realisticness to this movie, such as that of the birds, a major aspect of the movie as the name would suggests, even some of the acting or scenes reeked of corniness. For instance, in the scene where the man pumping gas was attacked by a bird, causing him to fall over and thus triggering a chain of events which would lead to absolute chaos, one should feel absolute shock and panic at such a dangerous situation as the scene depicts. Yet, due to hard to believe idea that a man could be knocked unconscious by a bird, as well as the unrealistic bird attacking the man, who then fell awkwardly, the scene instead, took on a comedic stance, rather than the intended serious one. And then there was the ending. It is one thing to have a cliffhanger, but The Birds’ ending is in no way a cliffhanger. After building the plot for nearly two hours, the movie ended abruptly and inconclusively. There isn’t even enough evidence for one to form their own theories as to why a mass of birds suddenly became hostile. All in all, the ending was disappointing and made one feel like they’ve wasted their time. Despite all of these negatives however, the one thing about this movie which was admirable was the acting. From Tippi Hedren to Rod Taylor, the acting was superb. Jessica Tandy was perfectly casted to play the role as Lydia Brenner, Mitch Brenner’s mother. Her eyes and the glare that she gives added an eery element to the plotline, as one may speculate that the birds were somehow her doing. In regards to the plot, an interesting aspect of the storyline is that of the lovebirds and Melanie Daniels and Mitch Brenner. Somehow, the two are connected and are a driving force in the storyline. While mysterious and unknown, the correlation is most likely to be the answer to why the birds have become hostile.

The Shining Informal Response

Brandon Ong 9/10/11

Mr. Waddell B Block

The Shining Informal Response

For someone who hates watching horror movies and is scared easily, the first time through watching The Shining was horrible. Watching it at 2 AM alone in the dark was a very bad idea. From the sound effects to the acting, many factors contributed to the initial horror of the movie. However, after analyzing scenes such as that of Danny biking in the hallway of Room 217, or Danny seeing the two murdered twins and Wendy interrupting Jack’s typing, a newfound appreciation for the camera work and subtle details Kubrick entails became present. First, Kubrick’s choice of camera angles and decision to choose different point of views adds depth to the movie. The choice of camera angles allows you to feel the isolation of the characters and gives the Overlook a larger than life feel. I especially remember the moment where the camera was in POV mode when Danny tried the door to Room 217. Doing so made the scene even more nerve wrecking, as the dread that the door would open, accompanied by the buildup of music, made the scene truly horrifying. In addition to the camera work, the small details such as the nonexistent shadows and reflections that wouldn’t have been seen the first time viewing the movie is another appreciative point. Other factors like the attention to symmetry, such as that of the hallways, the carpet design, or the two twins also contributes to the spookiness of the movie, as too much symmetry is supposedly unnerving to humans. In regards to differences between the book and the movie, while there were many drastic changes, it is understandable as it is hard for a movie to truly contain all of the thoughts of the individual characters and so some plot change is needed. However, the decision to change the ending left a feeling of incompleteness, for while Jack dies, the Overlook doesn’t. In the book, the fact that both Jack and the Overlook perish with the explosion leaves a feeling of satisfaction. All in all, despite the many changes, Kubrick's’ adaptation of the novel is horrifyingly great. The superb attention to detail, from sound effects to camera angles, adds depth to the movie, ultimately making up for the plot changes.