Line Numbers for Pride

Share lines numbers in the comments for the theme of pride

Themes Raised During Discussion -- 10/20

Period 1

• Consequences vs. benefits of being loyal to societal rule
• Consequences vs. benefits of pride or confidence
• Moral obedience vs. obedience to state laws
• Religious loyalties
• Competing priorities
• self, family, religion, state
• Perception of morals change over time
• Heeding others advice
• Sacrificial aspects of human nature

Period 4

• Family loyalty vs. government loyalty
• Power blinds those who yield it
• When the powerful exceed their authority, leadership can change
• The nature and limitations of authority
• Consequences of pride
• Sacrifices people make for what they believe
• Moral obligations
• Equality in justice

Discussion: Themes Raised in Antigone

Today you will needs your books and the charts you made when you were working on thematic development at the end of Scene 3

We will begin with about ten minutes of small group collaboration. Make a table group of four (I will explain how) and share some of the theme ideas you generated when you were working with your elements of literature. 

Work together as a group to make sure these themes are expressed clearly. Then, select one theme to present to the class in discussion. 

Generally, when you discuss thematic development in a piece of literature, you need to be clear about a broad, universally relevant problem, idea, or value AND the message developed by the play about this concept.  

HOWEVER, today, you need to focus on the relevant question or problem raised by the play. You don't need to provide the answer; we will be doing that together later.

Example format: 
Sophocles uses his play to discuss the conflict between....

the question of whether...

the competing priorities of...

this aspect of human nature...

Questions for Recognition / Reversal in Antigone

As you answer questions, note these key events / issues in your play.

1. What crucial information does Tiresias bring to Creon when he visits the palace, and why is this significant to the conflict between Creon and Antigone?

2. In what way does Creon change Antigone's death sentence, and how does this indicate a possible change in attitude or awareness, especially in light of his debate with Haemon
2b. what is especially ironic about the nature of this punishment?

3. Identify the recognition. How do the circumstances of Creon's change of heart relate meaningfully to his debate with Haemon?

4. Identify the reversal. What about how Creon reverses his course of action a. causes it to fail and b. ironically symbolizes his conflict with Antigone?

5. Describe the nemesis faced by Creon.

6. What message is presented by the Chorus in the Exodus?

Format for your blended quotes practice / literary analysis

Today, you will be working on your writing skills and developing your first literary analysis assignment. This will not take the form of a paragraph, but it will have most of the writing elements you will see next week when you start drafting paragraph format responses.

 Topic Sentence 
1.) Raises specific issue to be discussed. 

• Clear Articulation is necessary 
• Requires specific word choice and careful use of abstract concepts.

2.) Transition Phrase,connecting this idea to previous issue of discussion 
3.) Make a claim. Do not merely provide information; information does not equal analysis 

Today: 

A. Begin with your conclusion about the theme developed in the play.
Ex: Sophocles uses symbolism to discuss the significance of unity and loyalty in civil society.
- Use active voice 
- Avoid "to be" verbs or multiple prepositional phrases 

B. Provide supporting analysis that proves the claim you provided in "A."
To do this, 

• First, provide  quoted evidence in a blended sentence that clarifies the context and significance of the words you select. 
• Next, provide detailed, insightful analysis of how these specific word choices, events, actions, perspectives, connections or interactions support conclusion you have drawn. This may take one or two sentences (no more than this)

YOU WILL NEED TO DO STEP "B" THREE TIMES. Please select the three most insightful, best supported examples from your three-column notes.

Integrating Quotes into Sentences, AKA “Blended Sentences”

In a blended sentence, the author makes the quotation a part of their own sentence without any punctuation between their own words and the words they are quoting.  The author frequently shortens quotes and retains only the most relevant phrases.

Example:

In "Where I Lived, and What I Lived For," Thoreau states directly his purpose for going into the woods. "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

Though there isn’t anything grammatically incorrect about these sentences, the writing is wordy, lacks transitions, and includes a long quote that may distract attention from the key ideas the author seeks to emphasize.

Transition Word:

In "Where I Lived, and What I Lived For," Thoreau states directly his purpose for going into the woods. He says, "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

Still too long – but at least there’s a transition word connecting the ideas to each other

Blended Sentence:

In "Where I Lived, and What I Lived For," Thoreau states that his retreat to the woods around Walden Pond was motivated by his desire "to live deliberately" and to face only "the essential facts of life."

Blending your quotes also helps with sentence combination – a common strategy used to concisely provide an abundance of information .

Ex. Four sentences become one sentence.

Paine uses figurative language. “The period of debate is closed. Arms as the last resource decide the contest; the appeal was the choice of the king, and the continent hath accepted the challenge.” In this sentence, Paine claims that the king’s actions have challenged our honor and demanded a violent response, like when someone challenges someone else to a duel.

Paine metaphorically compares the current conflict to a duel, alleging that the conflict “was the choice of the king,” and that the continent has “accepted the challenge” to its honor.

This strategy can also be used to combine evidence selected from several different parts of a source into one sentence.

My claim: The chorus repeatedly refers to Antigone’s atê in several different places in the text, all for essentially the same purpose.

My quotes:

“Like father like daughter, passionate, wild…she hasn’t learned to bend before adversity.”

You went too far, the last limits of daring – smashing against the high throne of justice!”

“Your own blind will, your passion has destroyed you.”

“Still the rough winds, the wild passion raging through the girl.”

My sentence:

The Chorus repeatedly addresses Antigone’s atê, labeling her as a “passionate, wild,” “daring,” daughter who, like her father, is destroyed by her “blind will” (Sophocles 525, 943, 962, 1022)

In some cases these words are directly quotes; in others, I paraphrase. However, my wording preserves the meaning of the original quotes and shows the repetition of the idea at four different parts of the play. (remember to cite all of the line numbers)

v  Blended sentences help quotes become a natural part of your discussion, rather than an extra piece of information tacked on to the end of your claim.

v  They just sound better. The sentence flows. There is a smooth transition between parts of grammar that reflects the logical relationship between the ideas you express.

v  It allows you to focus on the key ideas or word choices in your quoted evidence, rather than having to write out the entire sentence.

v  It allows you to present more ideas in a smaller space. When you express complex ideas or relationships between many pieces of information, an economy of words become extremely important.  Otherwise you get either a bunch of chopped-up, unrelated fragments of information or huge, wordy, confusing 97 word sentences.

Today, we will practice this using our three-column notes on theme.

A.  Combine the quoted passage and the discussion of context into a single blended sentence.

B.   Then, write your analysis sentence, making sure to refer to specific elements of the quote or context that support your conclusions. This may require the use of a blended sentence as well.

Example”

Column 1: 622-626

Ismene: Tell me dear one, what can I do to help you, even now?

Antigone: Save yourself. I don’t grudge your survival.

Ismene: Oh no, no, denied my portion in your death?

Antigone: You chose to live, I chose to die.

Column 2: At this point, Antigone and Ismene both stand accused of treason. In despair, Ismene claims she helped bury Polynices so that she can join her sister in death. Antigone, however, exposes this lie and refuses Ismene’s offer, reminding her that the choices they made in the Prologue determines their individual outcomes.

Column 3: This quote reminds the reader of the balance between free will and fate in these tragedies. Though burdened by the curses of Laios and Oedipus, Antigone asserts the power of choice and argues that she and Ismene face outcomes determined not by the Gods but by what they “chose.” In addition, Antigone’s statement that she will not “grudge [Ismene’s] survival whows that her character can change in the face of adversity, another example of free will.

Possible Theme Topics for Antigone First Half (per.1)

Sight / Blindness
Leadership
Priority: Family
Submission to the Gods
Power 
The role of women
The role of public opinion
Destiny/Fate
Compromise
Fear / Courage
Destructive nature / impulsivity / Ate / Leading yourself
Power of the State (laws)
Equality
Hypocracy
Reason vs. Justice/Morality