Ambitious Strife and Scrutiny

Dear Conflicted in the Midwest,

Life is a perilous trial of self indulgence and truth seeking. The worry you bear for your sister is commendable. However, that worry is just an indirect obstacle that inhibits your journey to figuring out the truth. Circumstance and stability go hand in hand as two seemingly luck filled aspects which define ones place in life. If your concern remains a metaphorically haunting angel with a demon’s guise, then ask your sister “Do external circumstances to some extent distract you?”(13, Marcus Aurelius) External quandaries are viable concerns as the issue she is facing might be work related. Internal divisiveness is not the only catalyst which can cause stagnation. Also, “Remember how long you have delayed,” (13, Marcus Aurelius) for the amount of time you squander on worry is time taken away from your pursuit towards the truth. The path of ambition for the care of another is an arduous one as it is riddled with strife and scrutiny. The truth however, is always muddled behind such walls.

Sincerely, Nero Cassius

MLA Citation: Hax, Carolyn. “Perspective Carolyn Hax: Listen to the little birdie that tells you to let people empty their own nests.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 14 Nov. 2017

Hyperlink: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/carolyn-hax-how-to-tell-your-sister-that-its-time-to-empty-your-parents-nest/2017/11/14/f8e7be72-c5a3-11e7-84bc-5e285c7f4512_story.html?utm_term=.3f0e12dd06b4.

Bailey Seemangal, Team 5, Hephaestus

 

Bright Colors that Enrapture Enviornments

This photo I took in a museum features a work that draws heavy visual similarities to Paul Cezanne’s, The Basket of Apples. Both works use a variety of bright colors in order to convey the verism of their respective environments. Their is a certain degree of realism and naturalism in both of these paintings however the realism isn’t amplified to the point of it being lifelike. It instead feels classical and emits a nostalgic tone with the inclusion of nature’s products such as trees, grass and apples. Additionally, both paintings have a certain emphasis on shadows which highly emphasizes the realism aspect.

While both works certainly have their fair share of similarities, there are still a couple of key noticeable differences. For instance, the work I chose is rather vague and not intricate with its shadow incorporation or shading while Cezanne’s work definitely is, at least moreso than this work. Cezanne’s work doesn’t use as many shadows but they are realistically placed such as the right of the table near the apples and the shapes are more intricately and vividly drawn in as well. Also, both works have a differing semblance of brightness. For example, the work I chose is more bright due to its outside atmosphere and the sun’s likely inclusion in it. Cezanne’s work on the other hand is bright as well but the painting takes place in a room and the brightness of the apples doesn’t overtake the brightness of the image that I chose.

Bailey Seemangal, Team 5, Hephaestus

Artistry and Realism

The image I chose here is one that I saw in a museum which has some visual similarities to Unit 4. While there are certainly differences between this image and the ones featured in Unit 4, there are some noteworthy similarities to draw.

One art piece that this work reminds me of is the Art of Painting by Johannes Vermeer. Both pieces of work use a variety of colors to emphasize the difference between the people and the background. What also stands out is the usage of people’s expressions in both paintings. While the artistic choices certainly differ with the faces, there is still a very admirable amount of detail put into them. Also, the backgrounds of both works are key aspects of identifying their purposes as well tone they’re meant to emit. What also contributes to strong emphasis of tone in both of these works is the use of lighting. While the work by Vermeer is more expressive with lighting, this piece’s ambiance is heavily defined by how bright or dim the background is. For instance, the tone of the top right panel is somber as defined by the cloudy sky and the panel in the bottom middle is more celebratory or significant as represented by the brightness.  Vermeer’s work is similar as it has a serious and almost academic-esque atmosphere from the lighting and placement of objects. Overall, both pieces of art have strong similarities that stem from the tone usage, background and lighting.

Both pieces of work have several noticeable differences. One of which is that the naturalism depicted in Vermeer’s work is absent in this piece. The faces in this piece seem somewhat unnatural and more symbolic than anything else. Also, the usage of colors is very different. Both pieces use a variety of it but this piece of art is brighter than Vermeer’s darker and almost comforting one. Lastly, the work I found seems to have religious meanings or implications based on the ornaments being held in the bottom right and the flag in the top right as opposed to Vermeer’s which lacks most if any religious connections.

Also, this piece of art connects to Classics as it holds semblances to the various myths we’ve read for class. There seems to be a political or familial tie in with this painting which immediately reminds me of Oedipus the King and Antigone. Both of those literary works delved heavily into the relationship between politics and family which this piece I picked seems to draw similarities to as well. The flag in the top right as well the throne and baby in the bottom middle panel draw references to some sort of political and family development. The other pieces seem to give the air of nobility as well with the luxurious ornaments and refined scenery.

Bailey Seemangal, Team 5, Hephaestus

 

Directive Tragedy Rooted From the ‘Ides of March’

In the Devils Casino, the truth of the Lehman Brothers ploys comes to light. The words ‘Ides of March’ are referred to as a reference to Caesar’s killing in comparison to the Lehman demotion on March 15. They both occurred on the same day. It may seem overly dramatic but the truth of the matter is that for those involved, the incident of demotion was comparable to the evens of ‘Ides of March’. The author expects the reader to have a vague understanding of what ‘Ides of March’ is. They give a brief explanation of it but nothing too specific. Also, for the context that it is used in, the term doesn’t need to be delved into that much. It’s just there as a catalyst for understanding the severity of the Lehman demotion incident.  The author views it as a bad thing considering how they’re tying it to a event of this caliber that negatively affected the life of some. The quote specifically says “This episode is called the Ides of March by senior Lehman  executives  because the demotion occurred on March 15, the day Julius Caesar was killed by his former friends in 44 B.C.” Wiley John,  Devils casino: friendship, betrayal, and the high stakes games played inside lehman brothers, 2011.

From the reading of Cassius Dio, the quote of “According to some historians, he chose 300 prisoners of equestrian or senatorial rank, and offered them on the ides of March at the altar of the God Julius, as human sacrifices.” already sheds some light on how the negativity of this incident could be perceived. It compliments the way the ‘Ides of March’ attitude is in the book because in both contexts, the phrase is used in a negative scenario that can’t really offer much if any positive declarations.

Bailey Seemangal, Team 5, Hephaestus

The Depths of Faith and Expression

This miniature sculpture is reminiscent of some olden sculptures and paintings during the Rupture and Revival Era. Visually, the sculpture has striking similarities when facial expression and motion are taken into account. While the photo’s lighting may not be the best, the angel clearly has a smile which is dominated by its mouth. Its eyes also have a serene gaze that doesn’t stare at anything in particular just like Michelangelo’s David. Also, while the material isn’t the same, the image of depicted motion here is clearly visible. The angel has its hands clasped and is balancing on a rock or monument of some sort. Several pieces of art during this era showed a clear picture of motion and this sculpture depicts that idea.

In terms of theoretical similarities, the wings on the angel are fairly detailed which tie -to the existence of God just like several pieces during the Rupture and Revival Era. There is also weight on the angel’s left leg as they attempt to balance themselves on the object they’re standing on. The head is also tilted, giving it more personality than it would if it were just a straight faced sculpture. It draws a lot of analytical comparisons to Michelangelo’s David.

In terms of differences, there are several key and obvious differences when this sculpture is compared to those of the Rupture and Revival Era. First and foremost is that this sculpture doesn’t have the intricate level of detail that the past sculptures have. While there is detail present in this sculpture, the eyes and face aren’t nearly as animated as say Michelangelo’s David who I keep coming back to as a point of comparison. Additionally, the ties to the gods aren’t nearly as strong. While the wings do symbolize a certain degree of afterlife and godhood, Michelangelo’s David has the slingshot and baby figure that help clarify and hint the veiled messages hidden within. Also, the contrapposto is more strongly depicted in past works as well.

In the end, while both sculptures have their fair share of obvious differences, they do share a number of symbolical and physical similarities.

Vague Flashes From Centuries Ago

The image I chose is of a church that I stumbled upon during the time that I got lost which my previous post also magnified on via the statue. The outside of the church does give me some reminiscent relations to the Hagia Sophia. While I doubt it’s inspired from there, the front of this church has arches and symbols that loosely tie to the Hagia Sophia’s general visual appeal. In fact, it looks more like a modernized version of it with its two small lights near the doors. I chose this image because of its similarities to the general outside features we’ve seen on many of the buildings in Unit 2.

Its similarites to the historical age lie in its uncanny similar appearance to a basilica. It holds a central nave with accompanying arches just as basilicas from the ancient historical age did. The small statues present on the central nave certainly draw some commonalities with the historical sculptures of the time period as well. Moreover, the arches have slightly high pointed towers that stretch a bit further than their main parts and that’s a trait that a good deal of basilicas share, the small pointing apex at the top of the arches.

This image though holds a number of obvious differences when compared to its historical counterparts. For instance, the lights near the entrance are an obvious depiction of this church being modernized rather than ancient. The overall design and size of this church doesn’t seem to be proportionate to other basilicas . Its a bit on the smaller side. The small statues aren’t a common design on basilicas either. Also, while this picture doesn’t completely capture it, the arches aren’t in the traditional left and right sides of basilicas as most historical ones are. They’re mainly off to the back which is probably due to its location.

Bailey Seemangal, Team 5, Hephaestus

The Urge of Courageous Selflessness

The search term I used was Gracchi France and the article that I used was “The redemption of the Gracchi and the class nature of the republic.”

The primary intended audience seems to be those desiring to be informed of the intricacies of Gracchus Babeuf’s writing and how he attempted to defend himself from being disdained as someone attempting to overthrow the government. It heavily focuses on governmental social aspects that fixate on the middle class and its impact on revolution. Due to all this, it’s safe to assume that it’s certainly meant for an audience yearning to be informed rather than persuaded.

The words of “It is now no longer a question of making a revolution in men’s minds; this is not the area where we should anticipate further success. This aspect of the work has already been carried through successfully as all France knows.” directly tie not only the search terms Gracchi and France together since Gracchus’s intricate involvement is inexorable linked together, but also the concept of revolution which this writing focuses on.

The quote of “Furious opposition led to his murder. Ten years later his brother, C. Sempronius Gracchus suffered the same fate, when he attempted to bring in a wide-ranging series of reforms, embracing provincial administration, the corn supply, judicial reform, and the status of the Italian allies.” from the Roman Revolution connects to the peer reviewed that I selected as it relates to Gracchus fighting for his own beliefs and for revolution via reforms of varying types. This is a basic fact about Gracchus but it can’t be denies that his willingness and action to promote revolution are demonstrated here as well.

The MLA Citation is as follows

Alp, Al. “The Redemption of the Gracchi and the Class Nature of the Republic.” Journal of Contemporary Asia, vol. 25, no. 3, 1995, pp. 397–413.

Bailey Seemangal, Team 5, Hephaestus

The Heartbreak of Veiled Gentleness

This sculpture is sculpted by a material that draws comparisons to the visual stimulation of marble. The lady is holding a bible with one hand along with a bouquet of flowers in the other. Also, like most sculpted ladies that relate to religion in any sense, she is clothed in a veil of sorts that covers her head but leaves her face wide open. She has a gentle yet somber expression on her face which can certainly be attributed to the tragedies that relate to religion induced art and the ignored messages they attempt to conceive.

Moreover, this sculpture reminds me of Unit 1 Foundations and more specifically, the Parthenon.

On my way home from school a couple of weeks ago, I got lost for about two hours. The walk was grueling and agonizing but I thankfully ran into a church which was housing this sculpture outside its front door. It was raining at the time but it thankfully seems as if the precipitation wasn’t caught in this photo. The gentle aura this sculpture radiates gravely reminds me of the the broken sculptures we’ve seen that have been ravaged by war. The Parthenon for instance has headless sculptures which aside from the disturbing scenery also implies that there was an aggressive force at work that tore apart those statues willfully. This image here seems like one that could be headless in a couple of centuries or so. After all, its place of founding was at a church and the book it’s holding seems to be a holy scripture. If a war against Christianity spawns then this will likely be torn apart if the severity is as horrifying as it was in the past. Just like several sculptures in the past, this was definitely made for religious purposes and its workings seem to be similar to marble. Most of the sculptures we’ve viewed in class have this sort of classical aura with seemingly pure white marble. This sculpture definitely encapsulates religion just as ones of the past did but its sheer presence is kind of unsettling as the possibility of it being broken seems almost too real. The headless sculptures of the Parthenon just emit this feeling at a stronger rate. However, even with the function and overall material being the same, the overall audience is certainly not as grand as the Parthenon’s was. This was in fairly small neighborhood that would most likely only attract hundreds a month.

This sculpture reminds me of Alexander the Great and the despair of war that has been brought up in Classics. The connection is incredibly obvious as war has agonized these sculptures and Alexander’r men may have very well committed grave acts like those. He was a king after all and combat was no stranger to him. Defacing of sculptures like this was most likely done by men of his which is a rather outputting but depressingly gravely real connection between these two classes. Power breeds creativity and creativity breeds power.

Bailey Seemangal, Team 5 Hephaestus

And So the Sands Fall, Fading and Screaming

Common knowledge is commonly mistaken as being the same among everyone. The depths of history and the tendencies of human morality and consciousness are conceived on differing wavelengths within every person. Alexander the Great, former king of Macedonia is one such person which may be considered to be common knowledge to many but completely foreign to some. I asked three people I talk to about their knowledge of Alexander the Great and to what it extent their knowledge lies.

I first asked my friend Tommy, age 17, about this subject while we were eating at my local pizzeria and it went about as I expected. When I asked him who Alexander the Great was, he answered that yes he knew. Furthermore, he added that he knew that he was the king of Macedonia which answered my second question. However, when I asked him about where he learned of this ancient king, he was quite vague as he couldn’t remember the specifics which is quite understandable since a seemingly random historical fact wouldn’t be engraved on a person’s memory. He responded that he wasn’t quite sure and thought that he learned of it in class a couple of years ago. The answer made enough sense so I accepted it and moved on.

Secondly, I asked my sister Christina, age 28 about Alexander the Great while we were at home preparing dinner. She said that she kind of knew who Alexander the Great was. However, when I asked for specifics, she said that she only thought that he was a king or emperor of some kind. I then asked her where she learned of Alexander the Great and she said that she probably learned it in school at some point a long time ago. This again makes sense since Christina has no real interest in ancient history and it has no moral bearing of any sort on her current life.

Lastly, I asked another friend by the name of John, age 18 at his house during a project preparation about Alexander the Great. He said that the name seemed familiar but he couldn’t pinpoint when he heard of it. This answered my second question as well since John couldn’t remember any facts about him. As for where he learned about him, John said it was probably in Junior High or High School. This again, makes sense since history is not his focus of study.

The image below is what came to mind whenever I asked the three of them about Alexander the Great. To them, he was a nobody who at the very least seemed to have some degree of strength when he lived.

This image is reminiscent of art class with Professor Simon in its tone. Some of the works we’ve seen in that class radiate feelings of somberness or heroism and this illustration fits the latter. The chafing sand, heavy equipment and the foreboding sense of bloodshed make this image remind me of some of the broken down sculptures I’ve seen in art class so far.

All of these answers were just about what I expected since Alexander the Great is not a central figure in any of their lives and there’s no concrete reason for any of them to have any intricate or even general knowledge of a long fallen king. None of them knew the intricacies of Alexander the Great’s life or what kind of person he was. Tommy at the very least knew for sure that he was the king of Macedonia at some point but that was all he could recall. This is completely relatable to my experience in learning about Alexander the Great since his name was completely foreign to me prior to this class. For instance, I didn’t even know that he was considered strong in any sense of the word but the quote of “Alexander became learned in every matter and trained himself so well.” in Alexander Romance [30] made me quite aware of his outward character and the lengths he went to in order to preserve his own honor as well of that of his city. This serves as a profound reminder of who Alexander was since someone as ignorant as me could’ve just viewed him as some unremarkable, pathetic fallen king as anyone who fails to leave hopeful marks on us are. However, with all that said, the importance of Alexander of the Great can only extend so far and the brief interviews that I had sealed that deal. Yes, his life was significant once but his lack of presence in everyday life and moral thought only leaves him as remarkable to those studying his era of time. The sands of his time have long since fallen for him and dwelling on them can only breed feelings of baggage and irrelevance if looked at through a non-historical lens.

Bailey Seemangal, Team 5 Hephaestus

The Relevance of the Past and Future’s Contemporary Issues are Sympathetically Similar

 

Contemporary society issues are numerous in number and they continue to grow by the year. Many varying outlets in media tend to state their own opinions on certain issues via T.V. shows, movies, books and articles. One such example of a modern T.V. show having its take on contemporary society issues is Arrow. Specifically, it talks upon the issues of gun control and gun violence. Gun violence has been a constant issue over the past years in our country and no there seems to be no resolution in sight. While both opposing proponents of gun violence have valid reasons, it’s a difficult problem to find common ground on. In season 5 episode 13 of the Arrow, a tragedy occurs in which a gunman invades City Hall and injures 24 people along with killing 5. The video below shows a brief snippet of the argument that some of the main characters have following that tragedy. Shootings are becoming more and more common in our country and the sudden tragedy it unfolds is something that the show captures perfectly. Even though the way it’s presented certainly has varied likeability, the fact that gun control is a shown issue is incontrovertible.

On another note, the play of Antigone tackles its instance of contemporary societal issue in a darker and compassionate tone. Its primary issue of women’s place in society and their treatment when compared to men comes to a resolution of sorts at the cost of a heart wrenching sacrifice at the end. Now, while the issues brought up in Arrow and Antigone are different, they both tackle their problems somewhat similarly. In both show and play, the gravity of loss is needed in order to fully understand and comprehend the meaning behind their respective dilemmas. Antigone opened Creon’s eyes at the end when she took her own life and the blatant loss of life in Arrow makes Oliver Queen immediately take action as mayor of Star City. However, due to the difference in time periods and written perspectives, Antigone’s outcome comes off as much more tragic due to the emotional attachment the reader develops towards her. Though women’s place in society didn’t really alter at that time, the play still sent its message of whether or not women deserve to be ‘secondary’ in most of life’s primary respects.

Bailey Seemangal, Team 5, Hephaestus

 

 

The Barbarians’ Tendency to Delight or Horrify, No Matter What the Time.

Religion is a chaotically differing subject that everyone has their own unique perspectives on. Whether you’re a believer or non believer, Christian or Muslim, it stands true that no two people view the proposed sanctity of religion in the same way. Yet, there are acts done in the name of supporting or scorning of religion that most people would vehemently disagree with. That act is taking away the lives of others. Two examples of these horrific acts are of two religiously centered incidents that took place last month. In Spain, there were the infamous terrorist attacks and in Nigeria, there was a shooting that took place in a Catholic church. Both of these reprehensible acts have these ‘others’ that are blamed and despised. For Spain, there was ISIS who claim to be followers of Islam and for Nigeria, it’s those that stand violently stand against Christianity. Both of the articles I found detail these events in their own respective ways. In ‘The Advertiser’ (Australia), they seem to praise the attackers funnily enough. Though, they’re certainly not admiring them. From the tone they use, they’re questioning their own courage and faith when comparing it to ISIS who seem to hold the courage to place themselves in reckless abandon. The audience being targeted at this article is definitely those questioning their own determination and courage in their own religious and personal pursuits. As Bolt states, “Likewise with the Manchester bomber. He blew himself up with his victims. Evil, barbaric, depraved – yes. But cowardly?” he’s thoroughly trying to assess the strength and courage that these attackers must possess in order to commit such atrocious acts. In a sense, you can certainly say that humanizing these perpetrators by giving them positive feelings is a way to disgust the general masses into hardening their own steel, their own righteousness. For ‘The Sun’ (Nigeria), they seem to be reiterating a simple lesson that many tell over time. Don’t let your faith be shaken by those who seek to selfishly disrupt it. In fact, they blatantly quote that “In a condolence message to the government and people of Anambra State, the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Jonathan Obuebite, described the incident as most disheartening, shocking and barbaric.” Their message is simple yet effective and it’s obviously meant for those wavering in embracing their religious beliefs after such a horrific act. It is completely understandable as even if you weren’t physically affected, the agony it can cause you can become a permanent burden.

Despite the different messages these articles share however, they both share a common social value that’s being affirmed. That social value is the sheer importance of individual liberty. The two articles don’t at all downplay the sheer misery that these attacks caused. In fact, they emphasize it in their own respective ways. The utter despair that comes from having your faith trifled with and used in the name of acts you abhor is meant to strengthen the masses into leaning onto each other. This way, they can reaffirm the values of their beliefs with one another and have their individual voices be heard. It’s quite inspiring in a heart wrenching sense. Funnily enough, a vital ancient man seems to use the term ‘barbarian’ in a different way than how these two articles did. In the Preface of ‘Herodotus on the Persians’, Herodotus states that “What Herodotus of Halicarnassus has learnt by inquiry is here set forth: in order that so the memory of the past may not be blotted out from among men by time, and that great and marvellous deeds done by Greeks and barbarians and especially the ​reason ​why they warred against each other, may not lack renown.” With this, Herodotus refers to the ‘barbarians’ deeds as “great and marvellous”. That’s certainly different than the two articles. Even the Australian one didn’t outright praise those they called ‘barbaric’. They held cynicism and baited breath but Herodotus seems almost excited and delighted by the barbarians’ actions and the history that might unfold because of them and the Greeks fighting each other. That, and the Nigerian paper was completely bashing the attackers. It’s severely different in tone of usage. The two articles bash their barbarians but Herodotus almost seems to praise his. Lastly, when it comes to the two articles themselves, they both use the term ‘barbaric’ with much animosity and agony behind it. Neither of them go against the fact that the attacks were gruesome and despicable. There is solely ill intent, nothing more, and nothing less. As seen from the sorrow these two articles emit, religion can just be used as a tool and crutch to lean on for those who are cowardly enough to attack those that disagree with their line of thinking.

Atuma, Uche. “Pope Sad over Catholic Church Massacre.” The Sun News, 9 Aug. 2017, sunnewsonline.com/pope-sad-over-catholic-church-massacre/.

Note: The second article has an issue with its origin site as it is subscription based. I found via the Lexis Nexis directory however, so in order to remedy this, I’ve posted the article information that was provided from what I’ve read there. The URL is there as well but I don’t think it works.

Bolt, Andrews. “IS terrorists aren’t really the cowards in this fight”. The Advertiser, 21 Aug. 2017, http://www-lexisnexis-com.ez-proxy.brooklyn.cuny.edu:2048/hottopics/lnacademic/

Bailey Seemangal, Team 5, Hephaestus

The Agony of Complacency and the Despair of Resignation

Amidst the horrifying complacency of our daily lives, resignation to one’s supposed ‘fate’ has become a disturbing norm. Whether or not fate exists though, it’s true that many live life while blindly following hypothetical outlines and miserably prideful constraints. In fact, the depths of our history contain those that met with grim fates due to the complacency they found meager shelter in. A modern example of retelling a tale that consists of falling victim to self-satisfaction is Seneca’s “Oedipus” by the Theater of the Blind. The review by one Honor Moore intricately describes the perfectly construed agony of the modernized play. This in turn makes the events of the play relevant and sympathetic to the contemporary audience. For one, Moore states that “there is no wisdom except through resignation to one’s fate, becomes true not only for a blind king in ancient Thebes, but for each of us, in our blindnesses, as well.” This statement is certainly true to many who blindly accept veiled truths without question and live within a shell. Fate is quite a beloved concept as it states that we have a path we’re ‘meant’ to follow in life. Those of ancient times embraced this and many in modern times embrace this as well. After all, isn’t it better to be blind to the harsh truth rather than to accept said harsh truth? Life is difficult and without certain guidelines, one can get lost. Those in ancient Athens accepted the harshness of their degradingly strict society just so that they would be satisfied with having a set path in life. In comparison, those in modern times do this as well. Whether you have strict parents that regulate you or illusions that prevent you from pursuing your true dreams, many blindly accept and follow the paved road in front of them instead of building their own. In a way, it’s sort of heartrending. We haven’t changed at all. There are those that stay blind or become blind and resign themselves to ‘fate’, just as Oedipus did.

Additionally, Moore also states that “just five actors play all the characters and double as the chorus, the production gathers intimacy as we come to know the performers as human beings who both witness and endure the play’s tragic events.” The importance of this quote is how it correlates the usage of ‘masks’ by people in present and ancient day. Yes, while the modern actors themselves had masks to play several parts just as the ancient actors did, it’s also true that the characters themselves have certain ‘masks’ they wear in order to portray different aspects of themselves to the appropriate people. Oedipus for example, wears the mask of a ruler and the mask of a husband. Everyone in real life does this as well. Depending on who you interact with, you act a certain way. It’s a simple yet true fact of life. However, with time those masks can break. Those masks can shatter and your core can be bare to the world. Those in contemporary society wear masks and all of those masks can very well break. It can either be due to trauma or despairing resignation but it’s still very possible in a variety of several other events. When the actors switched roles and masks on stage, they themselves were experiencing the tragedy they were unfolding along with the character’s breaking masks. Seeing Oedipus accept his literal and metaphorical blindness at the end of the play can easily connect to the audience as it shows that beneath all the masks that someone has, there is a core that contains all of your vulnerabilities and truths. This is as true for me as it is for you.

We can never truly know how the Ancient Athenian audience felt about anything they wanted to keep secret. The masks they unconsciously wore and the blindness they embraced might’ve been things that they never fought or thought about. Though we can infer since these convoluted plays existed back then. Women definitely must’ve had dilemmas with the masks they had to bare to the world. They were homemakers and weren’t intricately involved with many outside of the house. They were also consistently ignored and treated as convenience tools for the upkeep of home. There were most definitely times when women questioned their blind devotion to the man-made laws they had to abide to. After all, agonizing blindness to one’s self can make you question the state of things and cracking masks can easily break from repressed rage. It doesn’t matter if it was ancient times or not, feelings still existed and it would’ve caused women especially to have outward and internal conflicts about their place in life. They were more suppressed than men were. Were they just going to live life on a moving road that they themselves didn’t even construct? Living the way they wanted to was a pipe dream however, as illusions to resignation were as common then as they are now. There must’ve also been men who didn’t want to participate in war. Not everyone has the same ideals and hopes. While war was a relatively constant reality, there had to have been other aspects of life that they enjoyed. Some may have enjoyed those other aspects more than war. Despite all of the tragic acceptance and selfish toleration that those in Ancient Athens felt though, we can certainly infer that since they’re human, they had to have faced identity and role crises just as we do today.

Moore, Honor. “The Oedpial Anguish Illuminates the Darkness.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 14 June 2005, http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/14/theater/reviews/the-oedipal-anguish-illuminates-the-darkness.html

Bailey Seemangal, Team 5 Hephaestus