The Dichotomy of Sight in Oedipus at Colonus Essay

The Dichotomy of Sight in Oedipus at Colonus A simple process formed the backbone of most Greek philosophy. The ancients thought that by combining two equally valid but opposite ideas, the thesis and the antithesis, a new, higher truth could be achieved. That truth is called the synthesis. This tactic of integrating two seemingly opposite halves into a greater whole was a tremendous advance in human logic. This practice is illustrated throughout Oedipus at Colonus in regard to Sophocles’ portrayal of vision, sight, and the eye. In Colonus, there are many and varied descriptions of the aspects of the eye, whether the eye be human or divine. To Sophocles, the eye must have been a synthesis, both physical and spiritual, yet†¦show more content†¦Also, since the characters are only mortal, there are things that remain beyond the range of their sight. When speaking of the Furies, the Chorus moans, â€Å"Those whom we tremble to name. When we pass we avert our eyes - Close our eyes! - † (88) When Tiresi as beholds the glory of the passing of Oedipus the messenger reports that it was more than he could bear. â€Å"We turned around - and nowhere saw that man (Oedipus), But only the king, his hands before his face, Shading his eyes as if from something fearful, Awesome and unendurable to see.† Another revealing example of irony intertwining with sight deals with Polyneices. Antigone pleads, begs Polyneices to relent of his hatred of Thebes and call off the war that will destroy so many men, but Polyneices refuses. Antigone cries, â€Å"Sweet brother! You go with open eyes to death!† (154) This is a powerful condemnation, for Polyneices lacks vision in the sense that he cannot discern what is proper. The Greeks must have considered the act of seeing an the interplay of the mental, spiritual and the physical. Divine sight reveals another aspect of the conceptions of Sophocles and the Greeks. The gods were thought to have perfect sight. The analysis of divine sight, the type of vision Sophocles considered admirable, should shed light on his intentions. The eyes of the gods are unlike those of men; they deal primarily with the spiritual. â€Å"Think: theirShow MoreRelatedWho Goes with Fergus11452 Words   |  46 PagesWho Goes With Fergus This poem is about the dichotomy of the thinker and the actor. Yeats, in love with Maud Gonne, was the thinker, the courtly lover -- the one who would brood upon loves bitter mystery. Yeats was Mr. Nice Guy. Yet Yeats wanted to be the actor - the alpha male - the Fergus. Note the sexualized subtext that permeates the poem, who will pierce the deep woods woven shade? Who will drive with Fergus. Finally, we get the reasons to be the alpha male - the man of action, in the

The Psychoanalytic Theory And Psychoanalysis - 1167 Words

This week we started our section on Freud and his many findings in the area of psychoanalytical theory and psychoanalysis. One of the mentioned psychological experiences that I can most relate to is one that is referred to as catharsis. By definition, catharsis means to release and free emotions by talking about ones problems (Cervone Pervin 2013). However, catharsis can come in many forms. If you recall, Michelle Knight, was one of three women who was kidnapped by Ariel Castro between 2002 and 2003. At the time of her kidnapping, Michelle was 21 years old and was held captive for 11 years before being found. During her time in captivity, Ariel Castro raped her, beat her and mentally and psychologically abused her. She became pregnant on five different occasions because of Castro and subsequently had five separate miscarriages due to Castro beating her. While being held captive she recounts that she was â€Å"†¦Constantly taunted by Castro about her looks and how nobody wante d or was looking for her.† (Hattenstone 2014) Having been told that every day for 11 years would weigh heavily on anyone’s mental state but these women overcame that. The story of these women being rescued made news headlines for weeks and people were shocked at how these women, especially Michelle, who had been held the longest, had survived this ordeal. Michelle has told reporters and journalists that she survived by drawing pictures, writing poems and just writing her thoughts down in general. MichelleShow MoreRelatedThe Psychoanalytic Approach . And Some Of The Influential987 Words   |  4 PagesThe Psychoanalytic Approach And Some of the Influential People Behind It Diane L. Williams Clatsop Community College The Psychoanalytic Approach And Some of the Influential People Behind It There are different theoretical approaches to psychology; behaviorist, humanistic, psychoanalytic, and biological. I will be discussing the psychoanalytic approach to psychology and some of the pioneers of this theory. What is the psychoanalytic approach? Psychoanalysis is a form of psychotherapy thatRead MoreCase Study : Psychoanalytic Theory Approach1223 Words   |  5 PagesRunning head: CASE STUDY PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY APPROACH 1 7 CASE STUDY OF THE PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY APPROACH Case Study of the Psychoanalytic Theory Approach Thomas J. McCarthy Grand Canyon University: PCN-500 April 6, 2016 Case Study of the Psychoanalytic Theory Approach Due to the fact that the client lost her job, it is essential that the first goal in the counseling process is to give her the necessary tools to procure another position. Another goal is to keep the familyRead MoreSigmund Freuds Theory Of Psychoanalysis1636 Words   |  7 PagesThis passage from â€Å"Psycho-analysis,† Sigmund Freud’s essay detailing the origins, methods, and applications of his theory of psychoanalysis, reveals the utility of his approach in understanding what lies beneath the surface through the interpretation of dreams, which later psychoanalytic critics related to the interpretation of literature. Freud’s description of his psychoanalytic theory considers it an approach to unlocking knowledge that is impossible to discover through prior methods of psychologyRead MoreThe Theory Of Psychoanalysis On The Unconscious Phases Of Personality Development1130 Words   |  5 PagesThe theory of Psychoanalysis In the early 1800s, Psychologist and researchers were fervent in postulating and hypothesizing. Searching earnestly for answers to the many questions that were prevalent in those days. The theory of Psychoanalysis was one of such theory that was founded. Psychoanalysis emphases on the unconscious phases of personality development. The main tenets of this theory are characterized into four subsections. Firstly, it states that early childhood experiences are important inRead MoreSigmund Freud And Erik Erikson1110 Words   |  5 PagesThe psychoanalytic perspective was predominantly attained by parents of children with emotional problems 70- 80 decades ago. The discontinuous psychosexual and psychosocial theory takes place in stages in one course moving through drives that are biological along with societal expectations (Berk, 2013). The contributions to this perspective include both Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson. Freud examined psychosexual theory and how those first childhood years of drives shape the personality. Thus, suchRead MorePsychoanalytic Theory : Psychoanalytic And Psychoanalytic Perspective Essay1300 Words   |  6 Pages Psychoanalytic aka â€Å"Psychodynamic† The psychoanalytic perspective, is the outlook that behavior and personality are effected by the conflict between one’s inner dreams n and expectation of society. Most of this conflict occurs in unconscious, which is outside the knowledge of an individual. Renowned psychologist, Freud established the psychoanalytic theory as an explanation for perplexed phenomena such as the meaning behindRead MoreTheories Of Natural Selection And Psychoanalytic Personality Theories1670 Words   |  7 Pagesrespectively for their natural selection and psychoanalytic personality theories. Charles Darwin helped further the field of evolutionary psychology while Sigmund Freud helped discover the unconscious which is still debated to this day about whether it is real. Darwin’s natural selection theory talks about how organisms adapt to survive and the two types of sexual selection which is intersexual and intrasexual selection. Freud’s theory of psychoanalytic personality talks ab out how the id, ego, andRead MoreSigmund Freud s Theory Of Psychoanalysis1413 Words   |  6 PagesEver since Sigmund Freud developed psychoanalysis theory, its applicability has been extended beyond therapy to literature. In the interpretation of dreams, Sigmund Freud coins the term the oedipus complex in reference to the greek mythology of Oedipus the king. The application of psychoanalysis to myth is treated by Dowden with scepticism and he states that the only significance of the psychoanalytic approach is in its recognition of how fundamental the images that recur in the myth are (DowdenRead MoreEssay on Psychoanalysis1148 Words   |  5 PagesPsychoanalysis When people think of psychoanalysis, usually one name comes to mind. This would be Sigmund Freud. Freud, along with Carl G. Jung and Alfred Adler, has impacted the history of psychoanalysis. Further, he has influenced the lives of the men and women during the early 1900s. In todays society, the history of psychoanalysis is continually being discussed among many scholars. Paul Roazen, author of Encountering Freud: The Politics and Histories of Psychoanalysis, has dedicatedRead MoreThe Psychoanalytic Theory of Personality903 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Personality Theories Introduction In psychology, personality can be described as the the patterns of behavior, thought, and emotion unique to an individual, and the ways they interact to help or hinder the adjustment of a person to other people and situations (personality, 2012). Psychologists may make use of idiographic or nomothetic techniques in order to study personality of an individual. Many characteristics of human behavior can be examined while studying ones personality. To put

Greek Diaspora free essay sample

Historical overview of emigration as essential feature of Greek civilization. War, assimilation, Hellenism, in U.S., religion language. A diaspora is a dispersal or migration of a population and a culture from a central place to other parts of the world. The most famous diaspora, known as the Diaspora, was the migration of the Jewish people to regions outside the original settlement in Palestine, and much of Jewish history since that time has been an attempt to bring as many of the Jewish people as possible back to their homeland, to their Promised Land. A Greek diaspora has been under way for centuries, extending back to the era of Hellenistic culture. During much of the history of the last two thousand years, there have been thriving Greek communities in different parts of the world, all maintaining certain Greek traditions and looking back to the Greek homeland as the source of its culture and strength. We will write a custom essay sample on Greek Diaspora or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There also was no Greek state for centuries so that the diaspora had the same goal as the Jewish