Charles Dicken's David Copperfield is a novel with many charms; most outstanding is its narrator, who chronicles his life from childhood to middle aduCharles Dicken's David Copperfield is a novel with many charms; most outstanding is its narrator, who chronicles his life from childhood to middle adulthood with a good-natured, at times, self-deprecating sense of humor that never loses its humanity, despite innumerable hardships. In addition, a lively, picaresque cast of characters inhabits its close to 900-page narrative.
Dickens is an excellent social satirist, and his observations of social class, child labor, and the treatment of women provide a window into the inequities of Victorian England. Yet, ironically, his depiction of the notable female characters, except for his aunt, is two-dimensional. His mother, two wives, and best friend's wife are selfless, saintly creatures who lack individuality and agency. They seem more representative of types of Victorian women than fully fleshed-out human beings in a given historical period.
Despite this weakness and the book's length, it remains a classic worth reading. I highly recommend it....more
"We long to have again the vanished past, in spite of all its pain."
Oedipus at Colonus begins with Oedipus and Antigone's arrival at Colonus, a sac3.5
"We long to have again the vanished past, in spite of all its pain."
Oedipus at Colonus begins with Oedipus and Antigone's arrival at Colonus, a sacred area outside of Athens. Oedipus has lived for years as a poor wandering blind beggar, his self-inflicted punishment for unknowingly killing his father and marrying his mother. He wishes for admission to Cololus, which leads to the tragedy's central philosophical debates on morality and fate. Since the Gods decreed Oedipus's actions and he did not know the identity of his biological parents, were his actions immoral? Furthermore, if he did not know that the man who attacked him on the road was his father and thought he was acting in self-defense, does that make him a monster?
These arguments are embedded cleverly in a multilayered plot which I appreciate more as I struggle to capture my feelings about the play. It is slower and more philosophical than the other Theban plays, Antigone and Oedipus Rex, and while I loved those plays, this did not resonate with me in quite the same way. I don't know why. Perhaps it was the pacing or that I don't believe in fate. However, I admire Sophocles's skill as a playwright and innovator in the emerging genre of tragedy....more
Fortune is the prey of whims and, like a maniac, turns somersaults. No man for long escapes her jolts.
In Ancient Greece, the victors of war kill all tFortune is the prey of whims and, like a maniac, turns somersaults. No man for long escapes her jolts.
In Ancient Greece, the victors of war kill all their enemies' men and enslave their women and children. The Trojan Women depicts the final days of Troy as the women and children are waiting to learn their fates. Euripides focuses on the Trojan royal family, Queen Hecuba, her daughters, her sons' wives, and her grandchildren. It is a sad and gruesome tale.
I read this play as part of a course and learned that Euripides wrote it as a warning to Athens at the height of the Peloponnesian War. By setting the tragedy in the mythical past, he hoped to make Athenians reflect upon the possible consequences of their current debacle in the same way that Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible during the McCarthy Era in the United States.
While The Trojan Women can be painful to read, Euripides' finely crafted dialogue and deft characterization make this a moving experience. Highly recommend....more
Stronger than lover's love is lover's hate. Incurable, in each, the wounds they make." ― Euripides
Euripides" revenge drama retells the myth of Medea, wStronger than lover's love is lover's hate. Incurable, in each, the wounds they make." ― Euripides
Euripides" revenge drama retells the myth of Medea, who, smitten by Jason of Argonaut fame, gives up everything, family and country, to help him capture the Golden Fleece. She even kills her brother. She does all this in exchange for the promise of marriage.
After ten years and two sons, Jason decides to leave her for a more advantageous marriage to a royal princess. Then, in a rage, she orchestrates the death of the princess and, inadvertently, her father, the King. Finally, Medea realizes that her children may pay the price for her deeds and decides to kill them herself rather than leave the act to individuals who may enact revenge more cruelly. This action, she surmises, will devastate the unfaithful Jason.
From the view of tragedy and play structure, this is an excellent drama. However, I found both protagonists unsympathetic, which hampered my ability to empathize and enjoy the audio production.
Differing Interpretations
I read the play as part of a course on Greek Tragedy and was surprised to learn that Medea did NOT murder her children in the original myth. Instead, according to the lecturer, Euripides added this action for dramatic effect. So I researched and found that contemporary retellings (Stephan Fry and Gustav Schwab) use Euripides as their only source. However, Robert Graves tells a different tale. He says that the Corinthians, enraged by the Princess's and King's deaths, stoned the children to death. Graves states:
'Mislead by the dramatist Euripides, whom the Corinthians bribed with fifteen talents of gold to absolve them of the guilt; many pretend that Medea killed two of her own children." (p.558)....more
My review of this book disappeared so I am reposting it!
The three great Greek tragedians, Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, dramatized Electra and My review of this book disappeared so I am reposting it!
The three great Greek tragedians, Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, dramatized Electra and Orestes' quest for revenge for their father's murder by their mother, Clytemnestra, and her lover, Aegtheis. While Aeschylus and Sophocles see this dual revenge killing as troubling yet ultimately justified, Euripides questions if matricide is warranted. He contrasts Electra's certainty with Orestes' ambiguity. Consequently, I found it the most interesting of the three plays.
This version of Euripides' Electra is part of a series that pairs a poet with a classical scholar. The exquisite translation, with fine-tuned writing, flowed throughout, making the play a joy to read.
I read all three versions back to back as part of a course on Greek tragedy. I enjoyed the sequential reading and recommend the play to anyone interested in Theater, the Classical World, or both....more
"All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong and repairs the evil. The only crime is pride."
Polynices and his brot"All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong and repairs the evil. The only crime is pride."
Polynices and his brother died in their battle to become the sole ruler of Thebes. Creon, the new King, decreed that Polynice, the invader, should be denied proper burial rites and his body left to rot and be eaten by carrion and dogs. According to Greek religion, this punishment would prevent his soul from entering the underworld. Creon added that anyone who ignored his edict and tried to bury Polynices would be sentenced to death. Creon's edit becomes Antigone, Polynice's sister's central dilemma. She must determine where her primary loyalty lies to her family or the state. Antigone chooses to bury her brother.
Sophocles uses Antigone's decision to examine the nature of power, arbitrary rules, and their effects on the family and social order. As Antigone was engaged to Creon's son, he must also choose between family and state.
Although written in the 5th century BC, Antigone remains relevant today. It presents debates that are nuanced and multifaceted. The writing is full and rich, and finely constructed lines often jump out at you. I read the play and listened to an excellent, full-cast, audible podcast production. Highly recommend.
"I ask this one thing: let me go mad in my own way." Electra
Queen Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus murdered her husband, Agamemnon, on his return "I ask this one thing: let me go mad in my own way." Electra
Queen Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus murdered her husband, Agamemnon, on his return from the Trojan War. The murder was a revenge killing. Agamemnon sacrificed their daughter Iphigenia in exchange for his armies' passage to Troy. Their remaining children, Electra and Orestes, sought revenge for their father's death by killing their mother and her lover.
Sophocles' Electra is one of three dramatic interpretations of this myth. It is a character study that focuses on Electra's obsessive desire for revenge that consumes her into middle age. The play follows her brother Orestes' return from exile and her unambiguous goading that ended in the double murder.
I am taking a course in Greek tragedy and became intrigued by a lecture comparing the three great Greek tragedians' interpretations of this myth. I read Aeychelus' Libation Bearers before reading Sophocles' interpretation. In Aeychelus, Electra is a secondary character. Sophocles' shift of focus forces the reader to examine Electra's inability to feel compassion for her mother or understand her brother's reluctance to kill her. The course professor, Elizabeth Vandiver, stated that Freud based the Electra complex upon Sophocles' rendition of the myth.
Thanks to OliverTaplin's excellent translation, Electra was an accessible and engaging read. I recommend it to anyone interested in the Classics or mythology in general. ...more
George Orwell’s famous allegorical novel depicts the rise of Stalin’s totalitarian regime in the Soviet Union through a depiction of an animal revolt George Orwell’s famous allegorical novel depicts the rise of Stalin’s totalitarian regime in the Soviet Union through a depiction of an animal revolt on Mr. Jones’s farm. As in the USSR, the animals attempt to end their exploitation, by creating an egalitarian Communist society, only to have their efforts foiled by the emergence of a new system of hierarchical elites led by the pigs. Throughout the text Orwell, cynically chronicles the techniques they used to establish a totalitarian regime.
I first read Animal Farm in high school several decades ago. In rereading the text, I was struck by how much age, (the age of the reader as well as era in which a book is read) affects interpretation. While I grew up in the era of the Vietnam War and was very critical of US government policies, I did not believe that the structures of democracy were in jeopardy. Since that time, I have studied the Russian Revolution, Spanish Civil War and read Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia where he chronicles his experiences which lead to his writing of Animal Farm and 1984.
In reading Animal Farm, the historical connections were crystal clear, however, they took a backseat to the sense of dread the book aroused. I am very much worried about loosing democracy. And the leader’s machinations, their distortions of fact and the willingness of many of the farm’s citizens to believe or ignore, felt a little too close for comfort. Orwell’s crisp low key writing style adds to the novel’s atmosphere of dystopian doom.
Animal Farm is a clever text that I highly recommend. I want to thank GR friend, Lisa of Troy for sponsoring an Animal Farm read -along which inspired me to reread this text...more
Homer Therapy 102 “By hook or by crook, this peril too shall be something we remember.”
During covid lockdown, my husband and I decided to study AncientHomer Therapy 102 “By hook or by crook, this peril too shall be something we remember.”
During covid lockdown, my husband and I decided to study Ancient Greece. Each night after dinner, we listened to a half an hour lecture or read from a classic text. It’s become a habit or rather a household ritual in which even our dog partakes. (She has a chair she sits in while we listen.) We studied history, philosophy, mythology, and when omicron threatened, we decided to re-read Homer. It has been magical, therapeutic even. On Saturday, we finished the Odyssey.
Living in such trying times makes me long for something of lasting quality. Emily Wilson’s exquisite translation of Odysseus’s tumultuous ten-year journey home from Troy helped me grapple with the precariousness of the human condition and our own mortality. We listened to Claire Danes read and simultaneously read along. Homer is meant to be heard, and Danes gives an outstanding performance. Our understanding of the text was enhanced by interspersing Elizabeth Vandiver’s excellent lectures throughout our reading. Our journey with Odysseus, Penelope, and Telemachus provided a needed uplift for us as it has for others over the past 2,500 years. Highly recommend.
Thanks to Bruce Katz for recommending Emily Wilson's translation....more
Elizabeth Vandiver is a scholar who truly loves her subject and is skilled at conveying it to a general audience. I listened to heThe Odyssey of Homer
Elizabeth Vandiver is a scholar who truly loves her subject and is skilled at conveying it to a general audience. I listened to her lectures on the Odyssey while reading the text. Her analysis enhanced my understanding. I was especially intrigued by her examination of gender roles in a Bronze Age patriarchal society where double standards abound. For example, Fidelity is seen as crucial for women. Although intelligence within the confines of the female quarter is also valued. However, a young adult son’s judgment trumps his mother’s, and she must obey. While machismo is championed for men, the norms of behavior vary from today. Men frequently cry in the text, and this show of emotion is accepted and commonplace.
Vandiver’s final lecture is the Archeologists and Troy. It is one of my favorites. She examines a question that has plagued historians and archeologists… Was the Trojan War an actual historical event? Vandiver then shares the tales of archeological excavations in Turkey and Mycenae from the time of Schlieman to the present day. Her style is lively and exciting. She made me want to visit the sites and learn more....more
''Let me not then die ingloriously and without a struggle, but first, let me do some great thing that shall be told among men hereafter." Hektor of Tr''Let me not then die ingloriously and without a struggle, but first, let me do some great thing that shall be told among men hereafter." Hektor of Troy
Imagine a cold winter evening, a glass of wine, and the voice of famous Shakespearean actor Derek Jacobi, reading from Robert Fagles's finely crafted translation of the Iliad aloud in your living room. For half an hour or more each night, you can forget about omicron and escape into the poetry of a grand epic.
It's been over ten years since I last read the Iliad in the original; however, I enjoyed it more this time. Although my husband and I followed along, book in hands, we realized that Homer needed to be heard. The Iliad is an oral performance, and at times I would close my eyes and listen. A lecture series that we took simultaneously enhanced our enjoyment.
The Iliad is an epic classic. But, unfortunately, I can't do it justice in a summary or critique. However, I found listening to an outstanding performance profoundly moving. The poetry, characters, and conflicts have a timeless quality that goes to the heart of what it means to be human. . ...more
Elizabeth Vandiver, Classics Professor at the University of Maryland, provides an outstanding in-depth analysis of Homer's Iliad in this Great CoursesElizabeth Vandiver, Classics Professor at the University of Maryland, provides an outstanding in-depth analysis of Homer's Iliad in this Great Courses lecture series. She clearly illustrates what the epic says about the human condition. However, while acknowledging the poem's significance through the ages, Vandiver cautions against interpreting Homer from a contemporary perspective. Her lectures provide insight into the epic's historical context and the cultural meaning of the ancient Greek concepts of kleos and time, which undergird the characters' actions.
Vandiver's analysis helped me to navigate the fine line between the universal and the particular when reading the epic. It is the second time I have read a translation of the original Iliad, and I felt that I enjoyed it more because I read it in conjunction with her course. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in Homer....more
You trust a thief when you trust a woman. Hesiod, Works and Days (Line,375)
The poet Hesiod, Homer's contemporary, wrote Theogony and Works and Days in You trust a thief when you trust a woman. Hesiod, Works and Days (Line,375)
The poet Hesiod, Homer's contemporary, wrote Theogony and Works and Days in the early seventh century B.C.E. It is challenging to assign a star rating to these texts. On the one hand, they are important texts historically speaking and provide real insight into the view of women in early Greece. On the other hand, however, I found that several sections of both poems were extremely dry, making the reading less enjoyable.
Theogony The more famous of the two poems, Theogony, is the first attempt to record the origins of the earth and the Greek gods. After recounting creation, Hesiod examines the roots of Titans and the Olympians and their ten-year war for supremacy. Some scholars believe that Zeus's mythological victory and the establishment of his sovereignty could coincide with the beginning of patriarchy in Archaic Greece.
Hesiod also recounts the myth of Prometheus in Theogony, in which Zeus meters out punishment to both Prometheus and mankind because Prometheus defied him and provided mortals with fire. Zeus had the immortal Prometheus bound to a rock, and each morning an eagle (the symbol of Zeus) would devour his liver which would regrow by nightfall so that the painful process could begin again. To punish mortal men, Zeus created mortal women.
"So straightway because of the stolen fire, he contrived evil for men. The famous smtih took clay and, through Zeus's counsels, gave it the shape of a modest maiden. (570)"
"Immortal gods and mortal men were amazed when they saw this tempting snare from which men cannot escape. From her comes the fair sex; yes, wicked womenfolk are her descendants(590)."
While I enjoyed reading the origins stories and the myth of Prometheus in their original form, I found other aspects of the poem frustrating. For example, there are 12 major Gods and Goddesses and close to 400 minor gods. In addition, since the poem aims to chronicle the gods' origins, Hesiod intersperses the myths with the genealogical listing of close to fifty deities. At these points, I found my mind began to wander.
Work and Days The second poem, Works and Days, is shorter, just under twenty pages. Hesiod wrote it as an admonishment to his brother Perses who is trying to use tricks and influence to gain a larger share of their joint inheritance. It is a moral treatise that discusses the virtue of hard work and advises farmers on improving their daily labor practices. Homer's epics of heroes and kings are the only other texts I have from this period, so reading about the everyday life of farmers who made up the bulk of the population gave me a different view of this world. However, I found much of the farming advice dry. Hesiod intersperses the myth of Pandora's Jar in the text and describes women in the same way as he did in Theogony.
Overall, I found reading these texts interesting. I would recommend the poems to readers with a strong interest in the ancient world or mythology in general.
In this 36 lecture series, Dr. Robert Bartlett of Boston College examines the ethical and political philosophy of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. He In this 36 lecture series, Dr. Robert Bartlett of Boston College examines the ethical and political philosophy of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. He focuses on Plato's Republic, The Trial of Socrates, Aristotle's Nichomean Ethics, and Politics. He is an excellent lecturer, skilled at making abstract concepts accessible.
I haven't grappled with Greek philosophy since my undergraduate days, before my career's start. Nevertheless, I find it interesting to reexamine notions of human virtue and " ideal" political systems looking back and reflecting on my experiences. I wish I had saved my undergraduate papers!...more
The Clouds I read The Clouds more as a historical source than as a drama. I have read in many texts that this play contributed to Socrates' convic 3.5
The Clouds I read The Clouds more as a historical source than as a drama. I have read in many texts that this play contributed to Socrates' conviction and death close to twenty years after its debut. I was curious to see what Aristophanes could write that could contribute to the demise of such an eminent philosopher. The Clouds satirizes the " new learning" and its impact on the education of Athenian youth. His target was Sophists, who taught rhetoric to construct winning persuasive arguments regardless of their truth. They provided this service for hefty fees. The play centers around Strepsiades, whose son's love of horse racing has placed him in crippling debt. To evade his creditors, he enrolls at the "Thinkpot," a Sophist Academy run by Socrates where he teaches how to prove "that wrong is right and right is wrong." Aristophanes portrays Socrates as a pompous, irrelevant intellectual who spends his time contemplating such weighty issues as the cause of the buzzing sounds that emanate from the backside of knats; that is when he isn't teaching sophistic argument. The problem with this portrait is that it is untrue. Socrates was not a Sophist. He did not teach rhetoric. Instead, his focus was on ethics, and he sought to identify underlying constructs of abstract ideas such as justice or piety. Moreover, Socrates did not charge for his teachings and lived very humbly. Plato claims that Aristophanes' portrait reflects the prejudices of the times and that this image stuck and invariably hurt Socrates. In Athens, theatrical performances were part of religious festivals and thereby viewed by all the male citizens who were eligible for a jury. I don't know if Plato's claim is valid. However, I live in Post- Trump, America, where many people still believe that the presidential election was "stolen", despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary." I worry that a disregard for factual evidence and a belief in the relativity of truth is a symptom of a democracy in decline. In this sense, I found the play eerily relevant.
Written in 1942 during the Nazi occupation of France, Anouilh's retelling of Antigone is intended as a tribute to the French Resistance. It is a powerWritten in 1942 during the Nazi occupation of France, Anouilh's retelling of Antigone is intended as a tribute to the French Resistance. It is a powerful, beautifully written reinterpretation of the very moving original. It demonstrates the role of context in the interpretation of myth.
Thanks to GR friends Ilse and Theo Logos, for the recommendation...more
Stephen Fry's retellings of the Greek myths and epics resonate with the educator, parent, and hopefully, someday grandparent in me. While I thoroughlyStephen Fry's retellings of the Greek myths and epics resonate with the educator, parent, and hopefully, someday grandparent in me. While I thoroughly enjoyed Mythos and Heroes, Troy is my favorite in the series thus far. Fry uses Homer, Ovid, and Virgil as his sources. In addition to the Illiad, the book includes the stories of The Judgement of Paris, the Birth of Achilles, the Abduction of Helen, the Trojan Horse, and the sack of Troy.
Fry's writing is lively and witty. He captures the nuance of character and the pathos of war. I listened to him read the audio version of the text and was transported in time and place. At times, the listening experience was magical.
As I listened, I kept thinking about the text's potential for reaching young adults and expanding their interest in reading in general and in the classics. Unfortunately, it's been close to twenty years since I last read Homer in the original. Nevertheless, Troy has inspired me to revisit Homer. Does anyone have recommendations for new translations or oral readings of the original??
"If youth is the season of hope, it is often so only in the sense that our elders are hopeful about us; for no age is so apt as youth to think its 5++
"If youth is the season of hope, it is often so only in the sense that our elders are hopeful about us; for no age is so apt as youth to think its emotions, partings and, resolves are the last of their kind. Each crisis seems final, simply because it is new. We are told that the oldest inhabitants in Peru do not cease to be agitated by earthquakes, but they probably see beyond each shock and reflect that there are plenty more to come."
A recent BBC poll of literary critics designated Middlemarch, George Eliot's magnum opus, as the best British Victorian novel. Virginia Woolf described it as "one of the few written for grown-ups." Frightened by its length, I allowed the book to languish on my shelves for many years. Then, a little over two weeks ago, I tore the meniscus in my left knee, and faced with the open time immobility provides, I decided to tackle Middlemarch. I loved it!
The story takes place in the 1830s, at the beginning of industrialization in the fictional English village of Middlemarch. It is a time of change. The novel examines relationships, the institution of marriage, women's roles, social class, and the impact of social norms on the interconnected lives of the village inhabitants.
For me, what stood out was the vivid characterization. George Eliot (pseudonym for Marian Evans) provides a subtle and nuanced portrait of human motivation and interaction. In his New Criterion essay, critic Myron Magnet captures the essence of skill when he states what he believes Eliot does best:
In this 1871 novel, George Eliot shows how our inner feelings and wishes interact with our outer circumstances, with the social-cultural climate that surrounds us and with our personal relationships to shape our identity and fate.
While I don't want to attempt a plot summary of a close-to 900-page novel, I must add that I felt a sense of sadness when I finished the book, as if I was saying goodbye to people I knew and had come to understand. I decided to watch the BBC adaptation of the book. It is interesting to see how others understand and portray a book I so enjoyed....more
I saw an off-broadway adaptation of Jekyll and Hyde on Friday. It was clever and well done. I didn't read the book when I was younger, because I heardI saw an off-broadway adaptation of Jekyll and Hyde on Friday. It was clever and well done. I didn't read the book when I was younger, because I heard it was scary and decided to try it now. Although I knew the story, I could not put the book down and read it straight through. I was amazed by its power and the beauty of the prose....more
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