Anna Vance Honors 210 Final 12/14/10

Movie Script My movie, called Thanksgiving at the Argonauts, is modern day mythical mayhem and includes stories from Odysseus, Medea, Hercules, Zeus, Hera, and Clotho. Each character represents one mythological figure, but Oz is a mix of Odysseus and Hercules. The cast is comprised of ordinary people. Many of them are from Vermont, which is where the film was shot. No major celebrities are in it. Thanksgiving at the Argonauts is a direct-to-DVD film.

The movie opens with a shot of an autumn sky in the late afternoon. The camera is angled from the viewpoint of a passenger in a car looking outside. White wisps of clouds pass through a blue sky. The occasional treetop blurs by. The branches are mostly bare, but the leaves that remain have turned yellow and red. A light breeze rustles through them. The audience gets the feeling that this is a quiet road. Opening credits roll during this scene. After a while, the point-ofview shot changes to that of a passenger looking out the front windshield. The car turns off onto a smaller road, passes a few small farmhouses, and eventually turns into a dirt driveway. The title appears in large, white letters Thanksgiving at the Argonauts. The camera angle changes to a different shot, and the audience sees the following scene from above. A middle-aged man gets out of the drivers seat and helps out and old man and woman. The camera follows their path, zooming in as they walk up to the house. The middleaged man, Oswald, or Oz for short, opens the door and gestures for the old couple to enter his house. The old woman walks in, but the old man pauses at the porch steps and turns around to look at the sky. He declares, Looks like its going to be stormy later.

What are you talking about, Dad? There are barely any clouds in the sky, Oz says. The old man does not acknowledge Ozs response, and simply repeats himself. He crosses the wooden porch and enters his sons home. Inside, Ozs wife, Marianne, greets the guests. She wears a black dress with an apron over it. She looks harried. She speaks with a French accent, ello, Zebulon, ello Hannah. I ope the journey was not too difficult? She smiles and takes the old couples coats. The audience can see she is making an effort to be pleasant. Thats Mr. Argonaut to you, says the old man gruffly. Hannah says nothing. Yes, of course, Marianne says quickly, wanting to please Ozs parents. There is tension in the room. Zebulon and Hannah have never approved of Oz marrying a French woman that he met at a bar. Zebulon has never liked French people. Marianne would like to be on good terms with them, but Zebulon has always been overtly rude to her and often goes out of his way to make her feel unwelcome. Hannah does not protest against Zebulons treatment of Marianne. This is not the first time Ozs parents and Marianne have met up. The old couple sits down in the living room. Zebulon settles down in the largest armchair, Hannah sits on the sofa, and Oz remains standing. Marianne is back in the kitchen, preparing the Thanksgiving meal. Zebulon takes out his pipe and says, Oz, my boy. My son. In light of the holiday season, I just wanted to let you know that you can come to me for anything. Anything. I have set aside a large sum of money for you to use in the future, in case you have any financial difficulties. For example, if you decide to find a new wife and start a family, you can draw on it to support yourself. Oz looks shocked. He does not know what to say. He is grateful for the offer, but is appalled at his fathers suggestion of finding a new wife. Oz loves Marianne and cannot imagine

life without her. He stutters out his feelings, but Zebulon interrupts, My boy, Im not telling you to do it right now. Just think it over for a while. Think of what you could get. If you found yourself a new wife, you wouldnt have to spend so much time trying to decipher what that Frenchie is saying. Or trying to say, Zebulon lifts himself out of the chair. Abruptly he says, Im going to hit the head. Your old mans bladder aint what it used to be. Zebulon exits. Hannah and Oz are left alone. There is a tense silence in the room. The audience can tell that Hannah and Oz have not had a good relationship. Hannahs eyes dart around nervously. She hisses that Oz will never get the money that Zebulon set aside for him. She says that Oz does not deserve it, as he was always just a burden to the family. A flashback from the past reveals that Oz is Zebulons child from a different marriage. However, Ozs mother died a few years after Ozs birth. Soon after, Zebulon married Hannah, who gave birth to two children, Caitlyn and Harry. Zebulon slightly favored Oz, as he looked like his former wife, whom he deeply loved. Hannah was jealous of Zebulons favoritism of Oz, feeling that she should be the most important person in Zebulons life. She also believed that Zebulon should treat the children equally, as he fathered all of them. Because of this, Hannah has always treated Oz rudely and harshly. Oz has always been slightly more successful academically and socially than Caitlyn and Harry, which contributes to Hannahs dislike of her step-son. Zebulon knows that Hannah and Oz do not get along, but the two are more civil with each other while in his presence. The flashback ends. Hannah says that she has changed Zebulons will so that Caitlyn and Harry will inherit everything, and Oz will receive nothing. Oz has always realized how much Hannah hated him, but he did not think she would manipulate Zebulons legal affairs. Oz is about to say something, but Zebulon returns. He says he heard them mention wills and inheritance and asks about it.

Hannah covers herself by saying that she and Oz were discussing her own will, and she wanted to know if Oz wanted her grandfathers antique watch. Its gold and has two snakes wrapped around the face, Hannah says, I think it would suit you.

The camera pans to a shot of the kitchen, where Marianne is surrounded by a scattering of dirty pots, pans, utensils, bowls, and ingredients. The counter is so full that there are bowls on the floor. She mutters to herself under her breath in French. She looks annoyed and frustrated. The camera focuses on her struggling to debone a large turkey. Oz enters the scene, but stays on the outskirts of the kitchen. He watches for a while and asks, Hows it going, Marianne? ow do you think its going, Oz? Marianne spits, What does it look like to you? You know, its very ard for one single person to make a complete Thanksgiving meal by herself. You know that whatever you cook turns out well. Everything you make is delicious. Youre French. Cooking is in your blood. Anything thing I make turns out horrible, Oz says. Marianne does not answer and picks up a large knife to continue deboning the turkey.

Back in the living room, Hannah and Zebulon sit in silence. Hannah asks Zebulon what time Harry and Caitlyn are supposed to arrive. Zebulon shrugs his shoulders and asks Oz for a cup of coffee. Oz complies. Zebulon pours in some milk and stirs it around with a silver spoon. A sort of eerie, screeching music begins to play. He takes a sip. Outside, it starts to rain.

The phone rings. Oz answers it. It is his stepbrother, Harry, calling to say that he cannot make it to the dinner. His dog, Horace, has run away. The camera switches from Oz to Harry. Harry is leaning on his car, which is parked at a rest stop. It is night time now, and it is raining

heavily. Harry is soaked, despite wearing a rain jacket. He looks defeated. Yeah, Im about a quarter of the way to your house now, says Harry on his cellphone, I made a pit stop and let Horace out to stretch his legs. The poor fella; he was pretty cramped back there. I let him out, and then he saw this squirrel. Went tearing after it. Didnt come back when I called for him. There is a clap of thunder and lightning illuminates the sky for a split second. The audience begins to see the events unfold as Harry recounts his story. Harry runs after Horace, through the forest, trying to call him back. Nothing works, so Harry just tries to keep up with the dog. Horace soon disappears out of Harrys sight. Fortunately, the ground is muddy, so Harry can follow Horaces paw prints. Eventually, the paw prints lead to a river, but they end there. By now, Harry is completely soaked and chilled. His pants are muddy, and his coat has tears in it. There are dead leaves and branches in his hair. But he keeps on searching for Horace. He calls for him until his voice is hoarse. Finally, he returns to his car, but stays outside in the rain. The flashback ends, and we see Oz on the phone. Its okay, Oz says, We understand. On the other side of the line, the audience hears Harry say, Im sorry, Im really sorry. I just need to find Horace- I love that dog. Im sorry. Maybe itll work out next Thanksgiving. Oz hangs up the phone.

Not much later, Marianne calls Oz into the kitchen. Oz, she says, I burned the tarts and I have no more ingredients to make more. Will you go to the store and buy me this? She hands him a list. Oz scans it. Twelve things? Thats a lot, Oz says.

I know, Marianne says, flustered, I messed up another dish. I didnt know how to convert Celsius and Fahrenheit. But I will make another one. Can you get the good butter? I cant make the recipe without the right kind.

The camera follows Oz, who gets into his car and turns on the radio. It is Christmas music. Oz swears- he is irritated by it. The camera leaves him and switches to an almost empty parking lot. Ozs car pulls in, and the camera zooms closer. The camera shot changes to be in the car with Oz, who groans in dismay. This is the third store closed. Oz wonders how many 24-hour grocery stores close for Thanksgiving. He sits in the car and lets the engine idle. He is obviously tired of searching for a grocery store. Christmas music floats up from the radio, and an announcer talks about a new Christmas single by a band called Sirenas.

The camera switches to another scene. Oz is in a brightly and artificially lit supermarket. Pushing a shopping cart, he walks down the empty aisle. He looks at the list Marianne gave him and continues to walk. The camera cuts to ten minutes later. Ozs cart contains a few things, and he is standing in front of the butter. Goode butter, he reads off the list, She must have misspelled it. In front of him is a large section of butter; about 6x8 feet of shelves. He scans the shelves, and the camera follows his gaze. The audience sees rows of different types of butters pass by: salted butter, unsalted butter, fattier butter, low-fat butter, sweet cream butter, organic butter margarine, I Cant Believe Its Not Butter!, butter mixed with oil, spreadable butter, vegan butter, etc. Different labels claim that certain boxes hold the best-tasting, the sweetest, or prize-winning butters. The options seem endless. The camera switched back to Oz. He looks dazed. What the hell is good butter? He

pulls off a box from the shelf and looks at it. A bold tagline, Made in China, blares up at him. He is about to put it back on the shelf, but sees that the butter behind it is a different one. It reads: Goode Family Better Butter. Oz pulls it out. On the back, it says: Butter-flavored. Oz is confused, That cant be the butter she wants. This looks awful. Reaching to put both butters back, he sees that the third butter back is again, a different kind. He pulls it out, looks behind, sees that the fourth butter is also different. The camera cuts to a few minutes later. Oz is still reaching back for different butters. His arm completely disappears into the shelf. The floor has scattered boxes of butter lying everywhere. He is frustrated and impatient. The camera cuts to a little bit later. Oz sits on the floor holding two boxes in his hands. He studies them intently. The only sound the audience hears is the metallic buzzing of fluorescent lights. The next shot is of Oz at the checkout line. The cashier scans his items. Two boxes of butter pass by. Their labels say: Hydras Farm Butter: The Good Kind.

Oz arrives back home and leaves the groceries in the kitchen. Marianne tells him that Caitlyns plane is arriving soon, and that he should be at the airport in 30 minutes. Oz waits in the airport near the baggage claim. He has been waiting there for a while. People pass by, laughing and chatting together. Oz is tired of waiting. The audience sees him make eye contact with someone and walk in their direction. It is Caitlyn, his stepsister. The audience senses that she is a little strange. She is dressed in a faded dark purple dress with a black, ragged shawl over it. She carries a carpetbag in one hand and a black knitting project in the other. She walks with her back hunched over. She looks to be very old, even though she is younger than Oz. Oz greets Caitlyn, but she interrupts him, saying that she now calls herself Caesura, because it is a pretty word. Oz is used to this type of behavior from his step-sister.

On the way to the car, Oz asks her how her flight was. Caesura explains that it was very good, and that she got a lot of knitting done. However, due to their potential to be weapons, she had to hide her knitting needles whenever the flight attendants passed by. The camera cuts to Oz and Caesura on the road. It is dark and windy outside. Oz is somewhat lost on the road, so he pulls over to look at a map. He gets out to look at the map under a streetlamp. Caesura follows him, holding her knitting. It is so windy, the map flaps about, and Oz has difficulty reading it. Caesura looks at Oz trying to figure out the roads. The wind is annoying, isnt it? she says, finishing a row of knitting. For a moment, the wind dies down, and Oz is able to examine the map more carefully. But its very beautiful too. Part of nature, Caesura adds. She finishes another row of knitting. The wind picks up slowly. Oz agrees absentmindedly, and starts to trace the route with his finger. A gust of wind blows the map out of his hands. Caesura continues to knit, and watches Oz fail to catch it. Oops, she says.

Oz and Caesura have been lost for a while, and Ozs patience is dwindling. The entire day has been stressful for him, and he cant believe that he could get lost in his own town. He just wants to return home and see his wife. Caesura, on the other hand, is indifferent. She hums to herself and continues her knitting project. Oz sees lights ahead, and pulls into a parking lot, hoping to be able to get directions. He realizes the building is a bar, and he proposes that he and Caesura stop in for a quick drink. They enter the building, even though it looks a little suspicious. The bartender welcomes the two to the Lotus Bar. They order beers and drink. Its warm inside, and Oz has no desire to get back on the road. Maybe we should skip out on Thanksgiving and stay here, he half-jokingly suggests.

Yes, its easy to forget our troubles here, isnt it? Caesura says.

Back at Ozs home, Hannah, Zebulon, Caesura, and Oz, are impatient for dinner. Its past decent eating hours, Frenchie! Pick up the pace! bellows Zebulon. Everyone is hungry. Marianne is working in the kitchen. Even more pots and pans have accumulated on the counter. There are specks of sauce and food on the walls and cabinets.

Later, everyone is at the table. Zebulon and Oz sit on the ends. Hannah and Caesura sit on one side of the table. An empty seat on the other side is reserved for Marianne. Marianne brings out the dishes. They do not look appealing. The gravy has congealed and cooled. The green beans are a sickly, faded color. The mashed potatoes contain large clumps of unpeeled garlic heads. She ungracefully thuds down the meat in front of Oz. She is obviously not happy. The meat looks like a charred, brown lump. It is impossible to tell where the legs and wings are. Carve, she orders him. She sticks a large carving knife in front of his face. He takes it. Marianne sits down. Where do I start? Oz asks. The breast, Zebulon instructs. The drumsticks, Hannah says at the same time. I cant tell where the drumsticks are, says Oz. This leads to a brief quarrel of where they might be. Zebulon obstinately repeats to Oz that the drumsticks dont matter and to carve the breast first. Caesura tries to ends the argument. The drumsticks are in the middle, she says wisely.

No, they arent! That is impossible! Marianne says. This is the last straw for her. She stands up and grabs the carving knife from Oz and stabs the meat repeatedly. Everyone cringes and shields their faces from the grease and juices that spurt out. Marianne stabs the bird one more time and leaves the knife in its center. I dont know why we ave to celebrate Thanksgiving ere. We dont in France. If we were in France I would be making a normal dinner for you now- and it would be delicious. I cannot cook here in America; especially not your stupid turkturdwhatever thing, Marianne shouts. She leaves the room, swearing in French. There is a moment of silence. It wasnt me who wanted the deep-fried turducken, says Oz.

The camera cuts to another scene. The Argonauts excluding Marianne are sitting in a red booth, eating. They are at a KFC. No one looks happy, except for Zebulon, who contentedly says, Now this is what I meant when I said I wanted deep-fried fowl. I propose a toast: a toast to the Argonaut family. We are blessed to have each other in our lives. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Cheers, Everyone chimes in with a lack-luster response and raises paper Coca-Cola cups. They drink and resume eating. Ozs phone rings. It is Marianne. Oz gets up from the table to talk in private. Im sorry, Oz. I just needed leave. I couldnt take it anymore. I ave to go ome for a little bit, to figure things out, she explains. She and Oz speak for a little longer, and eventually, we hear her say goodbye. Oz hangs up the phone and returns to the booth. Zebulon asks what happened, and Oz says that everything is fine and that Marianne is happy. He smiles sadly, and the shot blurrily dissolves into another scene.

Marianne is sitting in a plane, smiling, and looking out the window. She wears a white flowing dress. The camera follows her gaze. The audience sees what she sees: a beautiful, blue sky. Calm music begins to play. The sun peeks out from white fluffy clouds, and the end credits start rolling.

Movie Essay In A Christmas Carol (1984), directed by Clive Donner, the main character, Ebenezer Scrooge goes through all the stages of katabasis, sometimes going through them more than once or in more than one way. To begin, Scrooges journey occurs during the night, which is an element typical of the katabasis motif. The journey takes place over the course of a single night, and so the idea that he is reborn and sees the light of truth when he awakens to the morning light, creates obvious, but nice symbolism. Scrooges underworld occurs mainly when he interacts with ghosts, figures associated with the underworld. His underworld is not always dark physically, but it is sometimes dark for him mentally and emotionally. Scrooge and the trio of Christmas Ghosts watch various scenes from the past, present, and future as invisible, inaudible bystanders. This makes Scrooge like a ghost, a clear reference to the underworld theme. In order to descend into the underworld, Scrooge temporarily becomes part of it. Instead of, for example, paying with a token to cross into the underworld, Scrooge pays by giving up his normal human abilities. The purpose of the journey, to make Scrooge a better man, is fulfilled. He brings back wisdom and understanding from his experiences. His old self dies and he is reborn into a generous man. Society welcomes him when it originally did not, which is clearly Scrooges reintegration into the community. To go in depth with Scrooges katabasis, I begin with his guide. Scrooge has four guides who are also ghosts. They are his deceased business partner, Jacob Marley, the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Scrooges first guide, Marley, comes to warn him of his fate if he does not change. When Marley was alive, he was greedy like Scrooge, and now Marley is doomed to walk between

worlds. His appearance is ghastly. He drags balls and chains with his feet and has chains bound across his body. He tells Scrooge that forged his own chains, and that Scrooges own chains have already begun to form. Marley warns Scrooge that three spirits will come to visit at night and that they are Scrooges only chance of redemption. However, Marleys advice does not seem to be very effective, as Scrooge tells himself that he was just dreaming. Marley does not seem to be an effective guide at this point, but laterwhen Scrooge is surprised not to see a spirit to appear when Marley said one wouldwe see that Scrooge did pay attention to his words. Marleys appearance also involves Scrooge descending into an underworld, as his presence creates a forbidding region. The ghosts frightening appearance is preceded by the haunted ringing of bells and the unlocking and locking of doors which remind us that Scrooge is now in the underworld. Here, the rules are unpredictable, and anything can happen. Both the ringing of bells and doors as symbolism typically indicate that important events are about to occur and that something is about to change. Since Marleys arrival causes all these supernatural happenings, it could be said that he represents the despotic figure of this particular underworld. He is not exactly a despotic figure, but in terms of who has power, we see that it is Marley. Scrooges second guide, the Ghost of Christmas Past appears at one oclock. She begins as a spark of light that gradually grows larger and brighter, until a spirit is standing before him. She wears a white and beige dress, and has a soft glowing light around her body. She says that she brings the light of truth and is there for his reclamation. Symbolically, she adds to the idea that Scrooge will gradually see the light and leave his dark ways behind. The spirit brings him to four different Christmases of his past, and shows him how he has changed to become a greedy man. At this point, Scrooge still consciously expresses the same attitudes as before, but we see how a change might begin to occur. The spirit acts as a guide, challenging his current way of

thinking. For example, she shows him a scene of when Scrooge was an apprentice, and how his master spent money for some small festivities. She tells him that the apprentices were silly to be so grateful for such a small thing. Scrooge begins to defend his tutor, signaling the start of his transformation. One purpose of the journey is to remind Scrooge of the good things in life so that he can change. When he sees his old life, something stirs in him. He remembers that he was once happy and had friends, that he loved his sister, and that he had found a womanBellewho made him happy. He watches his past, smiling slightly, perhaps a little nostalgic. Although the Ghost of Christmas Past does not bring Scrooge to obvious underworlds, it could be inferred that Scrooge still experiences one emotionally. Scrooge watches scenes of his former life, knowing that he does not have any happiness in his life at present. He realizes how much he has lost, especially when he sees Belle with her husband and children. He reacts with anger when he hears Belle say that she pities him, perhaps because of pride, but also perhaps because of the realization that his life is indeed pitiful. This is likely a mental underworld for him, since he cannot defend his pridesomething he could do in the normal worldand since he is beginning to realize how miserable his life is. Soon after, he forces the spirit to go away in a fit of anger or frustration. This is interesting, because it gives the impression that unlike with Marley, Scrooge has power over the Ghost of Christmas Past. Ironically, no one has power over the past. The spirit leaves slowly, saying, Truth lives. This truth is what Scrooge must bring back from the underworld. The third guide is the Ghost of Christmas Present. He looks very similar to Father Christmas. He wears a long green robe with white fur trim and carries a torch, a symbol of enlightenment. He brings Scrooge to his employee, Bob Cratchits, home. The Cratchits home is not an underworld, but this portion of the journey is significant in helping Scrooge through his

quest because of the sacrificial victim he encounters. There is no literal sacrificial victim in A Christmas Carol, but Tiny Tim, the youngest Cratchit boy, represents one. Tiny Tim is ill and walks with the help of a crutch. Despite this, he has a bright outlook on life. When Scrooge sees the boy, he asks the spirit if he will live. The spirit replies that he will not, if the shadows of the future remain unaltered. We see Scrooge concerned about his employees son, which is a substantial change from his attitude at the beginning of the movie. Scrooge had harshly told Tiny Tim not to beg and bother people on the streets when Tiny Tim had only wished him a good day. Tiny Tims role as a potential sacrificial victim helps Scrooge gradually change and learn from his journey. Afterwards, the Ghost of Christmas Present brings Scrooge to a tunnel where homeless families live. Scrooge hears one familys concern about institutions for the poor, about which he previously had a carefree attitude. The Ghost of Christmas Present briefly presents an underworld by revealing two ghoulish figures under his robe. He tells Scrooge that these childrens names are Ignorance and Want and to be wary of them. Denying their existence leads to doom. The spirit leaves Scrooge with this warning. Finally, the fourth and final guide, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, guides Scrooge to desolate places that are the most obvious of Scrooges underworlds. First, the Ghosts appearance is very similar to that of death, as he wears a black robe, does not speak, and only points with elongated fingers. He appears in a sort of swirling fog-river, which Scrooge must cross to reach the figure. Like Marley, his appearance creates a forbidding region. The spirit brings Scrooge to a funeral home, where a recently deceased person lays. Scrooge hears a conversation he finds disrespectful to the deceased. The spirit motions for him to see who the person is, but Scrooge does not want to. We have the feeling that he knows it is himself. Scrooge demands to see someone who mourns for or who shows emotion for the dead person. The ghost

brings Scrooge to a suspicious part of town. He descends into a store and sees a woman selling his possessions that she stole. This represents the underworld in a modern sense, as the word underworld can refer to the world of crime. Later, the spirit and Scrooge go to the Cratchits home, where Tiny Tim has died. Tiny Tim is a sacrificial victim in the way that his death becomes a key catalyst for Scrooges transformation. The tenderness and empathy Scrooge witnesses for Tiny Tims death are a stark contrast to the greed he sees following his own death. Scrooge asks to be taken home, but the spirit brings him to a cemetery, another underworld. This one is especially frightening because he sees his name on a tombstone. Scrooge realizes that this is his fate if he does not change, and he begs to be spared and to be allowed the chance to undo his mistakes. At this point, he lowers his head on his grave and weeps. When he lifts up his head, he is back in his room. He gives thanks and promises to keep his word, which marks the start of his rebirth. In the morning, Scrooge awakens to clear, crisp, Christmas morning. He begins to do good immediately, having a large turkey delivered to the Cratchits. On the way to his nephews Christmas party, he makes amends to the various people he once snubbed. He donates to carolers and to an organization that helps the poor, generously tips a delivery boy, etc. Obviously, his old self has died, and his new role has come into place. At the Christmas party, his nephew and nephews wife are surprised to see Scrooge. Once he apologizes for all the wrong he has done and demonstrates a change of heart, they warm up to him and say they are glad he came. The narrator ends the film saying that Scrooge was better than his word, becoming a good man and good friend to all, and a second father to Tiny Tim. He became known as the man who knew how to celebrate Christmas. With no doubt, Scrooge has successfully reintegrated himself into society, having gone through a complete katabasis in one night.

Short Essays Question 1: In Euripides approach toward tragedy in Medea, Hippolytus, and Iphigenia at Aulis, he shows many characters viewpoints and shows how everyone has their own tragedies. For example, in Medea, Medea experiences tragedy because she feels alienated living in a different culture, is a woman, and is an intellectual. The extent to which she feels this alienation is so extreme, that Euripides compares her to the gods, showing that she is above good and evil. For anyone to feel such extreme negative emotion that they must leave their humanity behind is a tragedy. Jason experiences tragedy because Medea kills their children and Glauce, who are his future. Of course, the children are tragically killed by their own mother. In Hippolytus, Phaedra is tragic because of her taboo love of her son. She also creates tragedy with her suicide note meant to defend her honor and pride, but which ends up causing Hippolytus death. Hippolytus is tragic because he is too proud and worships only Artemis, which causes Cyprius to create destruction. Theseus mistakenly believes that he tried to rape Phaedra. The nurses tragedy is that she thought she was doing good by telling Hippolytus about Phaedras love for him. She ends up causing damage instead. Theseus kills his son rashly without having all the correct information. In Iphigenia at Aulis, the tragedy is that Iphigenias father offers her as a sacrifice. By the time he changes his mind, Iphigenia has decided to accept her fate. Euripides does not include much interaction with gods, except for worshipping them. For example, Hippolytus worships Artemis, who later explains to Theseus and Hippolytus what happened. She tells father and son to forgive each other. As revenge for Hippolytus death, Artemis says that she will destroy the goddess Cyprius favorite mortals. The gods simply do as they please, thinking only of themselves. Euripides shows a tragic view of life with humans as the gods playthings. Humans are not always able to learn from their mistakes because the gods

do not always watch over them. In Medea, the gods are not present at all, and there is no mention that the gods made Medea fall in love with Jason. In Iphigenia, Artemis is only mentioned very briefly, as possibly speaking the final lines of the play which state that Iphigenia was saved and a deer took her place. Without the addition of these lines, Iphigenias death is simply a tragedy. Question 2: The theme of reconciliation plays out in Euripides Hippolytus through Theseus. After Artemis explains how and why everything happened, she tells him that he can attain forgiveness despite the wrong that he did. He is not justified in his actions, but Artemis explains that it is forgivable because he was ignorant of the truth and acted rashly because of the loss of his wife. Obeying Artemis requests, Hippolytus forgives his father. In Desire Under the Elms, Eugene ONeill shows reconciliation by resolving the man vs. man and man vs. self conflicts that Eben encounters. Ebens primary conflict is with his father and brothers. Eben believes the farm is his, even though his father believes himself to be the owner. Ebens brothers also own parts of the farm, which Eben tries to get from them. He reconciles with his brothers when they sign their share of their land over to him, and when he gives them money so escape the farm and go to California. Eben never really reconciles with his father, but he gets revenge by getting Anna in the end. Eben also deals with his inner conflict, which is whether to submit to his love and lust for Anna or not. Eventually, he submits to his emotions. He reconciles with himself when Anna says that she loves him as well. Question 3: Iphigenias role as a sacrificial victim is seen in visual images that remind the audience of Jesus Christ, one of the most well-known sacrificial victims of history. In the beginning of the movie, the camera rolls past rows of ship masts, which look like crosses. During the sacrificial ceremony, Iphigenia walks up to a stone alter. She wears a crown of branches, which could be compared to Christs crown of thorns. Agamemnon makes a symbolic gesture

with water over her head and makes a cross on her forehead when she kneels. Two stones at the top of the hill resemble two crosses that are connected. Iphigenia wears her wedding veil and a white dress, which gives the impression that she will be marrying death. We see her climb a hill towards a dark figure, which looks like Death shrouded in a black robe. Question 4: Orpheus is about death. Jean Cocteau died artistically, and so he created Orpheus to express his experiences. Orpheus experiences a midlife crisis by losing the ability to create new and popular poetry. In reading the myth as Cocteau did, we see that Cocteau shows how common it is for people to have crises like this. However, as Orpheus and Cocteau did, most people will overcome their crises and be able to continue on with life. Specifically, the crises that Cocteau portrays might be the losses of creativeness and popularity (perhaps due to generation gaps) people might experience. Death is everywhere, either in literal or figurative form. Question 5: In The Searchers, Marty is reborn as a hero. He transforms from a normal boy to a hero that defends his family and community. He is a new type of hero; one that is communal, rather than individualistic. Another major transformation takes place when Ethan scalps Scar, and decides not to kill Debbie. Ethan dies when Scar dies, as Scar is his alter ego. When Scar dies, Ethan is able to return to his former self and love Debbie again. In Star Wars, Luke Skywalker is reborn as a Jedi knight. His rebirth means that he now can feel and use The Force. R2D2 also undergoes a transformation. The droids can also be seen as dying every time that they shut off and as being reborn or transformed when they are rebooted. For example, after R2D2 is rebooted, Princess Leias complete message comes through. Han Solo is transformed from having an individualistic point of view to a more collective one. He begins the episode only thinking of himself and money, but he ends up showing empathy, returning to Luke and Leias aide to fight against Darth Vader.