And Apcllcs Prophecy, Oedipus As a Man Cf Destiny, and Divergent Interpretations
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DOCOMEM1 RESUME ED 033 974 TE 500 462 AUTHOE Clarke, Hcward TITLE The CediFus Films: A Review INSTITUTION Naticnal Ccuncil of Teachers of English, Champaign, Ill. Put rate Oct 65 Note 14. Journal Cit The English Jcurnal; v54 n7 F552-600, 612 Cct 1965 EDES Price EEES Price MP-S0.25 HC-$0.60 DescriFtcrs Audicvisual Aids, *Classical Literature, Erama, English Instruction, Greek Civilization, *Humanities Instruction, Instructional Aids, * Instructional Films, Literary Analysis, Literary Criticism, *Literature Appreciation, Literature Reviews, *Seccndary Schcol Students Identifiers Cedipus Sex Abstract A critical review of Eernard Kncx's literary analysis cf Scphccles' "Oedipus the Kirg" in a four-lesscn film series is cffered largely as a "warning" to high school teachers. Central to the criticism is the author's belief that Professor Knox has impcsed a reductive and marginal interpretation on the play which tends to obscure rather than enlarge the student's understanding. His interpretation of a selected porticn of a cbcral ode is harshly criticized for inadequately providing the basis for his simplistic appraisal cf the meaning behind the play. Further ccmmentary is directed to Sophocles' Athens, Oedipus' heroic search, prophets and prophencies, Oedipus and Apcllcs prophecy, Oedipus as a man cf destiny, and divergent interpretations. (EL) 'from The English journal, October,lila IL BENNO! I WAN. MANN i MAI TheOedipusFilms: A Review NU OF NOON Howard Clarke NS *51st IBS IN INNEN 111C1IT AS RCM MI NE Department of Classics NON INAIUMN NOM IT. NITS If N MINN EitsOakland Univorsity SIAS N Ni MUM KNEW NICK Ma If 01(11N llochogar, Mikan NNW MKT. OnF ALL the audio-visual materialswants to coax a "meaning" out of the " available to the high school literatureOedipus that will fit the facts of the play re% teacher, few have proved to be such sum-and will also relate immediately and o dy favorites as the series of three films oneffectivelyto the of an Town, Oedipus tbe King, and Hem-eleventh or twelfth .But to these "gmalet. These films, each consisting of fourlaudable ends, he has subjected the play LIU lessons,were produced by the Councilto an analysis so special, so curious, so for a Television Course in the Humani-tendentious, that iit can only evoke yelps ties for Secondary Schools and filmedof pro from those who share Knox's and distributed by lEncyloredia Moni-high regard for Sophocles. Following the ca Films, Inc. The dramatic scenes in theorder of the fihned lessons, I should like films are done by the Stratford Shake-to offer some comments Oh Knox's analy- spearean Festival Foundation of Canadasis, less as rebuttal to him than as a warn- and interpretations are offered, respec-ing to high school teachers to be aware tively, by Mr. Clifton Fadinien, Professorof what Knox is doing with and to Bernard Knox, and Professor Maynard la' play. Mack, the last two of Yale University. Sophocles' Athens In many respects these films are models After some preliminaries about Greece of what audio-visual education should be,in his first lesson, the "Age of Sopho- and each year more and more secondarycles," Knox takes us at once into the et schools seem to be making them and theexciting intellectual life of fifth-century works they deal with a significant partAthens. He describes the tonic effect that of their students' literary experience.the victories over Persia had on the fj Since most school systems have boughtAthenian spirit (odd that neither here the films, it is impossible to estimate hownor anywhere else does he mention the many students see than each year; but itPeloponnesian War or the plague that is probably sufficing to note that collegehad just struck Athens: more on this imtructors find each year that an in-point later); he righdy points out that Lcreasing proportion of their freshmenthis period saw a clash between the new vi have seen these filmed lessons. This is alland the old in the minds of the Athen- good or at least as good as the filmsians, andhe some of the ques- are. The first and third I am not tions that enlightened Athenians 4)tent to judge, but, in the four filmed of Sophocles' time. Here the Greek sons on the Oedipus, there are so Sophist and Protagoras has pride omissions and distortions, so of place, and quotes his familiar culties involved in Professor "Man is the measure of all dings." Un- Knox's interpretation of the play, thatfortunately, Knox fails to quote the sec- the whole production tends to obscureond half of this puzzling statement rather than the student's under-(what, for example, did Protagoras in- standing of zzedLclude under things?), "of things that are Knox's intentions are very that they are, of things that are not that ov, ors THE OEDIPUS FILMS: A REVIEW they are not," and, without mentioningdude the first lesson by asserting that the usual interpretation, namely, thatSophocles took the Oedipus and reality is relative to each individual,goes "'rode out of it atremenclousiidselcussionle on to give it a radically humanistic in-of the great issue of the day the con- - terpretation, even nerving himselftoflict between thenew outlook and the say, "He meant...that man's intelli-old religious beliefs," he is operating in gence is capable of finding the answers considerable and characteristic ad- to all the secrets of life." Now there isvance of the evidence. no proof whatsoever that Protagoras meant anything of the sort; certainly, he In his first lesson, Knox has madesome never said anything like that, and Knox'srash and unfounded assertions. Butgrant- h0 ainfrjLiin seems totally unlike the mill ed that he is right and that Sophocles did cic,, skepac we meet in Plato's Protagoras.intend this playas a testament of belief Why, then, do we get such an extrava- in an ideological dispute,we may still ask gant and over-heated interpretation ofif the facts of the playsupport the in- Protagoras' innocuous remark? Thean- terpretation that Knox subjects themto. swer is that at this point Protagoras mustThe course of intellectual history of the be made into a straw man, and a struttingfifth century is for scholarsto quarrel and ranting straw man at that. For Knox about; the course of action in the Oedi- sees Oedipus in the first half of the playpus Rex is obvious to anyone who can as a proto-Protagoras, and it is important read. And it is on the facts of this action for his purposes that Oedipus' "Prom-that all our inferences and generaliza- goreanism" soundly drubbed. Oedipustions and conclusions ultimately depend. the radical humanist must be taught aOedipus' Heroic Search lesson. In his second lesson," The Character According to Knox, then, philosophersof Oedipus," Knox undertakesa reading like Protagoras and scientists like theof the play that is surprising,to say the physician Hippocrates, whom he brieflyleast. He begins by claiming that in the describes, were challenging the Greeks'search for Laius' murderer Oedipus hasa traditional ideas about the gods. "Itwas choice. "He could stop the search for only natural," continues Knox, "that thethe truth at any moment.. .The choice poets who wrote for the theater into start the inquiry and to continue it Athens should reflect in their plays thiswas his and his alone. It is Oedipus who excited discussion of new and old ideas." drives the action of the play forward." Would that this were so! For it isa In a way, this is true, since Oedipus is frustrating fact that with the exception in charg:e of the investigation, but itover- of Euripides, they did not. The light thatlooks the great turning point of the play, Aeschylus' and Sophocles' plays shed onthe arrival of the Corinthian messenger the great debates of their days is bothand his revelation that Oedipus isnot oblique and fitful; this may mean thatthe son of Polvbus and Merope. The the debates were not so great as Knoxarrival is coincidental, the revelation is would make them, or it may simplymeangratuitous, and neither is part of Oedipus' that Sophocles was just not interested inpurpose. Before Knox became so im- the particular issues Knox has isolatedpressed by Oedipus' heroic search for from the intellectual life of fifth-centurytruth,"no matter what the conse- Athens. We have no inde= infor-quences," he ought to have reminded mation about what "side" les was himself that there are consequences, too, on or if he was on any side at all. Con-should Oedipus give up the search, con- sequently, when Knox goes on to con-sequences a lot more certain and almost ENGLISH JOURNAL as terrible as continuing the search. ForAristotelian answer of hubris and hamar- he would then be defying the oracle oftia, tragic pride and tragic flaw. It isnot Apollo and consigning his cityto death so gratifying, though, to hear Knox by the plague. It is true that Oedipus isassure us that he will propose an answer resolute and energetic in pursuingeverythat involves not only Oedipus but the clue to his identity, but therecomes agods as well. point in his search where he is carried along on the tide of his own discoveries.Prophets and Prophecies Probably no one dares say when that point is reached, but surely thatmust be The scenes enacted in the third lesson, what makes this play so gripping: that"Man and God," generally rehearse the every searcher reaches a point where heaction summarized in the second lesson, is, literally, the captive of what he isbut this time they are preceded bya searching for. As the hunternears the long discussion, by Knox, of the god quarry, as the detective nears the suspect, Apollo and the place of propheciesin as the scholar nears the truth, no one of Greek religion.