Watching Oedipus the king was not the first time I encountered the story of Oedipus. However, it is a different experience when the play is read aloud to you then when you read it to yourself. The actors brought life to each of the characters in Sophocles play and helped create a better understanding of the story. Oedipus the King is the second stage reading I’ve been too and I liked the other one better for a couple of reasons. The lack of  costume and the background in the staged reading  did not help me imagine the setting took away from the performance in my opinion. It is harder to imagine ancient Greece when the characters are dressed in regular clothing. Otherwise I thought the play was good. The characters projected their voices and you could easily hear the emotion they were trying to portray. My favorite part was when Oedipus decided to punish himself after realizing what he has done. From where I was sitting in the audience the red paint on his face actually concealed his eyes making it seem like he really blinded himself.

One of the main themes in Oedipus the King by Sophocles is destiny. Oedipus was told by a prophet what would happen during his lifetime and although he tried to avoid fulfilling the prophecy he still did it unknowingly. Oedipus was almost desperate to find out who had killed Laius, the king before him, against his wives’ wishes. He talked to a prophet, a messenger and a shepherd and as he gained more information on Laius death he realizes that all these stories sound familiar to him. As he pieces the stories together he realizes that he was the one who killed his father Laius and married his mother. He feels as though he’s committed the greatest sin there is and begs to be killed. The story of Oedipus helps demonstrate that your destiny cannot be changed.

After reading Tartuffe by Moliere I noticed how devoted Orgon is to Tartuffe. He was blind to his deceit and ignored all of his families’ warnings. Dorine, his servant, compares Orgon’s obsession with him to being head over heels in love with Tartuffe. He is more worried about Tartuffe and his well-being than his family. You can clearly see this in the beginning of Act 1 scene 4 when Orgon comes back from his trip and is only worried about Tartuffe as Dorine explains that his wife became sick as soon as he left.

Orgon-             … Now don’t hold back. Has everyone been well?

Dorine-                        Not quite. There was that headache Madame had

the day you left. Well, it got really bad.

She had a fever—

Orgon-             And Tartuffe?

He continues to ask about Tartuffe as Dorine explains that his wife could have died when he was away. His relationship with Tartuffe is odd. However, I do think it is plausible because people often see what they want to see. Orgon sees Tartuffe as the epitome of a worthy, holy, God-fearing man. His family and servants see him for what he truly is, a deceitful religious hypocrite. However, they still can’t seem to change Orgon’s opinions on Tartuffe. Tartuffe is clearly using Orgon but he believes he is still a righteous man. Cleante, Orgon’s brother in law, tried to explain that he was being used in Act 1 scene 5 but he did not agree at all.

Cleante-          …As letting this man do just as he wishes

            In your home and to your family,

            You brought him here, relived his poverty,

            And, in return—

Orgon-             Now listen to me!

 …. you don’t know this man. And don’t deny it!

In this scene, Orgon doesn’t even want to acknowledge that there this a possibility he is being used. He has put all his trust into this one person and this will most likely be proven as an unwise decision in the end. In contemporary life, people often become attached to someone and instill all their trust into that person. More often than not this becomes a bad thing that will have a negative impact on both lives.

Hello everyone,

My name is Alexis Nunez. This is my 3^rd semester at Baruch but my first time taking a cyber class in any subject. As of this moment I intend to major in Financial Engineering, which is a fairly new major introduced to the Weismann school of Arts and Sciences. I am excited for the reading that will be covered this semester because I have heard they are usually very interesting. In this class, I hope to gain critical reading and writing skills. I know the skills I gain from this class I will need and use forever.

When not in school I work part time at a retail store and a baseball stadium. I enjoy being with my family and friends, traveling, trying new foods and reading during my free time. My favorite genres are historical fiction books and romance novels. I usually pick random books suggested to me on my kindle. I also enjoy reading books written by regular people who like to share their written works on Wattpad and Radish.

A book that I remember reading as a very young child is “Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon” by Patty Lovell. It is definitely one of my favorites even to this day because it teaches about self-love and to always be proud of who you are. To me, it is very hard to pick a favorite book from what I currently read. I am always reading and each book is special in its own way it is hard to compare them all. Also, as I grow my interest change, so what I like to read will not be the same this year as last year.