World Literature F Multi-Genre Project
Jane Nitichakorn
Mr. Ted
World Literature F
25 May 2012
The Connection Of The
Three Masterpiece
Table of Contents
Topic Page
Title Page 1
Table of Contents 2
Preface 3
The Oedipus Rex Trailer 4
Letter to Oedipus 5
Map of The Interno 6
Postcard from Dante 7
The Tempest Magazine Article 9
Synthesis Essay 10
Works Cited 13
Preface
There are five different kind of genres that I have included. Each type of Genre will show the
different synthetic aspect from each story. In this project, you will see the three famous masterpiece
from The Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, The Inferno by Dante Alighieri, and
The Tempest by William
Shakespeare. You will see how the author from each story have pointed out the idea that they were
tryingto give to the reader by different plot that were written out.
The Trailer of The Oedipus Rex will show us the main idea of the story. Where the "Letter to
Oedipus" was written when his mother, Jocasta tried to explain about the reason why she has to
adopted him. "Map of the Inferno" is to show each level of punishment that people will get in hell.
While "Postcard from Dante" is to show how Dante felt when he saw the life in hell. "Magazine
Article" is to show the journey of each of the characters that they have to face. All of these entries
will also be synthesize in the essay as well.
The Oedipus Rex Trailer
Letter to Oedipus
Map of The Inferno
Postcard from Dante
The Tempest Magazine Article
Synthesis Essay
Jane Nitichakorn
Mr. Ted
World Literature F
25 May 2012
The connection
Most of the literary works have
different plots, characters and ideas, but there are some that share similar
ideas even though the plots and characters are absolutely different from each
other. This includes Oedipus Rex by
Sophocles, The Inferno by Dante
Alighieri, and The Tempest by William
Shakespeare. Oedipus, himself has to face his own horrible fate. While in The Inferno is the story of Dante
traveled through each level of hell. The Tempest is the revenge of one person
to the others. These three literally work share the main idea of the journey.
We all play many different roles
every day, depending on our relationships and the needs of the moment. In the
play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, Oedipus plays out several roles of the hero’s
journey. Before he learns that he is the man of sin whom he seeks in order to
stop the plague from Thebes, he plays the role of the innocent. Once he has
learned he is the man, he plays the orphan. He is an orphan when he must his
home and was adopted by his parents because of the prophecy that they got. He
is a wanderer as he goes to seek his fortune in the greater world from the
other characters. He is a warrior in the play as he takes the role in calling
for judgement and punishment of the criminal.
Oedipus’ journey is not just a hero’s
journey, but he is a tragic hero because he is a king whose life falls apart
when he find out his life story. A tragic hero, a character, often the
protagonist in a work of fiction who commits an action or makes mistake which
leads to his or her defeat. Those actions are seen when Oedipus forces
Teiresias to reveal his destiny and his father’s name. When Tiresias tries to
warn him about his loved, Oedipus still does not care. Sophocles portrays the
main character, Oedipus as a good person who has bad judgement. Oedipus
misfortune happens because of his tragic flaw. If he hadn’t been so strict in
judgement, he would never have killed king Laius and called Teiresias a liar.
He learns a lesson about life from his errors in judgement and become an
example to the audience of what happens of what happens when great men fall
from their positions.
The Inferno, the depths of hell where all
evil live, is where Dante begins his journey. His journey begins in a
wilderness and it is where his reasons for his journey become clear. The reason
for Dante entering the inferno is through Beatrice. Beatrice’s unending love
for Dante is one of the greatest reasons for Dante’s entrance into the depths
of the inferno. Through love, Dante enters each levels of hell to re-achieve
the lost love and faith of his life. Beatrice speaks on for a true love of
Dante, this moment clearly explain why Beatrice is helping Dante. Beatrice has
a great love for Dante and doesn’t want Dante to continue his way of life. The
purpose of Dante’s journey is not only of Beatrice but also for the salvation
of his life and soul. The overall journey would not have happen if Dante did
not have the influence and companionship of Virgil. Virgil shows Dante all of
the circle of Hell and what each circle represents. Even though Virgil is not exactly
a reason for Dante’s journey, but is definitely one of the most important
figures of Dante’s journey in the inferno. However, Virgil may have been the
only way in which Dante could have taken the journey through the inferno.
In the story The Tempest,
Shakespeare uses imaginative journeys to show the limitations of mind, where it
discovering a world of realities and possibilities of the characters’ choices.
A freedom is achieved as the characters travel through a journey of
self-discovery. Prospero uses his magic to get back his position as a duke of
Milan. However, through this process, Prospero discovers his capabilities and
learns that his magic was the cause of his trap, and in order to be free, he
needed to abandon it. Shakespeare shows Prospero transformations from a man of
harsh, revengeful character to more of a forgiving, peaceful character through
the changes and choices he makes throughout the play. Moreover, the character
of Miranda is used to represent the ideal of hope of the future, a world of
possibilities, and her reality towards the end of the play. Miranda and
Ferdinand’s relationship show the beginning of Prospero’s transformation. As
Miranda and Ferdinand begin to in love, Prospero puts an end to the tests he
created in order to solve Ferdinand’s emotions, as show in Act 4, scene 1 “If I
have too austerely punished you, your compensations makes amends, I tender to
thy hand” (Shakespeare, 101). These lines show Prospero’s willingness to unite
and lead a better life. Ferdinand also uses the expression in Act 1, scene 2
“O, you wonder!” (33). The word plays on the meaning of Miranda’s name, meaning
“wonder”. The use of pun on Miranda’s name show the imaginative qualities that
show the possibilities based on the realities.
All of these 3 literary works were passed
down from one generation to another until these days. However, these works were
written by different authors, from different time period and point of view. Of
course the plot and the way it was given to the reader will be different, but
the main point that they are trying to teach us are on the same purpose.
Works Cited
"ClassicNotes: Oedipus Rex / Oedipus the King Full Analysis." ClassicNotes: Oedipus Rex / Oedipus the King Full Analysis. Web. 2 May 2012.
Sophocles. “Oedipus Rex”. Trans. Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald. World Literature: Revised Edition. Austin, TX: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1998. 301-367. Print.
Alighieri, Dante. “From the Inferno from the Divine Comedy”. Trans. John Ciardi. World Literature: Revised Edition. Austin, TX: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1998. 741-769. Print.
Raffa, Guy P. "Danteworlds." Danteworlds. The University of Texas at Austin. Web. 2 May 2012.
Shakespeare, William. “The Tempest”. World Literature: Revised Edition. Austin, TX: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1998. 839-928. Print.
