Eastlake High School The Astronomer’s Wife Discussion

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Part 1

Read “The Astronomer’s Wife” by Kay Boyle (provided)

  • Look for suggestions of aggression or violence tied in with notions of love.
  • Look for water or pools and how the people treat it or act around it. Look for suggestions of a garden.
  • Who is Narcissus/the hero? In other words, who is self-discovering? Where do they retreat to the self?

Answer the following questions regarding “The Astronomer’s Wife”. Be sure to use several direct quotes from the texts to fully explain your ideas:

  • What are the major symbols of the Narcissus Myth?
  • What do those symbols represent in literature?
  • Is Kay Boyle’s short story “The Astronomer’s Wife” comparable to the Narcissus Myth?
  • How do you know? In other words, what symbols are present, and what do they represent to the hero of the short story?
  • What is the major difference between Narcissus and Mrs. Ames?
  • Does it seem like the wife in the story, the hero, is at the end of her journey or at the beginning when the story ends? Why?

Please number responses! I have attached the readings in the bottom (astronomer%27s wife kay boyle (2).pdf) (The Narcissus Myth and DB directions.docx) for part 1!

Part 2

After reading the scene from Sophocles’ Antigone and the material on Aristotle’s The poetics, answer the following questions:

What are the main criteria for what Aristotle says makes a “tragic figure,” or “tragic hero” in drama?

Both Creon and Antigone are both victims of great tragedy. Consider who is the “tragic figure” in this play: Antigone or Creon. If you do a quick google search, many sources will tell you that Creon is the tragic hero. But is there a case for Antigone?

What examples from the play might prove that Antigone also arguably meets the criteria of a tragic Hero?

What is Antigone’s “tragic flaw”? Creon’s?

How does this play use both Creon and Antigone to illustrate the conflict between personal obligations versus communal obligations?

Be sure to use direct quotes from the text to fully explain your idea.

Please number responses! I have attached the readings in the bottom (Aristotle on Theater-1.docx) (Antigone Scene.docx)

Answer part 1 and 2 separately and numbered!

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