January 22

Agon: Greek meaning contest or battle between adversaries

Conflicts in Antigone:
1. man v. woman
2. young v. old
3. individual v. society
4. living v. dead
5. mortal v. God(s)

Simone Weil was involved in the French Resistance and was also a classical scholar.

The Greek tragedians were not allowed to criticize present day events so they often referred to historical events to make their points. However, virtually nothing was off limits to comedians which is in many ways still true today.

Obscene: comes from off-scene

Antigones: difficult to understand but we will not be "clueless" about it, or anything
-on page 121 Steiner names the "fistful" of Greek figures who have had a great influence

Orders of Business:
* read Antigone and two Homeric Hymns (to Demeter and to Hermes) as well as the introductions
* buy and read a Bozeman Chronicle
-Q: What are people reading into it?
* we will be responsible for pages 231-277 of George Steiner's Antigones

January 19

The theme of the class is "All that is past possesses our present."

Q: What's new?
A: What's old?

Orders of business:
* read Antigone and commit lines 441-581 to memory
- Q: Why would publishers put a picture of Simone Weil on the cover?
* read Homeric Hymns to Demeter and to Hermes
* buy and read Bozeman Chronicle