Irony

// in Literature // ||   || ……**//an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected//**….In class we have found several examples of the “doomed” child who ends up bring death to those who would have killed him; also, frequently in myths characters receive a blessing which turns out to be a curse (Epimetheus, Pandora, Arachne) …**//a technique of indicating through character or plot development, an intention or attitude or situation opposite to that which is actually stated//**//; meaning, the obvious (concrete) meaning is opposite to the true (abstract) meaning//…In class we have discussed this particularly in terms of vision/blindness: Odin, Oedipus, Teiresias ||
 * || ** Irony **

Choose one example of irony from our readings [//Tag it on the home page!//] and discuss in detail, as follows: · Start with a hook. · Briefly describe the event or character or situation. · Tell the obvious meaning or what-would-be-expected event. · Describe how this meaning or event is twisted in an ironic way: how is the true meaning or actual event different from expectation? · Conclude with a conclusion!
 * ASSIGNMENT: **

**Post your response** on this page. See below for your section; change the heading to include an appropriate title. **Tag your topic first on the home page** so nobody else discusses the same example.

Your response is **due by Thursday 2/11/10.** You must respond to someone else’s essay by Tuesday 2/16/10; you will have **other** assignments due Tuesday as well.

Victoria ​ Have you ever seen a spider and wonder why the spider exists? In a Greek myth, a young maiden named Arachne has a wonderful weaving talent. One day, she goes too far and proclaims that she is better than the godess Athena, who also has a wonderful weaving talent. They then have a contest and Athena wins. Arachne hangs herself and does not survive. Athena was sad that Arachne was no longer alive, so she turned her into a spider so she could live and have her weaving talent. You would expect that Arachne's talent would bring joy to her life. But, the outcome is not what you would expect. She says that she is better than a godess and simply makes her talent go to waste. This is unusual twist because a blessing can become a curse. I wonder what Arachne would say to Athena if she had gotten the chance... Good Job Victoria, except next time, try not to tell so much of the story. ~MS Alyssa Oedipus and the Oracle WaAHHHHH!!!! Oedipus was an orphan. His father King Laius, was told by the oracle that he had to kill his newborn son. He was adopted by Polybus and Merope. What would be expected is that he would live a long happy life with his birth parents. The oracle said that he would kill his father and marry his mother. He said that he wouldn't do it but the irony is that he only made it happen! Over all, he killed his father and married his mother, just as the oracle said.

​ Using more direct names ( as opposed to //he//, //his//, or //him//) would make it clearer. Otherwise, good job! -JA

Luke **The Labors of Hercules UUUUUUUUHHHHHH! Hercules lost his mind because *Hera did not like** **Hercules. He killed his wife and kids in his madness. Once he "woke" from his craziness he realized what he did and he was given 12 labors that seemed impossible. He finished them and was given immortalaty. Hera was very unhappy with this beacause Hercules did not die. The irony is that Hercules found a way to stay alive while performing the impossible tasks he was given. He eventually cheated death which led to the gods giving Hercules immortality. Hera was wrong in tring to get rid of Hercules, so Hercules had only one option but to survive and make a difference.** Hercules was not caps.AR
 * Hera was not caps.

= Gavin =

YES! EVERYTHING I TOUCH TURNS TO GOLD!!! King Midas loved gold. As a matter of fact, he loved it so much he asked the gods for gold. But, the gods played a trick on him. Now, everything he touches turns to gold. When it was breakfast time, he went outside to eat. but as he touched his food, it turned into gold! His daughter Marygold, saw him and saw that he wasn't in a good mood. She decided to give him a hug. BAD IDEA! When Marygold turned into gold, Midas knew that there was much more to life than gold. He called down a god and begged for a second chance. He asked if he could reverse the "Golden Touch". The god told King Midas to go to the river and take a handful of water__. And too*__ pour the water on everything he touched. He poured the water on Marygold and she sprang back to life. ** There is a good lesson in this story. When you want something, think about the consequences that could later happen.

*, and to (sentence fragment, wrong form of to/too) ** Needs a clear statement of the EXPECTED outcome: Gold, yes, how wonderful - then statement of the ironic twist: The blessing was actually a curse

YES! EVERYTHING I TOUCH TURNS TO GOLD!!! King Midas loved gold. As a matter of fact, he loved gold so much that he asked the gods for gold.But the gods played a trick on him. This is when the blessing turns into a curse. Now everything he touches turns to gold. His breakfast, his flowers, and even his daughter, Marygold. Now that King Midas realized that there is more to life than gold, he called down the gods and begged to be rid of the "golden touch" He thought that the gods would give him gold, not the power to make things into gold. There is a good lesson in this story. When you want something, think of the consequences that could later come.

Mark  BAM! Perseus had killed his own father, King Acrisius. When King Acrisius was told that the son of his daughter would kill him, from an oracle of the gods, he locked his daughter up in a tower. Zeus saw her in the tower and fell in love with her. In time, a son was born, Perseus. When King Acrisius was informed of this, he became enraged, but he knew that if he killed Perseus the gods would punish him, so he locked Perseus and his daughter Danae in a chest. King Acrisius thought that he could escape his death by throwing in the ocean, but he was wrong. After a few years Perseus went to an Athletic contest and threw a discus, which hit King Acrisius in the head and killed him. You would think that he could escape his death but he couldn't. As you can see, fate will always find its way. Nice Hook!-VS AND Nice Ending!~JRS

As they say, "What comes around goes around" AR Jonathan ​ ​ I'M RICH! I'M RICH BEYOND MY WILDEST DREAMS! King Midas had the power to turn everything he touched into SOLID GOLD! But wait! Now it's time for breakfast!*Because everything he touched turned into gold, he can't eat a thing! Marygold (Midas's daughter) thought a hug might cheer him up. Well, now his daughter a golden statue, Midas was sad. REAL sad. He then cried**(He​ __WAS​ ​__ sad) to the gods. He didn't want everything to be gold anymore.** *So the gods took away his golden touch and made the palace (and his daughter) back to normal.He was happy that now this blessing/curse is gone. So when you want something real bad,THINK MORE THAN TWICE!

* there should not be an exclainmation it makes more sense if it were a comma and the next sentence sounds like a fragment
 * what were the parentases for?

Why did you underline WAS when it was caps and bold, I think your over stating the obvious a little...AR Jack Hmmmmm....What would you do if you were given a box that you could not open? This is the problem that Pandora faced. She was a beautiful lady that was created by the gods. Each god gave a unique gift of theirs to Pandora. Zeus gave Pandora an insatiable curiosity and he also gave her a mysterious box. Zeus told her that she could not open the gorgeous, hand-crafted, utterly stunning box he gave to her. He sent her down to Earth to be the wife of King Epimepheus. One day King Epimepheus went on a trip and left Pandora at the palace all by herself. What a sorry mistake indeed! Pandora's curiosity got the best of her while he was away, and guess what she did? She opened the box! All the horrors of mankind leapt from the box and escaped into the mortal world! She had thought the box had more wonderful gifts, and instead it was filled with evil. Pandora's silly mistake caused the entire world pain. Oh, the misery she caused. We must always remember to DO WHAT WE'RE TOLD!
 * it would sound a little clearer if you added that instead of the gods making the golden touched things to normal, and instead include the part that he sprinkled water on the things Other than that great job!-VS

"I like the hook!" -Gavin Galloza

I think your hook was very good and good job to end your essay with a hammer. I also thought your choice of words was excellent. you should really put some more on the irony as in makeing sure to get your point across. - Luke Hamill Response: Jonathan's Irony Essay I think your essay was very well-stated, but also rather general. I think you could have added more insight into the myth such as the gods did not turn his daughter back to gold, they gave him the power to by spraying the river water on Marygold, although you did state the irony well. A good essay overall! -Jack Antley

Good Picture Jack!~JRS