OEDIPUS THE KING
DRAFT DAY
WESTERN LITERATURE
FEBRUARY 4, 2015
WARM UP FOR 2/4/2015
• How do you eliminate 2nd person
from your writing?
• If you cannot explain why with a
strategy, then write an example of
how you revised “you” out of a
claim.
HAPPY WORD
WEDNESDAY!
REVIEWING GREEK TRAGEDY VOCABULARY
HOW TO ELIMINATE THE 2ND PERSON
• What is 2nd person?
• Why is 2nd person inappropriate for
formal academic writing?
• How can you revise 2nd person out of
your writing?
• How can 2nd person be revised out of
formal academic writing? ;)
WHY YOU SHOULDN’T USE “YOU”
OR WHY “YOU” DOES NOT HAVE A PLACE IN FORMAL WRITING.
• When the writer uses 2nd person, s/he makes assumptions
about the reader. How do these examples make you feel
as a reader?
• "You should always be careful when confronting
teachers about their favorite sports teams’ losses, since
you're bound to get punished if you are too hostile
towards them.”
• “One week our class wrote a sonnet together. You were
graded on your use of Iambic Pentameter and your
rhyming couplet at the end.”
• Even though the writer means to say that s/he was the one being
graded, what s/he is actually saying is that the READER was being
graded, when in fact the reader was not.
WHY YOU SHOULDN’T USE “YOU”
OR WHY “YOU” DOES NOT HAVE A PLACE IN FORMAL WRITING.
The use of the "you" voice can cause the writer to lose credibility with
the reader precisely because of the assumptions that are made
through the writing. It can also offend the reader.
HOW TO FIX IT
CHANGING THE VOICE
One way to instantly make an essay more
acceptable is to change second person to third
person with words like “reader,” “one,” or “they.”
• Example: Your interpretation of Shakespeare's
Romeo and Juliet is based on whether you feel
the two lovers should have been so foolish as to try
to run away together.
• This becomes: The reader's interpretation of
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is based on
whether he or she feels the two lovers should have
been so foolish as to run away together.
• When you use the singular form of reader, you must stick to the
singular form. You may not use “they” unless you say “readers’.”
THIS SOLUTION OFTEN BECOMES REPETITIVE.
THOUGH IT WORKS, IT IS NOT THE BEST WRITING.
PASSIVE VS. ACTIVE VOICE
ACTIVE VOICE
• The subject of the
sentence is
present before
the verb.
• The student read the
book.
PASSIVE VOICE
• The subject of the
sentence is not
usually present.
• If it is present than it
appears as the object
of the preposition after
“by.”
• The book was read by
the student.
HOW TO FIX IT
USING PASSIVE VOICE
Passive voice is an effective way to avoid 2nd person.
Though passive voice is typically not advised, it can be
effective in academic writing because it changes the
focus of the subject.
• Example: Your interpretation of Shakespeare's Romeo
and Juliet is based on whether you feel the two lovers
should have been so foolish as to try to run away
together.
• This becomes: The interpretation of Shakespeare's
Romeo and Juliet is based on whether the two lovers
should have been so foolish as to try and run away
together.
• The sentence is already using passive voice, so here it
was only necessary to take out all references to the
reader.
HOW TO FIX IT
USING PASSIVE VOICE
Passive voice can be effective in academic writing
because it changes the focus of the subject.
• Example: When you read Hamlet, you should
notice clear foreshadowing of events to transpire.
• This becomes: In reading Hamlet, events to come
are clearly foreshadowed.
Instead of putting action on the reader, the action
has instead become passive, as evidenced by the
"are foreshadowed.” The focus is not on YOU as the
reader but instead the events.
HOW TO FIX IT
USING THE INFINITIVE FORM
Infinitives are verbs that are preceded by the word "to."
So, "to visit," "to play," and "to weep" are all infinitives.
• Example: You have to realize that Ms. Brooks is not a
fair-weather fan.
• This becomes: It is important to realize that Ms. Brooks
is not a fair-weather fan.
• Example: You should always be careful when
confronting teachers about their favorite sports teams’
losses, since you're bound to get punished if you are
too hostile towards them.
• This becomes: To avoid punishment (i.e. detention) it is
crucial to be careful when confronting teachers about
their favorite sports teams’ losses.
HOW DO YOU FIX IT?
HOW CAN THE USE OF “YOU” BE ELIMINATED?
It is impossible to change
your path because fate
knows what you will
inevitably choose.
HOW DO YOU FIX IT?
HOW CAN THE USE OF “YOU” BE ELIMINATED?
You know that Oedipus has
fulfilled the prophecy when
he blames it on Creon
which is dramatic irony.
HOW DO YOU FIX IT?
HOW CAN THE USE OF “YOU” BE ELIMINATED?
The shepherd’s decision to
save Oedipus reveals that
free will does not exist
because you will always
end up where your fate
leads you.
HOW DO YOU FIX IT?
HOW CAN THE USE OF “YOU” BE ELIMINATED?
You know what is going on
in the play because of the
presence of the Greek
chorus.
HOW DO YOU FIX IT?
HOW CAN THE USE OF “YOU” BE ELIMINATED?
Oedipus shows you how
your pride can lead to
your downfall.
DRAFTING TIME
• During class today, you will write your
rough draft of your essay.
• Your rough draft is due on Friday so use your time
wisely.
• You can only earn credit for rough drafts on the
original due date. There will be no late rough drafts
accepted for credit.
• Remember:
• You must use at least five direct quotes.
• You may not use 2nd person.
• You must include an introduction and conclusion
(but it okay to write these last!)
HOMEWORK
• Write your completed
rough draft and bring it to
class on Friday.
Late rough drafts will not earn
any credit.