Sophomores Undertake Unique Task
This mask opens up, as seen in the next picture
January 23, 2018
The Ancient Greek plays “Oedipus” and “Antigone” are regarded as classics throughout the entire world, with the tragic fate of Oedipus and his family serving as a warning of the dangers of pride. There is no better time to learn such an important lesson than in youth, as it can have a
great impact on a person’s life. This year, like those before it, ACP’s sophomores will read these stories in search of some wisdom to begin their second semester. They will also engage in a unique project that will help them understand the characters (and perhaps even themselves) a little better. The task: create a mask featuring symbols to represent the major themes of the two plays. These unique works of art will allow students to prove their mastery and understanding of the information in two famous pieces of literature.
Taylor Smith (10), who has Ms. Economou’s class 6th hour, loves the project. “It’s a good way to illustrate the themes of ‘Oedipus’ and ‘Antigone'” said Taylor, his group brainstorming on what symbols they would include on their mask. Each mask is split in two, with one side
representing a character from Oedipus and the other representing a character from Antigone. Using quotes and symbols from the texts, students will expand on the themes of the plays. Along with the colorful masks, students wrote ten paragraphs explaining the quotes and symbols included on the mask.
Students presented their masks on Friday and had a chance to see how the hard work of their peers had panned out. The masks were outstanding, with each group managing to interpret the symbols in their own distinct way. One of the most commonly used symbols was the bloody eye of Oedipus, who, in the play, decided to stab out his own eyes. This grotesque act only scrapes the surface of the emotional rides that are “Oedipus” and “Antigone”. Hopefully, next year’s sophomores will also have the chance to partake in this wonderful project.
