Brilliant Minds

"Helen" - Concluding Comments

Concluding comments on our Tuesday discussion of Euripides' Helen. Click on the player bar, below (approx. 16 min):

Helen_Conclusion

Helen & the 5 Big Questions

Peter considers 5 answers proposed by Euripides drama.

Brilliant Minds Podcast #2

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Transcript:
Over the Summer during the first of our August Classes, I introduced the idea that every Great Book asks and answers all of the following 5 Big Questions of life. Those 5 Big Questions are:

1. Who am I?
2. Why am I here?
3. What kind of a world is this?
4. What is my place in it?
5. What do I do about it?

We can apply this to Helen by Euripides, and consider these possible answers:

1. Who am I? I am a mortal with limited knowledge, subject to fate and the gods.
2. Why am I here? I am fighting to survive and to preserve my honor, my reputation, and to gain glory. I am here to be recognized.
3. What kind of a world is this? It is a world of unreliable appearances, full of deceit and injustice, but it is also a world of free will, possibilities, and opportunity.
4. What is my place in it? My place depends entirely on my relationships with others, whether they are gods, society, or family. I am responsible for my actions.
5. What do I do about it? I am to respect the gods and to use all my physical & mental resources to achieve my goals through strategic thought, speech, & action.

How would you answer these questions, based on your reading of the play?

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Presence and Perception

Welcome to the first Brilliant Minds podcast!

A brief comment about drama, presence, perception and Euripides' Helen.

You can also download a pdf transcript here:

Brilliant Minds Podcast