Lepper1

PeytonLepper
Mrs.Rutan
30March,2016
APLiteratureandComposition
StarWars:AModernMythProduced40YearsAgo
GeorgeLucass
StarWars
filmsarecommonmythsthathavebeenappliedtoa
sciencefictionuniversethatintertwinesatonoftwentiethcenturypopculture
references.ThethemesitdemonstratesgohandinhandwiththoseofGreekmythology
asdisplayedintheplay,
Antigone
,writtenbytheGreekplaywrightSophocles.The
directorof
StarWars
,GeorgeLucas,isamoderndaySophocles,and
StarWars
trilogiesaremoderndayGreekplaysthatfeatureawidevarietyoftheirownmythology
andlore.
AccordingtoWhatIsMyth?byMaryMagoulick,mythmeansstoryorword
andcomesfromtheGreekmythos(Magoulick,1).Soessentially,anymoviecouldbe
amyth,right?Magoulickalsomentionsthatmythsaresymbolictalesofthedistant
past...thatconcerncosmogonyandcosmology,maybeconnectedtobeliefsystemsor
rituals,andmayservetodirectsocialactionandvalues(Magoulick,1).Allofthese
traitsarestunninglyidentifiableinSophoclesstrilogyofplaysbasedontheroyalfamily
ofOedipus.Tiresias,theblindprophet,tellsCreon,thekingofThebes,thatthegods
aredeaftoourprayers(Sophocles,111).Throughout
Antigone,
thementionofthe
Greekgods(Zeus,Apollo,Hermes,etc.),showsupasaconsistenttheme,and
Star
Wars
isverysimilar.GeorgeLucasstakeongodswithinthetrilogiesistheforce,rather

Lepper2

thanactualbeings.Theforceisincontroloffate,anddestiny,similartothegodsin
manymythologicaltales.LukeSkywalker,forexample,istaughtabouttheforcebyhis
mentor,ObiWan(orBen)Kenobi,whoiscomparabletoTiresias.However,aswithany
otherreligion,youhavenonbelievers,whointhecaseof
StarWars
isHanSolo,andin
thecaseof
Antigone
isCreon.Solostatesthathesneverseenanythingtomakehim
believethattheresoneallpowerfulforcethatcontrols
everything
.Thishintsthat
perhapsHanhasaslightfaith,whichrelateshimevenmoretoCreon,whobelievesin
thegods,butbelievesthattheprophets,orseersaremadformoney(Sophocles,
113).Andbothcharactersrealizetheywerewrongalso.BeforeSkywalkerleavestogo
destroytheDeathStar,Hanstopshimbeforehegoesoffonhisownandhesaysmay
theforcebewithyou.ThisshowsthatHanhaschangedhismindabouttheforce
perhaps.CreonsmindisalsochangedshortlyafterhisdisputewithTiresias,whenhe
statesthathesshakenandtorn(Sophocles,116)aboutwhatTiresiashassaid.
StrongcharacterslikeCreonandHanSolobothplayimportantrolesinmyths,and
theresnoexceptionforthefemalecharacterslikePrincessLeiaandAntigoneherself.
ThroughoutSophoclesplaythatistitledafteritsfemaleprotagonist,
Antigone,
shesrelativelystrongwilled,despitefacingdeathatthehandsofheruncle,Creon.She
standsuptohim,statingthatdeathlongsforthesameritesforall(Sophocles,85).
PrincessLeia,isalsoverystrongwilled,andshetakescontrolofthesituationwhen
Hanrefusedtolistentoherwhiletheywereonboardtheimperialstardestroyerwhile
theyweresavingher.Eachcharacterisrespectivelyneededineachstory,inordertofit
intothestructuremythologypossesses.AsAndrewGordonwroteinhisarticletitled

Lepper3

StarWars:
AMythforOurTime,Americanshadlostheroesinwhomtobelieve
(Gordon,1),whichwasextremelytruewhen
StarWars
waspublishedshortlyafterthe
Vietnamwar.Asallmythsaresupposedtodo,ittakesitscharactersthroughrough
patches,butindoingsogivestheaudienceanunderdogtorootfor.Respectively,in
both
Antigone
andin
StarWars
,wehavetwomaincharacterswhofitthecriteria,being
LukeandAntigoneherself.ButagainasGordonputsit,theyeachhavetofulfillthe
herosdestiny(Gordon,2).TheonlydifferencereallyisAntigonesdestinyendswith
death.
Both
Antigone
and
StarWars
aremythsintheirownright,and
StarWars
wasa
myththatwasmade(relativelyrecently)inordertogivetotheAmericanpeople
somethingtobelievein.SophoclesalsogavetheancientGreekssomethingtobelieve
in,butitwasmoreaboutthegodsandthedestinytheyveplottedoutforthem,butboth
haveapplicationsinthetwentyfirstcenturyaswell,suchastherebeingnewhope,and
thatwecannotletgreedgetthebestofuswithoutconsequences.

Ihavethoughtful,

Ihave

Ihavesome

Ihavelittleanalysis

creativeanalysis

solid/appropriate

analysis,butits

and/oritpoorand

andcomplete

analysisanda

basic,surfacelevel,

haslotsof

responsethat

completeresponse

underdeveloped

misinterpretation

addressesthe

thataddressesthe

and/ormyresponse

and/oritisnot

prompt(10pts).

prompt(8pts)

maybecomplete

complete,and/orit

butitdoesnotfully

doesstayfocusedon

theprompt(05pts).

Lepper4

addresstheprompt

Iusethoughtful,

Iuseappropriate,

(67pts).

Iuseverylittle

wellcitedand

clearlycitedand

evidenceand/or

integrated

integratedevidence

Iusesome

thereareerrors,

evidencefrom

fromAntigoneand

appropriateand

poorlyconnected,

Antigoneandother

anothersecondary

clearlycited

etc.youfailto

secondarysources

source(8pts).

evidence,butitis

includeany

(10pts).

limitedand/orhad

secondarysources

someminorerrors

(05pts).

Ihaveclearand

youalsoinclude

Ihavethoughtful,

effective

Antigoneanda

creative,and

organization(8pts).

secondarysource

Ihaveweak,

effective

(67pts).

incomplete,and/or

organization

confusing

(10pts).

Ihavesolid

Ihaverelatively

organization(05pts).

mechanics,and

clearorganization,

Ihaveinventive

someerrors,but

butitislimited,

Ihavepoor

mechanicsandno

theyarent

clich,etc.(7pts).

mechanicsandlots

distractingerrors

distracting(4pts).

ofdistractingerrors

(5pts)

Ihavebasic

(02pts).

mechanicsand

somedistracting

Idonotfollowthe

Ihavethe

***

appropriateMLA

errors(3pts).

MLAformatand

formatand

requirements

requirements:34

Ihavemostofthe

(02pts).

Ihaveanalmost

MLAformat(3pts).

perfectworkscited

Ifailtoincludea

page(4pts).

workscitedpage,or

pages,
doublespaced,
etc.(5pts)

Lepper5

Ihaveaworkscited

therearemany

Ihaveaperfect

page,butacouple

errors(02pts).

workscitedpage

minorerrors(3pts)

(5pts).

SCORE:34/45pts