...Oedipus’ pride and confidence were influenced by the themes in Oedipus the King. Once the themes of blindness and identity came out to show the true horror of the situation Oedipus still represented those traits that the blindness to his identity developed in him. The blindness referring to before he found out the truth of his identity, what he was unable to see and what he just didn’t want to see. The identity theme referring to when he truly figured out who he really was. Blindness and identity influenced Oedipus in different ways as Oedipus the King played out. Blindness influences Oedipus with pride and courage. The blindness referring to before he found out the truth of his identity, what he was unable to see and what he just didn’t want...
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...truths will cause them more harm then it will good. In Sophocles Oedipus Rex readers are able to watch the main character Oedipus go through this process which can take people years of their lives happen in a span of a few short days. In this process, people discover that it is not necessarily beneficial to know every truth and that it is ok to stay blind to some issues. As people go through the aging process they are...
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...Blindness in Oedipus the King People can be “blinded” to the truth. The answer to their question or solution to their problem may have been obvious. Yet, they could not "see" the answer. They were blinded to the truth. Associations have been made between being blind and enlightened. A blind person is said to have powers to see invisible things. They "see" into the future. The blind may not have physical sight, but they have another kind of vision. In Sophocles' King Oedipus, Teiresias, the blind prophet, presents the truth to King Oedipus and Jocasta. Oedipus has been blinded to the truth his whole life. When he does find the truth, he loses his physical vision. Because of the truth, Oedipus blinds himself. Jocasta was blind to the true identity of Oedipus. Even when she found out the truth, she refused to accept it. In this case, those who are blind ultimately do have a higher vision - the truth. Kind Oedipus started life with a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. In an attempt to avoid this fate, his parents, Laius and Jocasta, sent him into the mountains to die. However, a shepherd saved Oedipus. This shepherd gave Oedipus to Polybus and Merope. When Oedipus learned of his prophecy, he fled his home, thinking these people were his real parents. On his flight, he met Laius. He ended up killing Laius. He continued on, answered a riddle of the evil Sphinx, and ended up king of Thebes. With this kingdom, Oedipus married Jocasta. He had lived out...
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...Professor Pierson English 104 02 March 2014 " Oedipus the King" People can be blinded to the truth. The answer to their question or solution to their problem may have been obvious the whole time. Still, they could not see the answer. They were blinded by the truth. Connections have been made between being blind and enlightened. A blind person is said to have powers to see invisible things. The blind may not have physical sight, but they have another kind of vision. In Sophocles play, "Oedips the King" there are some adverse situations relating to the ability to see things literally compared to having vision symbolically. With this repetition throughout the play it becomes one of its central themes. In the play King Oedipus started life with a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother, but Oedipus was blind to the truth his whole life. The parents who raised him weren't his parents at all. His real parents were Laius and Jocasta. Jocasta who was his who was his real mother was now his wife. When Oedipus does find the truth, he loses his physical vision by blinding himself. Even when Jocasta found out the truth, she refused to accept it and commits suicide. Jocasta blindness was different from Oedipus as well as both differed from Tiresias, the blind prophet. Tiresias's blindness was of phyisical nature. Tiresias played the role...
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...Sophocles in Oedipus Rex (represented in Thomas R. Arp and Greg Johnson, Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense, 8th ed. [Fort Worth: Harcourt, 2002] 1310) not only uses quite a bit of irony. From the beginning one is faced with the tragedy in the story, the murder of King Laios. Soon we learn that his murderer is in Thebes, and until the murderer is driven out of the town, the terrible plagues will continue haunting Thebes. After hearing the story, Oedipus resolves to solve the mystery himself and says that the murderer will be exiled even if it is a member of his own family. At this point, the reader is faced with irony, which he will better understand later in the story when he finds out that not only was the murderer in Oedipus’s family, but the murderer was indeed Oedipus. Not only does Sophocles use irony, but he also gives the reader the desire to better understand his seeing and blindness elements that are used throughout his drama. Oedipus Rex is filled with many surprises and some upsets but plenty of drama, irony, and entertainment. As one reads, he feels many different emotions, such as confusion, sadness, and then simply anger. Although one may not agree that blinding himself was the best idea, Oedipus’s reasoning behind his action is not quite as complicated if looked at from a simpler point of view. At the end of the story when Oedipus goes into his wife’s bedroom, he finds her hanging from a noose. Oedipus immediately begins to sob and runs to embrace...
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...Irony in Sight Throughout Sophacles’ play Oedipus Rex, he uses sight and blindness to demonstrate irony and the hubris of Oedipus. This is marked by Oedipus’ unwillingness or inability to understand that which is clear to the audience. His hubris (extreme pride) is his tragic flaw, truly blinding him from the truth. Oedipus eventually blinds himself, and it is then that he can finally “see”. From the very beginning, Oedipus was blinded by pride. Throughout the play, it is the one greatest irony that those with physical sight are blind, yet those who cannot actually see can see the truth. With the city of Thebes dying, Creon, having been sent to do so by Oedipus, comes from Delphi and the Oracle to deliver the message that the "the pollution of this land" (Sophocles 232), the murderer, be killed to bring an end to their strife.. Oedipus shows hubris when he demands Creon talk with him publicly, so convinced is he that he can solve any problem. Oedipus Has already solved the riddle of the Sphinx, that which had thwarted so many before him; "Oedipus knew the famous riddles. He was a mighty king, he was the envy of everyone who say how lucky he'd been. Now he's struck a wave of terrible ruin" (276) The chorus wishes for Oedipus to appeal to the gods to find the killer, Oedipus asserts that "to force the gods to act against their will- no man has the power."(320) Here, at least, he seems to humble himself before at least Apollo. Oedipus calls for Tiresius, the blind prophet. Here...
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...tragic heroes do not seem to be that much changed even though the date differs. Tragic heroes resemble each other in characteristics to lead to downfall of the hero. There are two main similarities between tragic heroes of the plays, Macbeth and Oedipus the King. In these plays, to stage a downfall of the heroes, the heroes are equipped with blindness and flaws. As to other similarities between the heroes of these two plays, Oedipus and Macbeth are both approached by a kind of seer and told of the things to pass. They both committed regicide and they both gained the throne by committing this crime even though the motive differs. Blindness, in other words the hero’s inability to understand his foreknown fate, is one of the main similarities between the two tragic heroes, Oedipus and Macbeth. In the case of Oedipus, blindness first shows itself in the case of regicide. In the plot, after Oedipus is told by a seer that he was going to kill his father, he tries to avoid his fate by running away but when he is confronted by a difficult situation he chooses to kill. This proves that he kills even though he knew he was going to kill his father. He is blinded to his fate although it is revealed to him. On the other hand, Macbeth’s blindness shows itself in the case of Macduff. Macbeth is foretold that he needs to beware of Macduff, he is incapable of being harmed by any man born of woman, and he will be safe until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Castle. Macbeth, even though, knows all...
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...as “the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate; the ability to act at one's own discretion.” Fate is a development of events beyonds a person’s control. These ideas are exactly what Sophocles is challenging is his play Oedipus Rex. In Oedipus Rex the protagonist Oedipus is trying to figure who killed the former king Laius, not realizing he was the killer himself. Oedipus was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Throughout the play, Oedipus is torn between accepting the prophecy or choosing his own destiny. Despite his best effort, the prophecy laid out for him came true. Oedipus Rex uses symbolism to illustrate the theme that one can never escape fate. One symbol used in Oedipus Rex is the scars on his feet. It represent the suffering he has endured and will keep on enduring. In the play Oedipus finds out from a messenger that his adopted father Polybus is dead. The messenger explains how long ago he found a baby on Mount Cithaeron with its...
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...“Symbolism in Oedipus the King” Literature is composed of various tactics in order to make the reading more interesting and compelling to the audience. One of my favorite literary elements or devices is the use of symbolism. According to Merriam - Webster, symbolism is “the use of symbols to express or represent ideas or qualities in literature” (Webster). This definition might seem elementary to most. However, symbolism can be used to bring out deeper meanings in a text or express the intangible elements by the means of visual representations. Sophocles did a marvelous job of this in the play Oedipus the King. While reading Oedipus the King, there were four instances of symbolism that stood out to me: Oedipus’ scared feet, the murder at the crossroads, the mention of blindness that is present throughout the play and lastly Oedipus himself. Each one of these examples of symbolism adds character to Sophocles’ work of literature. They help guide the tone of the text. When Oedipus was merely three days old his parents, King Laius and Queen Jocasta, received a prophecy from Apollo saying that one day their son would one day kill his father and intermarry in to his family with his mother. Upon hearing this news, Oedipus’ parents bound and pierced his feet. The King and Queen then sent him off to be abandoned in hopes of avoiding the dreadful prophecy. Oedipus survived the incident and was left with scars on his feet. The scars that were present on Oedipus’ feet throughout his lifetime...
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...Context and Explicit Meaning: • Oedipus the King is an Athenian tragedy written by Sophocles around 430 BC. • Quote occurs after Oedipus realizes that he is in fact Theban and has fulfilled his tragic destiny. He has killed his father Laius and slept with his mother Jocasta. He rushes off to find Jocasta but finds out she has already hanged herself upon hearing the news. Oedipus reacts by blinding himself using his mother's shoulder-pins. • In the passage: Chorus asks Oedipus why he has blinded himself to which he replies that the God Apollo is the one that caused him to suffer in life. However it is him who gauged his own eyes. He does not realize the benefit of having his eye-sight anymore as nothing he sees will give him joy pleasure anymore. Implicit Meaning: • Man and the Gods: ⁃ Oedipus' first response as to why he blinded himself is "Apollo, friends, Apollo- he ordained my agonies- these, my pains on pains!". Shows that he is no longer arrogant and has accepted that Gods decide his fate. ⁃ "My pains", "my eyes", "myself", "me" are all used in the passage. Oedipus keeps using personal pronouns to show that even though he is a human he still has power over his actions. ⁃ "But the hand that struck my eyes was mine". Oedipus is again trying to show that though Gods have power to control man's destiny, however man can do something as well. • Heroism: ⁃ Political Hero: Though at his own expense, he is still is able to save Thebes from the plague...
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...Oedipus Rex 9) Write down at least three similarities and three differences between these two plays. Both King Lear and Oedipus Rex have similarities as well as differences. There are many ways in which the two plays can be linked however there are also comparisons between the plays as a whole, the characters, themes and imagery. King Lear and Oedipus Rex are both tragedies which involve a tragic ending for both protagonists Lear and Oedipus. Lear dies at the end showing remorse for disowning Cordelia who truly loved him and Oedipus pokes out his eyes after realising what has happened and what he has done. He also leaves Thebes and is portrayed to be guilty and hating his life. Therefore he pokes out his eyes leaving him to “walk through a cloud of darkness and it will last forever”. This shows how remorseful he is feeling which is also present in King Lear as Lear realises the mistake he committed by disowning Cordelia. As he holds her he points to her as if saying she is alive which shows he wants her to be alive. King Lear and Oedipus Rex also contain the mutual theme of blindness which is both metaphorical and physical. The protagonists of the story are metaphorically blind not seeing what is happening to them, which proves them to be gullible and vulnerable. The theme of blindness to the truth is represented in both plays. Just how King Lear is blinded by Goneril and Regan’s fake statement of their love for him, Oedipus is also blinded, however he is unwilling...
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...Sign in Google oedipus rex thesis research paper WebImagesVideosNewsShoppingMoreSearch tools About 365,000 results (0.35 seconds) Search Results Free oedipus Essays and Papers - 123HelpMe.com www.123helpme.com/search.asp?text=oedipus Free oedipus papers, essays, and research papers. ... Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles - In “Oedipus the King,” an infant's fate is determined that he will kill his father ... Oedipus the King a Story of Fate - Research Papers ... www.termpaperwarehouse.com › English and Literature Feb 8, 2012 - Read this essay on Oedipus the King: a Story of Fate . ... Thesis: “Oedipus the King” by is generally a story about fate as it deals with its ... Oedipus Rex and Blindness Research Papers are Written ... www.papermasters.com › Research Paper Topics Oedipus Rex and Blindness research papers are custom written according to your literature or English 101 research paper requirements. Oedipus the King Research Papers on the play by Sophocles www.papermasters.com › Research Paper Topics In research papers on Oedipus the King by Sophocles, there is the example of the classic tragic hero in the character Oedipus. Often defined in research papers ... Oedipus the King Term Paper Topics - Planet Papers www.planetpapers.com/professional-essays/Oedipus-the-King.aspx Oedipus the King term papers available at Planet Papers.com, the largest free term ... 1000's of FREE Term Papers, Essays, Book Reports & Research Papers. Oedipus Rex Essay - Critical...
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...fate is determined beyond one’s control. In the tragic play, Oedipus the King, Oedipus often faces many difficult situations that result in his own suffering. Displaying his harmartia, Oedipus could have used his mental vision and problem solving skills to prevent himself from being turned into a puppet of fate and prophecy. A major motif used to show Oedipus’s will to control his own fate is his blindness. First, Oedipus is not aware of his surroundings. Oedipus does not want to agree with the fact that Tiresias, the blind prophet, tells him he is the killer of Laius. As a result, Oedipus is mentally blind because he is not willing to accept the horrid fact. Another example of Oedipus’s blindness is his kingdom’s plague and downfall. Even though Oedipus’s plan is “to stop the plague” (14) in his city of Thebes, it seems as if he thinks it will just leave one day without him doing anything. If Oedipus had perfect mental vision, he would go out and do something to stop it, not sit around and think about himself. Finally, the last example causing Oedipus to be mentally blind, and therefore controlling his suffering fate, is his hubris, or excess of pride. When Oedipus thinks of himself as a ruler of a corrupted city and supposedly the killer of the mighty King Lauis he uses his pride to run away from his fate. “Say it again. I must have it straight” (21) is an example of his excess of pride. When Oedipus was told he was the killer, he thought there was no possible way...
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...Sophocles' Oedipus is a perfect fit to Aristotle's Ideal Tragic Hero. Oedipus follows all of the rules, with a hamartia, an anagnorisis, and a peripeteia. The audience is introduced to the hamartia, or tragic flaw, of Oedipus early in the play. Oedipus believes he can dodge the oracle given to him at Delphi that he will kill his father and marry his mother. By leaving the city of Corinth and heading to Thebes, Oedipus thinks that he can outsmart the will that the gods have for him. However, the audience knows that one cannot run away from an oracle. The oracle will come true no matter what is done. Therefore, the hamartia of Oedipus is his belief that he can evade his oracle. Oedipus' anagnorisis, recognition, later comes when he is told that it was he who killed the former King Lauis and that he is, in fact, now married to his own mother. The city of Thebes had been searching for King Lauis' murderer in order to drive him out of Thebes to save the city from the plague. With this anagnorisis Oedipus is finally led to his peripeteia, or downfall. First of all, Oedipus is put to shame in front of his entire city because of his incestuous act of marrying his mother. But, more importantly, he realizes that he had not successfully avoided the oracle. In order to try to save himself he blinds himself. If he is not able to see the truth with his own eyes, he should not be able to enjoy the gift of sight. http://personal.monm.edu/ysample/aristotle.htm Oedipus follows ten of the points...
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...The two most prominent themes included in Sophocles’ play, Oedipus The King, that are also major themes throughout Greek tragedies are fate and sight. Fate, described as unescapable, and sight, described as blindness vs. knowledge, both are incorporated into Sophocles’ play. The main character, Oedipus, is the king of Thebes and viewed as their savior against the sphinx. Oedipus the king, is one of the best known Greek plays, in my opinion, mainly because of Oedipus’ blindness to how his actions were making his fate come true. This particular play gives insight on the Greek concepts of fate and sight with the different prophecies told by an insightful yet blind prophet, Tiresias. Through many examples in this play, fate and sight are intertwined...
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