...discusses the ironic qualities of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. The play is very ironical in that it entwines the themes of free will as well as predestination. Even though we are sickened by the tragic life of Oedipus and the other characters, we are still able to appreciate the ironic characteristics of the play itself. Indeed, we eventually come to realize that man is free and yet he is also fated. Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex The primary characteristic of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex is that it is an ironic play. The play’s irony grasps the audience in a profound way because of the awareness that occurs regarding everything that is going on. Even though we, as observers, are sickened at the tragic life of Oedipus and the other characters, we are still able to appreciate the ironical characteristics of the play itself. The irony primarily exists in the context of man being free, but at the same time, fated. Without doubt, this play very much reflects the Greek vision which emphasizes the immediacy of experience and the nature of man. We see that man is free and that he has free will. At the same time, man also must reconcile himself to a certain fate. Irony is inherent in this very concept. Indeed, as demonstrated in Oedipus Rex, while there is free will in the human condition, there is also predestination to one’s life. In this play, we see how the main character Oedipus is free to run, but ultimately he cannot run away from himself. Oedipus was once a man of power and wealth...
Words: 638 - Pages: 3
...In Sophocles‘ Oedipus Rex, many mishaps and mistakes troubled the character Oedipus. He was a ruler with a kingdom in distress. As a ruler he promised to his people that he would do whatever he could to help them. However, his name of Oedipus nor the decisions he made ever really helped his people. Oedipus was a man cursed with a fate and remarked that the god Apollo brought his sick fate upon him but the blinding hand was his own. Fate took over Oedipus’ life, but free will led to his destruction. Apollo’s curse and the events of Oedipus’ childhood told his fate. Oedipus’ father, Laios, made the god Apollo very angry and in his anger he placed a curse on him and his family. Oedipus’ life had a path before he was even born. He would kill his father and marry his mother, and Apollo would make sure this happened. When he was born Oedipus made no choices with his free will, but had to suffer from the choices his parents made. As Oedipus grew up and matured he made his own decisions with his own free will, whether they were good or bad. Apollo was always guiding Oedipus to his eventual fate, but Oedipus brought himself down by the choices he made. Misfortune and fate were placed on Oedipus, but his very own mistakes led him to that fate. Oedipus would always try his best to help his people. He was a good king that was always ready to lead his people but at the same time serve them and took decisive actions. The murderer of the former King Laios must be banished from...
Words: 505 - Pages: 3
...stories that focus on Greek gods, some people believe them to be true and some see them as stories. The Greek god Apollo focused on fate, plagues, and healing. He was considered the most Greek god of all gods. In Oedipus Rex, Sophocles uses the Greek god Apollo to show his influences on human life in how he controls fate, how plagues can change people actions, and healing in their lives all in a mythological view. Sophocles uses Oedipus as an example for being born into tragedy was his fate. Before Oedipus was born he was prophesied to kill his father and to marry his mother. Fate is an unpredictable circumstance as Jocasta says, “Why should anyone in this...
Words: 760 - Pages: 4
...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 Essays...
Words: 499 - Pages: 2
...Hamartia in Oedipus the King According to the Aristotelian characteristics of good tragedy, the tragic character should not fall due to either excessive virtue or excessive wickedness, but due to what Aristotle called hamartia. Hamartia may be interpreted as either a flaw in character or an error in judgement. Oedipus, the tragic character in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, certainly makes several such mistakes; however, the pervasive pattern of his judgemental errors seems to indicate a basic character flaw that precipitates them. Oedipus’ character flaw is ego. This is made evident in the opening lines of the prologue when he states "Here I am myself--you all know me, the world knows my fame: I am Oedipus." (ll. 7-9) His conceit is the root cause of a number of related problems. Among these are recklessness, disrespect, and stubbornness. Oedipus displays an attitude of recklessness and disrespect throughout the play. When he makes his proclamation and no one confesses to the murder of Laius, Oedipus loses patience immediately and rushes into his curse. Later, he displays a short temper to Tiresias: "You, you scum of the earth . . . out with it, once and for all!," (ll. 381, 383) and "Enough! Such filth from him? Insufferable--what, still alive? Get out--faster, back where you came from--vanish!" (ll. 490-492) If an unwillingness to listen may be considered stubbornness, certainly Oedipus would take advice from no one who would tell him to drop the matter of his...
Words: 4487 - Pages: 18
...Ironic Tragedy Oedipus Rex by Sophocles is a drama in which King Oedipus suffers a tragic fate. He leaves his country in order to avoid killing his father and sleeping with his mother (Sophocles 1327). In his attempt to prevent his foretold fate from coming to pass, he unknowingly brings it to fulfillment. After speaking to a shepherd, he realizes that the woman he is married to is his mother and that her former husband, whom he murdered, is his father. Sophocles uses several types of irony in the story of Oedipus’ fate. For instance, verbal irony is used in this drama. Oedipus Rex pronounces a curse on the “criminal” who has murdered King Laius (Sophocles 1314). This is ironic because he “curses the murderer of Laius and it turns out that he has cursed himself” (Knox 1383). Verbal irony is seen also in Oedipus’ conversation with the prophet Teiresias. Oedipus calls Teiresias “sightless,” and Teiresias calls Oedipus “blind” (Sophocles 1317-1318). The irony of this conversation is that Oedipus becomes physically blind when he repeatedly strikes his eyes with golden brooches after seeing his dead wife (1340). Also, the usage of irony of situation is present in Oedipus Rex. Jocasta, Oedipus’ wife and mother, believes that her son is dead (Sophocles 1325). The discrepancy lies in the fact that her son is alive and that her son is Oedipus. Irony of circumstance is seen again in Oedipus believing that the prophesies were a lie because Polybos died (1332). Oedipus’ joy over the news...
Words: 421 - Pages: 2
...By lending a critical eye to the play Oedipus Rex, the reader is able to understand various values of Greek culture. A study of the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, reveals Sophocles’ views on important cultural value of Greek society. It is evident that Sophocles shared the same views regarding women that the rest of his culture did as well as the idea that the gods played a large part in daily life; however, Sophocles satirized the Greek value of kleos, the glory one receives. In Ancient Greek society women were seen as inferior, Sophocles uses the treatment of Jocasta and her daughters as a way to...
Words: 1123 - Pages: 5
...“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...
Words: 621 - Pages: 3
...Representations of power in Oedipus Rex: A study of the characterisation of Oedipus, Jocasta and Teiresias. Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex, an ancient Greek tragedy inspired by the tragic demise of the once great ruler Pericles, is a tale of power. In this fateful downfall of the king, Sophocles plays out representations of power through the key characters of Oedipus, Jocasta and Teiresias; particularly evident in ways in which the characters interact and respond to prevailing circumstances whilst trying to resolve their own dilemmas. The actions of these key characters expose the nature of power in Oedipus Rex as corrosive and destructive. Oedipus is destroyed by his passion for the truth and the power he wields in seeking it and, his destruction is tragic in consequence. As the play opens, Oedipus’ powers are formidable. Oedipus is the leader of the city of Thebes; the “City of Light”. He is a noble man entrusted by the people with the kingship of Thebes; a power bestowed upon Oedipus when he “broke [the] bondage [of Thebes] to the vile Enchantress” with the “[stopping] of the riddler’s mouth”. Oedipus is granted the power of “Cadmus’ ancient line” which comes with the responsibility for caring for the citizens of Thebes. When the supplicants appeal to King Oedipus to rid Thebes of the deadly pestilence, Oedipus responds willingly to their needs; “I will start afresh; and bring everything into the light.” This thirst for truth is destructive and his actions driven by self-promotion...
Words: 1677 - Pages: 7
...to medicine on the human body. Consequently, throughout time, people regarded tragedies, including Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, as a mechanism to achieve this psychological disposition. Using Aristotelian theory, one can experience and understand the implementation of catharsis in Oedipus Rex through the elements of a tragic hero, peripeteia and anagnorisis, and the ultimate pathos. Contrary to a traditional protagonist, a tragic hero faces eventual downfall through unavoidable fate and his devastating hamartia. Utilizing Sophocles' Oedipus Rex as the ideal demonstration, Aristotelian theory outlines the elements of a tragedy. Therefore, Oedipus exhibits a fatal inadequacy in his overconfidence, specifically when he accidentally murders King Laius, his father, at the crossroads in an outburst of arrogance. Consequently, his insufficient knowledge and carelessness sanction the audience to gain wisdom through reflection of their own misunderstandings, therefore allowing for catharsis through...
Words: 486 - Pages: 2
...this time included a strong role of the gods. In Oedipus Rex, Sophocles develops his characters through his use of the allusion of the greek gods and mythology. Sophocles uses specific gods, oracles, and mythological characters to help influence the characters in this play One god in particular, Apollo, who was god of truth and prophecy, had one of the greatest influences in...
Words: 1021 - Pages: 5
...My understanding of the cultural aspects of the screen write Oedipus Rex by Sophocles has grown with the class discussion. Oedipus Rex was written around 430 B.C., a time when Greece was in an age of prosperity, the Golden age. With the discussion, I learned that Oedipus Rex is said to have been one of Sophocles’ best works and was a prominent playwrights that influenced Greece. Meanwhile, I also learned of the strong influence of both the belief in many gods and of prophecy in Greek drama and in Greek society during the Golden era. Through his works Sophocles revered the gods and used his protagonist Oedipus to solidify their importance. Through Oedipus’s actions to the well-known prophecy, his downfall occurs. Sophocles used a series of revelations...
Words: 393 - Pages: 2
...Oedipus Rex and Antigone- Sophocles “Oedipus Rex” and “Antigone”, plays by the Greek playwright Sophocles take place in the land of Thebes and have their central ideas as the question of justice. The two plays have several attributes in common and also have some differences. Both plays fall under the tragedy genre where the respective kings, King Oedipus in “Oedipus Rex” and King Creon in “Antigone”, display lack of justice and get punished as a result. In “Oedipus Rex”, King Oedipus displays lack of justice by killing the former king (Laius) and all his servants, except one, mercilessly. He also committed a sin by marrying his own mother. Similarly, King Creon displays lack of justice in the play “Antigone”, by denying the burial of Polenysis and he displays cruelty by being the immediate cause for the death of Antigone, the death of his son and the queen as well. In both plays, the curses on the land of Theses came out of the sins of the respective kings. Fate has a critical role in both plays. In “Oedipus Rex”, King Oedipus knew that he would kill his father and breed children from his own mother. That made him leave Corenth to get rid of his supposedly parents. But the return of Oedipus to Thebes paved the way for the prophecy to occur. In “Antigone”, King Creon couldn’t listen to the words of the blind prophet and paid the price for his ignorance. In the two plays, justice was realized in a similar way; which is through the punishment of the kings who disrespected...
Words: 821 - Pages: 4
...approximately 50 years after the death of Sophocles, the author of Oedipus Rex. Aristotle was a great admirer of the works of Sophocles and is said to have considered Oedipus Rex to be the perfect tragedy and the basis for his thoughts in Poetics. He defines tragedy as, “an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not of narrative; with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish its catharsis of such emotions…Every tragedy, therefore, must have six parts, which parts determine its quality – namely, plot, characters, diction, thought, spectacle, melody”. The work Oedipus Rex fits very well into this structure using the specific characteristics of; late point of attack, exposition, several key incidents, climax, catharsis, protagonist, antagonist, hamartia, anagorismos, metabasis, and perpetia. Aristotle’s first principle of tragedy is that of the plot. He defines the plot as how the incidents are presented to the audience in the structure of the play. This is the most important of the parts and holds the meat and potatoes of a tragedy. According to Poetics the best plots should be complex, arouse fear and pity, and involve a high degree of suffering for the protagonist. These are all seen in Oedipus Rex as there are plot twists, we learn to care about Oedipus and the decisions he makes, and finally...
Words: 892 - Pages: 4
...part of society. They had festivals to celebrate these plays and crown the best at each of these festivals. Many plays were written and, thus, many different types of endings were created for them. Sometimes this would entail a technique known as Deus ex Machina. This would involve a god coming in at the end of the play and settling all of the issues. To act this out they would have the actor come down from a crane like machine. Other playwrights chose to end the play with characters settling all of issues but leaving room for interpretation. Both of these styles have been used in the plays we have read in the second half of this class. In Philoctetes Sophocles chooses to use Deus ex Machina to end it while he chose to end it with his characters in Oedipus Rex. In this paper I will analyze the endings of both Philoctetes and Oedipus Rex and how effectively they close out their respective plays. In Philoctetes Odysseus and Neoptolemos are charged with the task of retrieving Philoctetes from the island he was left on by the Greek army. Once they get there they attempt to trick Philoctetes into giving them his bow, thinking this was all they needed to end the Trojan War. However after Philoctetes realizes it is Odysseus that is trying to trick him into going with them he refuses to go with them. Philoctetes tells them to go on without him and then begins to mope about his life. After arguing with Neoptolemos about going to Troy with them Herakles appears and settles everything. He...
Words: 1112 - Pages: 5
