...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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...Oedipus is the second of three Theban plays that Sophocles wrote. The play is set in Thebes, an ancient Egyptian city. There is a plague over the city and will not be lifted until the death of the former King Laius is solved. Throughout Oedipus there are four recurring characters: Jocasta, Creon, Tiresias, and Oedipus. These characters are the ones that get close to Oedipus and help him figure out the plague of Thebes. To better understand the story of Oedipus the characters, the theme and the plot need to be examined. The protagonist of the play is Oedipus. He is the king of Thebes and was made king by solving the riddle of the Sphinx. Jocasta is the wife of Oedipus and mother, who is later revealed in the play. She tries to make...
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... Likewise, Oedipus, from Oedipus the King written by Sophocles, is another character that can be given the title of tragic hero. Through the naïve nature of King Lear, the arrogance and pride of Oedipus, and the ignorance of both these kings, readers are overwhelmed with pity for these two characters as they descend from greatness. Both King Lear and Oedipus display similar and different characteristics, which evokes feelings of pity in the audience, as well as being regarded as tragic heroes. The naïve nature of King Lear has led to his demise and downfall. Unwanted to govern his land anymore, King Lear decides to retire, split up his kingdom into three pieces and distribute them among his three daughters. His flaw is revealed, when King Lear says “which of you shall we say doth love us most?” This naïve, old man decides that appearance is more important than reality, in which the size of the land he gives is proportional to the amount of flattery the daughter shows him. Despite Cordelia being his favourite daughter, and probably knowing just how much she loves him, he still decides to favour Regan and Goneril’s flattery. Due to this naïve quality, King Lear loses sight of what is important to him, and evokes immense feelings of pity from the readers, as it is clear that siding with Goneril and Regan was a grave mistake. This mistake eventually leads him to his downfall, and the tragic hero of King Lear. Likewise, the arrogance and pride of Oedipus has clouded...
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...Comparing Oedipus and Othello For Oedipus and Othello “duty” should have their first priority. Othello’s duty was supposed to be the importance of his marriage, but he listened to Iago, ignored Desdemona, didn’t believe his own conscience, and his own heart. Oedipus’ duty was to defeat the Sphinx(which he does) free Thebes from heavy taxes(which he does) be a great king of Thebes and be a good husband, but instead he offends Creon, his brother-in-law and uncle; insults his friend, Tiresias the blind prophet; kills his father; and destroys Jocasta, his mother and his queen. Fatal flaws demolished the lives of both Oedipus and Othello. Othello was so proud of his honor and bravery that he didn’t recognize his violent temper and Iago’s mind tricks. Oedipus was so proud of his cleverness that he tried so hard to escape his own fate. With all that said, these were honestly just a couple of comparable traits between Oedipus and Othello. When looking for a great leader that would lead your city through anything and everything it is not hard to tell that both Oedipus and Othello could be those leaders. Both had great gifts in leadership. They stood up in what they believed in. Each held exceptional accomplishments and both possessed the ability to be an all-around leader. Othello was a respectable citizen who was usually known for his fighting or war success. He knew how and what the goal was to succeed. Not all leaders knew that. Oedipus was also somewhat the same. He, like...
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...Eduardo Araiza Joshua Cochran Writing 102 September 29th, 2011 Overconfidence Killed the King Many of the characters throughout Sophocles’ Oedipus the King face their ups and downs. Some characters lose the trust of the audience only to gain it afterwards. However many of the characters coincide in one thing, most of the mistakes that are committed throughout the story are caused by overconfidence from the characters. This seems to correlate with real life. Humans in their daily life make many mistakes that are attributed to ego and overconfidence. Throughout the play, overconfidence is a factor that causes the downfall of many of the characters. When Creon arrives with news from the Oracle, Oedipus is very confident that it is better that the news are heard by everyone in Thebes. Oedipus doesn’t realize, however, that this action causes the beginning of his demise. Oedipus’s ego also hurts him when he pleas for Tiresias to reveal who Laius’s murder is. Tiresias mentions that although Oedipus has his eyesight, it is the same that blinds him from the truth. Jocasta is also confident that the prophecy the oracle made regarding Laius’s murder was wrong since he was killed by a band of thieves and not his son. She is proved wrong once she realizes that Oedipus is in fact her on and that he was the one that killed Laius. Pascal Mamassian performed a psychological study that showed that overconfidence can “place humans in hazardous situations,” yet overconfidence is not attributed...
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...Oedipus, the ruler of Thebes, approaches a group of unhappy citizens, represented by a priest, and asks them what is wrong. They answer that the city is dying and that they are sick and poor. Oedipus sympathizes and tells them that, as their ruler, he is also troubled by the sickness of the city, and has already taken steps to see that something be done about it. The first step he has taken was to send Creon to Apollo's shrine to see what the god recommends they do. As Creon appears, he tells them that the god, Apollo, said that there is bad blood in Thebes, and that until this blood is expelled Thebes will be a sick city. This bad blood is the blood of the person who killed Laios. When Oedipus asks why the case was not investigated, as he had not come to Thebes at that point, the people answer that they were too busy trying to solve the Sphinx's riddle. Oedipus says that no matter what the cost is, he will get to the bottom of it, both because it harms Thebes, and because Laios was noble and loyal. The elders say that they do not have any knowledge of the murder, and suggest that Oedipus call Tiresias, a blind prophet, to help and advise him. Oedipus says that he has already done this, and Tiresias arrives promptly. Although reluctant to speak, Oedipus forces Tiresias to reveal what he knows. Tiresias says that Oedipus is Thebes' pollution and that he killed his father and sleeps with his mother, and that this is the truth. Oedipus accuses Tiresias of lying on Creon's behalf...
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...Oedipus Rex, a classical tragic play portrays how the protagonist, Oedipus is outrun by fate alongside depicting the classical and historical setting of that era. It is a drama of self-discovery of a man on whom a hereditary curse is placed and thus has to suffer its tragic consequences. It depicts how a tragic hero, due to wrong judgment error has inevitably led to his destruction. The dramatic irony of the audience being a part of Oedipus’s secret leads one to assume that this play would inevitably end in a tragedy. Nevertheless, one is unaware of the consequences that would befall a great and well respected king- Oedipus. The intervention of high power, life and its challenges that a man faces with and attitudes that shape humankind are...
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...Sight in Oedipus The phrase “ignorance is bliss” is a common one used in situations where a person is better off not knowing something. A similar phrase is used by Oedipus in Oedipus the King by Sophocles that says, “Oblivion – what a blessing… / for the mind to dwell a world away from pain.” (lines 1522-1523) Both of these statements explain how the absence of knowledge can shield a person from feeling pain. In this screwball, Greek tale, knowledge is attained by having sight of either the physical or the mystical world. Before Oedipus spears needles through his eyes, he further expresses his grievances by saying, “I, with my eyes, / how could I look my father in the eyes / when I go down to death? Or mother, so abused… / I have done such things to the two of them, / crimes too huge for hanging. / Worse yet, / the sight of my children, born as they were born, / how could I long to look into their eyes? / No, not with these eyes of mine, never. / ”( lines 1501-1507) Literally, Oedipus is saying he cannot look into his children’s’ eyes without remembering the horrendous things of which he has done. Diving even deeper, he is saying that he is blinded by guilt and shame for he...
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...Bliss Many people believe that more knowledge leads to more happiness. However, the well-known saying "Ignorance is bliss" may be more credible than people think. Many times, people are hurt by the truth. Therefore, more knowledge does not make one happier because the truth can be devastating and have a negative impact on one's life. When you are ignorant, you choose to not recognize that there is wrong in the world or that wrong is being done to you. This proverb can be clearly illustrated in Plato’s ‘Allegory of the Cave’ and the story of ‘Oedipus the King’. In the story of ‘Oedipus the king’, it is prophesized that Oedipus would kill his father and marries his mother. If Oedipus had remained oblivious of the ancient prophecy he would not have ultimately stabbed out his own eyes. And imposed on himself the penalty of exile. He was so desperate for knowledge and to find out the truth that in the end he caused pain to himself. If he would remain ignorant, he would not have gone through much pain. His thirst of knowing the truth was the road through his tragic end. For Oedipus, ignorance would have been bliss. In the case of Plato’s ‘Allegory of the Cave’, once the prisoner is released he is forced to look upon the fire and objects that were his reality. He realizes these new images in front of him are now the accepted forms of reality. Plato describes the vision of the real truth in one way to the prisoners. Thus, they do not realize that they are looking at shadows on a...
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...Literature I 1. In your opinion, is Oedipus a hero? Think about what you found heroic in previous characters we encountered: Gilgamesh, Enkidu, Roland. How does Oedipus compare? Also, does Oedipus have a character flaw that affects his fate? There are many types of heroes, but Oedipus happens to be a tragic hero. Throughout the story, it is pretty safe to say that Oedipus is a tragic hero. In Aristotle’s work, he has made this point very apparent. There are three main reasons why I think Oedipus is a tragic hero. First, by his own actions, he ascertains his own fate. Secondly, he falls from great esteem. Lastly, Oedipus’ story ascends fear and sympathy. The way Oedipus discovers his fate is by his own actions. If he did not inquire about the murder of Laois, he probably would have never discovered that he in fact was the murderer. The saying “curiosity killed the cat”, is a perfect example of how Oedipus’ story dwindled and unwounded. If Oedipus did not seek Teresias he would have still been in the unknown of the murder. When he asked Teresias, the answers that were given were nonetheless the answers that Oedipus was seeking. For example, Teresias replied to him and said, “You are the murderer of the king whose murderer you seek.” After hearing this information, he still does not believe it or understand, so he seeks Jocasta. He has hopes of her telling him that there is no truth to what Teresias is saying. When he arrives, the news that Oedipus hears is the complete opposite...
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...It has been said by Karl Taro Greenfield that: “The harsh truth of every relationship, even between those who love each other, like fathers and sons and daughters, or husbands and wives, is that the love is always unequal”. When a child is little, everything their parents do is seen as perfect, a parent can do no wrong. As a child grows older, they start to see that their parents are in fact flawed and this can cause an inward conflict for the child. Psychology has done a lot of research about family relationships, especially the relationship between a mother and her son. Sigmund Freud himself came up with the Oedipus complex, which is when a boy has an attachment to the mother, which in turns results in aggressive and envious feelings toward...
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...Sophocles Oedipus the King Translated by Ian Johnston Malaspina University-College Nanaimo, British Columbia Canada Richer Resources Publications Arlington, Virginia USA Sophocles Oedipus the King copyright 2007 by Richer Resources Publications All rights reserved Cover Art by Ian Crowe. No part of this book may be reproduced in whole or in part without express permission from the publisher except for brief excerpts in review. Reprint requests and requests for additional copies of this book should be addressed to Richer Resources Publications 1926 N. Woodrow Street Arlington, Virginia 22207 or via our web site at www.RicherResourcesPublications.com ISBN 978-0-9797571-1-2 Library of Congress Control Number 2007931684 Published by Richer Resources Publications Arlington, Virginia Printed in the United States of America 3 Translator's Note In the following text the numbers in square brackets refer to the Greek text; the numbers without brackets refer to the English text. In the line numbering for the translated text a short indented line is normally included with the short line above it. The translator would like to acknowledge the valuable help provided by Sir Richard Jebb’s translation and commentary. Background Note Sophocles (495 BC-405 BC) was a famous and successful Athenian writer of tragedies in his own lifetime. Of his 120 plays, only 7 have survived. Oedipus the King, also called Oedipus Tyrannos or Oedipus Rex, written around 420 BC, has long been...
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...Why do most teams go for the difficult win when they could go for the easy tie? The thinking that goes on after going for the win and losing is similar to what Oedipus from Sophocles’s Oedipus the King and Othello from Shakespeare’s Othello the Moor must think after they have lost everything they once had even though they didn’t have to. Oedipus the King, born royal, runs away from his prophecy to Thebes, his new land, where he completes what the prophecy had in mind. Othello the Moor, a general, questions his wife, Desdemona, after an evil man manipulates his mind. Though both authors use irony and a tragic hero to move their audiences, Sophocles uses those elements to stress the role of fate, while Shakespeare uses them to demonstrate the importance of personal choice. Both Oedipus and Othello are tragic heroes, and the downfall of each moves the audience. Both heroes are blinded by their emotions. Oedipus was blind to his prophecy that he never realized that he actually married his mother and killed his father. He thought that he could run away from it, and got mad at anyone who suggested that he already reached the destination. For example, when Teiresias tells Oedipus that he is the cause of Thebe’s plague, Oedipus says to him, “Your infantile riddles! Your damned abracadabra!” (Sophocles 24). He is basically getting angry because he believes that Teiresias is threatening his power. Similarly, Othello is blinded by his trust in Iago that he falls for all of his tricks....
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...The Cost of “Free” Will in Oedipus Rex (the King) Perhaps the Greek playwright Sophocles never had the concept of “free will” in mind when writing Oedipus Rex, but the play does allow for that interesting paradox we know today as free will. The paradox is: if Oedipus is told by the gods' oracles that he will kill his father and marry his mother, does he have any power to avoid this fate? That's a basic free will question. If Oedipus manages to avoid killing his father and marrying his mother, he will prove the gods wrong, and the oracle prediction turns out to be no prediction at all. How free can we truly be if created by an all knowing being? If God knows, even at the moment before our births, that we are already destined to ascend to Heaven or burn in Hell, can we move through life making truly free decisions? Or are we always to be viewed as puppets of destiny? Was Adam to be blamed for the fall? Or was that actually God's plan? So what is this idea of "original sin?" Shouldn't we celebrate Adam as a hero for freeing man from the state of unawareness that he lived in until he consumed the sacred pomegranate? Recall that the very first line following Adam and Eve's sin is "And they saw that they were naked." This nakedness is not so much of the body (though early Christians loved to view it that way), but rather a sense of viewing, as Joseph Campbell puts it, "duality," the basic difference between man and woman, right and wrong, and, ultimately, man and...
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...in the story of Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, all of those qualities were taken into consideration. In the play,...
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