Oedipus The King And The Dollhouse: A Literary Analysis

Tragedy is as prominent today as it was during its origins in ancient Greece. It is a dramatic and literary archetype that instills a dreary ambience within various works of literature. Through the characterization, it “treats in a serious and dignified style the sorrowful or terrible events encountered or caused by a heroic individual” (Britannica). Although, tragedy was originally intended for the stage, it has been utilized by numerous literary works. The origins of the term, Tragedy are traced to 5th Century ancient Greece. The residents of the region, Attica, utilized it to describe a specific type of play. Eventually, the Greeks perceived that they perfected this form of drama through the masterful works of dramatists, Sophocles, Euripides and Aeschylus. Aristotle, a philosopher, believed the aim of tragedy was to “bring about a "catharsis" of the spectators” (Britannica). According to him, the five basic elements of tragedy are character, plot, thought, …show more content…
Despite the tragedies in both works, each exemplifies an individual form of tragedy. It is a false equivalency to suggest both plays are equally tragic, as it is evident that one is superior. The tragedy of Oedipus the King most efficaciously presents a character and elicits the greatest pathos from the readers. It contains an emotional and physical tragedy that enlightens the reader and imposes them to sympathize with Oedipus. Ibsen, despite, presenting the plot and characters of The Dollhouse well, does not match the tragic intensity as Sophocles’ play. It elicits an emotional response from the reader, yet does not allow them to sincerely sympathize with the characters. The tragedies of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King and Ibsen’s The Dollhouse instill a dreary ambience within reader. Oedipus the King, nonetheless is a more accurate representation of this influential literary