Drama Paper: Oedipus the King and A Dollhouse
`There are many characteristics that go into creating a good tragedy. A tragedy, in Aristotle 's view, “arouses the powerful emotions of pity and fear, and, through the experience of the drama, bring about a “proper purgation” or purification of these emotions” (1028). According to Aristotle, there are many characteristics that a tragedy will contain, such as: the “representation of a single major action” (1029), “appropriate diction and song” (1031), and “situation or cosmic irony”(1032). However, I will be comparing certain characteristics of tragedy such as a scene of suffering, tragic flaw, and tragic dilemma for two distinct plays; Oedipus the King by Sophocles, and A Dollhouse by Henrik …show more content…
In the play, A Dollhouse, Nora 's misinterpretation of her husband and her degrading society have led to the downfall of her marriage. If Nora was able to realize how her husband saw her as no more than a perfect “doll” like all other men saw women in the 19th century, from the beginning, then she could have saved her self all the drama that she had to face and the disappointment of her husbands reaction about the secret. “I was so absolutely certain, you would come forward and take everything upon yourself, and say: I am the guilty one.” (1533). I believe Ibsen does a good job in showing Nora 's tragic flaw. In Oedipus the King, Sophocles does a good job as well. Oedipus ' tragic flaw is his pride. He believes that his fate will not apply to him and chooses to ignoring Tiresias ', the blind prophet, prophecy. “Am I to listen to such things from him! May you be damned! Get out of here at once! Go! Leave my palace! Turn around and go!”(1049). His unwillingness to accept his fate, eventually leads him to his downfall, which is realizing the truth about him killing his father, marrying his mother, and being a brother to his …show more content…
In the play, A Dollhouse, I feel it does an okay job on the matter. Nora has to choose whether to live a bogus happy marriage or leave her husband and kids to gain her identity. Although most people will see Nora 's situation as both negative, to her its a chance at happiness. “I only know that it is necessary for me...I believe that before all else I am a reasonable human...i must try and become one..i can no longer content myself” (1532). I don 't consider her decision as a loss for her, I feel she gained something out of it, therefore, not really following the “lose, lose” situation that a traditional tragedy should have. Now, in Oedipus the King, the tragic dilemma is nicely presented. Oedipus, no matter what situation he was given, was destined for a tragic outcome. The path he chose was to find out the truth that ended in him stabbing his eyes out and living a life of misery. If he was to choose a different path, for example, if he would have neglected his kingly duties, instead of following his responsibility in discovering the truth, he would have either way ruined his image on top of harming the
`There are many characteristics that go into creating a good tragedy. A tragedy, in Aristotle 's view, “arouses the powerful emotions of pity and fear, and, through the experience of the drama, bring about a “proper purgation” or purification of these emotions” (1028). According to Aristotle, there are many characteristics that a tragedy will contain, such as: the “representation of a single major action” (1029), “appropriate diction and song” (1031), and “situation or cosmic irony”(1032). However, I will be comparing certain characteristics of tragedy such as a scene of suffering, tragic flaw, and tragic dilemma for two distinct plays; Oedipus the King by Sophocles, and A Dollhouse by Henrik …show more content…
In the play, A Dollhouse, Nora 's misinterpretation of her husband and her degrading society have led to the downfall of her marriage. If Nora was able to realize how her husband saw her as no more than a perfect “doll” like all other men saw women in the 19th century, from the beginning, then she could have saved her self all the drama that she had to face and the disappointment of her husbands reaction about the secret. “I was so absolutely certain, you would come forward and take everything upon yourself, and say: I am the guilty one.” (1533). I believe Ibsen does a good job in showing Nora 's tragic flaw. In Oedipus the King, Sophocles does a good job as well. Oedipus ' tragic flaw is his pride. He believes that his fate will not apply to him and chooses to ignoring Tiresias ', the blind prophet, prophecy. “Am I to listen to such things from him! May you be damned! Get out of here at once! Go! Leave my palace! Turn around and go!”(1049). His unwillingness to accept his fate, eventually leads him to his downfall, which is realizing the truth about him killing his father, marrying his mother, and being a brother to his …show more content…
In the play, A Dollhouse, I feel it does an okay job on the matter. Nora has to choose whether to live a bogus happy marriage or leave her husband and kids to gain her identity. Although most people will see Nora 's situation as both negative, to her its a chance at happiness. “I only know that it is necessary for me...I believe that before all else I am a reasonable human...i must try and become one..i can no longer content myself” (1532). I don 't consider her decision as a loss for her, I feel she gained something out of it, therefore, not really following the “lose, lose” situation that a traditional tragedy should have. Now, in Oedipus the King, the tragic dilemma is nicely presented. Oedipus, no matter what situation he was given, was destined for a tragic outcome. The path he chose was to find out the truth that ended in him stabbing his eyes out and living a life of misery. If he was to choose a different path, for example, if he would have neglected his kingly duties, instead of following his responsibility in discovering the truth, he would have either way ruined his image on top of harming the