Similarities Between King And Oedipus Rex

Oedipus the King is an ancient Greek story about a man who would eventually become the King of Thebes and kill his father, King Lauis; and marry his mother, Jocasta. There are many versions of this story acted in plays throughout history. In the contemporary versions, the protagonist is often altered to fit the modern audiences so as to tell the story of Oedipus, the Greek hero. In literature, the ancient Greek and contemporary versions can be contrasted. This will show comparisons that exist between Oedipus the King and Oedipus Rex.
Oedipus is seen as a violent character in the contemporary versions and as a man whose anger led to his downfall though greatly celebrated as a hero among the Greeks. For example when he is attacked by a bunch …show more content…
It is very clear that he is the one who saved Thebes from the Sphinx. This was not a mere achievement, and, therefore, he deserved praise as the city would still be in the thrall of the creature if he had not acted upon his mission. In another instance, when Creon brought him word from the Oracle of Delphi that he must find the murderer or the city of Thebes shall perish; Oedipus was led by self-sacrifice for the sake of his people. He felt he had an obligation to save his people from the hands of the creature.
In Oedipus the King, Aristotle one of the greatest Greek philosophers admires the protagonist so much because his actions led to his downfall. In the contemporary versions, the audience is moved to pity as the protagonist because he only desired to do the right thing but ended up destroying everything. The audience is even left fearful as Oedipus desired the best only to the worst. For example, he targets to find who murdered Lauisi’s mother in order to save Thebes but at the same time ends up being struck with