The Tragedy Of Oedipus The King Essay

Drama Paper A tragedy is “a dramatic form, [which] is designed to evoke powerful emotions..through catharsis, to serve a salutary political, moral, and ethical purpose.” (1031). In my eyes, a tragedy is when the protagonist suffers some hardship, leaving the drama with no happy ending. Aristotle, who is a good source of information since “no one before or after Aristotle has had more firsthand knowledge of Greek tragedy” (1028), follows a criteria for a tragedy piece, which contains many requirements. I will be using only three of the many requirements, they are: reversal, scene of suffering, and tragic flaw, which will help me decided whether Oedipus the King by Sophocles or A Dollhouse by Henrik Ibsen fits more superior as a tragedy. Sophocles ' written work, Oedipus the King, centers around Oedipus, King of Thebes, and his journey on uncovering the mystery of the murder of Laius, the former king of Thebes. During his journey he learns about a prophesy from a blind seer, Tiresias, which states, “to his beloved children, he 'll be shown a father who is also brother; to the one who bore him, son and husband; to his father, his seed-fellow and killer” (1050), which he unknowingly plays into, ultimately destroying his life and all the precious memories he once had. Ibsens ' written work, A Dollhouse, is about a seemingly happy marriage between Nora and Torvald, and the secret Nora has been keeping from Torvald. The secret ends up coming out to light, changing everything…