The Conflict of Great Kingship in Sophocles Play “Oedipus the King” The righteousness and transgression of two great kings, Oedipus and the biblical character David both have similarities in their sudden rise to success as kings in their young age and their degradation at the end of their reign as prominent monarchs. These powerful kings descended into sin, immorality, and lack of perception to distinguish their false self-righteousness. King Oedipus is the victim of a cruel sinful fate, which…
Hand of the Divinity itself, and can never be obscured by mortal power,”. The effacing of basic human rights by a mortal power plays a central role in Antigone, the third and final of Sophocles’ Theban tragedies. Set in the aftermath of both Oedipus Rex and Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone follows the rebellion of Oedipus’ daughter Antigone against her uncle Creon, the current ruler of Thebes. Antigone and her sister, Ismene, return to Thebes following the death of their father. Upon arriving, the…
which the protagonist commits errors that leads them to an unfortunate end. The story of Oedipus Rex by Sophocles resembles an Aristotelian tragic hero. The character represented by Oedipus shows the flaws that lead him to misfortune. It is not something to rely on a higher power for, but a responsibility this “tragic hero” has no choice but to persevere through hardship and endure the tragedy of his life. Oedipus was a proud, confident man and one could see he was utterly arrogant from the…
Correlation of Ignorance, Sight and Truth in Oedipus Rex Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex was written over 2,500 years ago. Although this play may seem ancient and irrelevant to today’s society, its themes and actions are relevant to modern society. Sophocles’ play Oedipus revealed many ideas that are now used in western drama. Sophocles’ use of dramatic irony became a new method for artists who wanted to create tension in the plots of their work. Sophocles uses his irony to help him illustrate his…
In life, there is a domino effect in which one member falls, and that fall or choice affects others around them. For example, there is two Greek tragedies, Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, and the other tragedy Medea, written by Euripides. Although the plays were different in their own ways, it is true that both families of the lead characters, such as Jason and Oedipus's, had to make the same sacrifices when it came to punishment. In the both stories, there are examples of homeland,…
In this interesting play by Sophocles, destiny selected Oedipus to live this unfortunate prophecy. The play describes Oedipus’ journey to discover the truth about himself and his fate. He is the victim of a tragic prophecy that says he must kill his father and marry his mother. In the play, Oedipus expressed many emotions that made him make serious decisions that negatively affected him and the overall plot of the story. Moreover, Oedipus did possess a tragic flaw that with time lead to his…
by a supernatural power. Fate controls every aspect in Oedipus the king and is the driving force behind every characters’ actions and thoughts. Laios and Iocaste’s attempt to kill their son, and Oedipus runs away from his adopted parents where all attempts to avoid the fate. Unfortunately they were all doomed by the prophecy of the Oracle and no matter how much they tried to avoid it, fate still prevailed. Iocaste makes it easier for Oedipus to fulfil his prophecy. Iocaste is very confident that…
Oedipus Rex by Sophocles is a work heavily focused on justice. Oedipus, as the king of Thebes, discovers that the only way he can save his beloved city and its people from a rampant plague is to seek and accordingly punish his predecessor’s killer. Oedipus is determined to find justice for the city by harshly punishing the murderer, which he is successful in, but he in turn is penalized with harsh and irreversible consequences. The most pronounce theme in the play is that human beings are…
plays Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, and Death of a Salesman, written by Arthur Miller, it is displayed that the two protagonists make sacrifices throughout their stories without high moral judgement, leading to inferior outcomes. In the two texts, it is clear that the main characters Oedipus and Willy…
Sophocles’ “Oedipus Rex”, written around 429 B.C.E., was a Greek tragedy focused on the fall of the Theban King Oedipus. He was considered a strong, brave, and seemingly intelligent king by the ancient people of Thebes. Although this tragic hero had a multitude of good qualities, Oedipus had quite a few negative traits that led to his tragic end. His imperfections were such that they caused his inner blindness. They ultimately led to the demise of his family and of himself. The two flaws that…