The Downfall of Oedipus Essay

Irony in Oedipus In Oedipus the King a play written by Sophocles, contains many irony for a purpose. Dramatic irony are words and actions known to the audience but the characters are unaware. “I know or so I’ve. I never saw the man myself”(119). Oedipus not having a clue that he has seen Laius before, because he is the one who killed his father. “You are the curse, the corruption of the land”(401). Tiresias, the blind, prophet accuses Oedipus of murdering his father as a result bringing the…

character that leads to his or her downfall. A character with a tragic flaw is in need of an attitude adjustment. In the play, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, is about a tragic hero named Hamlet, but he soon became mad over…

Fate is a prominent and critical theme in Oedipus the King. Greeks in antiquity were interested in the ideology of fate; predestined events that one has no control over – every aspect of one’s life had been based on fate. Oedipus defied the Gods, he acted according to his thirst for knowledge, claiming all of his gestures and feats were accomplished due to his own abilities. This is exemplified by him solving the Sphinx’s riddle himself. Oedipus’s actions are symbolic of a man who has free will…

A Drama Analysis of the Evolution and Demise of the Tragedy in Oedipus Rex, Hamlet, and Death of a Salesman The origins of dramatic tragedy in ancient Greece define a time when heroic figures were killed or removed from power due to the imposition of fate in their life. The tradition of the Greek tragedy is often seen in the example of the downfall of the heroic figure, Oedipus, in Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. The “tragedy” of Oedipus is that he is the heroic savior of Thebes because he had…

others. In Oedipus’ case, that was from the beginning of his time. As a young man, Oedipus was living the life of royalty and never really knew anything otherwise. Growing up in this kind of lifestyle shaped the way Oedipus viewed himself and interacted with others. Expressing attributes like excessive pride, overconfidence, and lack of judgement, Oedipus paves the way for his own destruction that affects not only him but those around him. In Oedipus Rex, Sophocles shows the character Oedipus’…

that if she gets caught she’ll face an intense punishment already, but it would even be worse because of the fact that she is a woman. Creon’s determination also leads to his downfall, by claiming to punish whoever buried Oedipus, he is going down the same path that Oedipus, which clearly didn’t end up working out for Oedipus. One quote that supports this is from…

hubris is defined as excessive pride, or self-importance committed by a character that will eventually cause their downfall. There are two types of hubris that can be committed: knowing and unknowing. Although any form of hubris is seen as a terrible thing in a Greek tragedy, if an act of hubris is done unknowingly, it can ultimately be justifiable. In the the Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, the character Jocasta commits several instances of hubris. In the end, her hubris, also her…

In the play Oedipus Rex, Sophocles shows that fate is destined to happen and nothing can prevent it. Excessive pride causes Oedipus to defy fate unsuccessfully. His over confidence makes him pursue a truth that will lead him right to his downfall. Excessive pride is also the cause of a dark fate in the play Antigone. Creon makes laws to create a peaceful kingdom. Unfortunately, he becomes very stubborn and excessive pride begins infecting him. Creon’s decision to leave Polynices corpse unburied…

arrives in Thebes. Both Oedipus and the Messenger interrogate the Shepherd, who resists the questioning at first. The Shepherd tells Oedipus and the Messenger that he does not quite remember the details of his encounter with the Messenger and baby Oedipus. However, after Oedipus threatens to torture or kill the Shepherd, he reveals that he was one of Laius’ men. In addition, he also admits that Jocasta, mother and wife of Oedipus, gave him the order to dispose of Oedipus because Laius and…

Remember those times when you “jinxed” yourself? You know, when you said you were doing well in a game but as soon as you said that, you ended up failing miserably? Or when you said that you surely were going to do well on your math test but ended up barely passing? Now that could be a result of two things: fate and free will. You could’ve studied for your math test and just had bad luck or didn’t study and just decided to “wing it”. On that game, you could’ve stopped paying attention or just…