Colonus

Oedipus the King is a tragedy outlining the fall of Oedipus as he discovers his true identity. The drama focuses on his inability to see past his own ignorance, thus leading to disastrous consequences. As outlined in Aristotle’s Poetics, the mark of a good tragedy is represented by an error done by the protagonist. In the play, dramatic irony emphasizes Oedipus’ compulsion for knowledge which is hindered by his own ignorance, thus resulting in his loss of reputation. Throughout the play, Oedipus…

The Mithridatic Wars were fought during the first century BC between Rome and the Kingdom of Pontus, ruled by King Mithridates VI. Mithridates was betrayed by his own son, and the Kingdom of Pontus eventually lost to Rome, after which Mithridates took his own life (Simpson). The poem “Rain of Statues”, written by Sarah Lindsay, tells a story about the soldiers who fought and died during these wars. “Rain of Statues” gives the reader the idea that people are often viewed as being no different…

Antigone’s Love Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta. In the beginning of the book, we find out that Antigone’s brothers have slaughtered each other in war. One of the brothers, Polyneices is considered a traitor and Creon, the king, refuses to give him a proper burial. Antigone decides to disobey the king and give her brother a proper burial. Antigone loves the idea of a noble death and it drives her decision-making at the end of her life. Her death had a major impact on the city and…

Having an open mind creates the possibility of accepting new ideas, but refusing to listen to others can do more harm than good. In Things Fall Apart, Antigone, and Titus Andronicus, stubbornness of the protagonist is the main conflict that leads the tragic hero to their downfall. All three tragic heroes, Okonkwo, Antigone, and Titus believe their own beliefs are the correct ones to be followed and that there's nothing wrong with it, however as the stories progress it's clear to see that this is…

The realization of truth can hurt one’s feelings for a short period of time, however, the magnitude of the agony of a lie can hurt oneself in the long run. The denial of truth and reality is used by one’s self-interest to protect and retain their dreams and illusions from being destroyed. The protagonists in the movies “The Matrix” and the “The Truman Show” perceive who they truly are and realize their purpose in life because they choose to discover the truth rather than accepting a delusion.…

Altruistic Behaviors “My own heroes are the dreamers, those men and women who tried to make the world a better place than when they found it, whether in small ways or great ones. Some succeeded, some failed, most had mixed results... but it is the effort that's heroic, as I see it. Win or lose, I admire those who fight the good fight,” George R.R. Martin. In the film “Forrest Gump,” directed by Robert Zemeckis, a fictional character goes through a long journey, while displaying a wide variety…

Machiavelli's last argument "the end justifies the means" is a quite controversial issue. In his book Machiavelli explains gives an example of Agathocles and Oliverotto da Ferma. Both of them seized the power by cruelty. They killed others in order to come to power and stay in power. Well, I said it's a controversial, because sometimes the end does justifies the means, but sometimes not. For instance, cheating in the exam (the means) in order to get a good mark and make your mother happy (the…

Jean Anouilh’s play Antigone is a tragedy inspired by Greek mythology and the play of the same name (Antigone, by Sophocles) from the fifth century B.C. The play Antigone tells the story of a brave girl (one of Oedipus’s daughters) who stands up against the law in order to honor her brother. The play had many important characters without which the meaning would be incomplete. However, there were many minor characters that completed the play and aided the reader’s understanding which leads us…

If you are oblivious to the truth and have no way of knowing what you did wrong, should you be blamed for your actions? Oedipus Rex is a play written by Sophocles in 441 b.c.. The play is about King Oedipus, ruler of Thebes, and his terrible destiny. There was an oracle created before the King’s birth that eventually proved to be true. The oracle claimed that Oedipus would kill his father, and also marry and have children with his mother. Knowing that this oracle was in place, Oedipus’s…

1. may instigate and further advance the plot as a result of the death of the protagonist’s surrogate as displayed between the case of Achilles and Patroclus. 2. “Characters are not people” but are “products of writers’ imaginations – and reader’s imaginations.” Characters are neither real nor alive. In fact, the only reason characters are present is to further serve a role in fostering the plot line and are not conclusive themselves. 3. The death of the surrogate provides an opportunity to…