Ismene

Antigone asks her sister, Ismene, if she will join her in burying their brother, but Ismene is not quite as bold as Antigone. In response to Ismene’s concern, Antigone declares, “Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way” (Sophocles, Antigone 191). This is a very strong statement for a woman to be saying…

In the story of Oedipus, there are several examples that show man’s relationship with the truth. The oracle predicts the truth about the future of Laius, Jocasta, and Oedipus. Killing his father and marrying his mother are both examples of what the oracle predicted about them. In Oedipus Rex, Sophocles shows that, in the case of finding truth, if a man starts in search for the truth, he must find the whole truth, but if a man never starts in search for the truth, he can stay ignorant of the…

The Oedipus Cycle is a collection of three plays written by Sophocles, a world renowned playwright who lived 1500 years ago. The first of these plays, Oedipus Rex, includes a main character named Oedipus, who became king of Thebes after fleeing his home to escape a prophecy. The final play, Antigone, is centered around a new king Creon, who automatically became king when Oedipus’ sons killed each other, and his son’s fiancee Antigone. Oedipus and Creon are affected by the judgement and…

SHORT QUESTIONS 1. Where did Oedipus send Creon at the beginning of the play? Oedipus sent Creon to the Pythian temple of Apollo, to the oracle of Delphi to ask for advice to get rid of the plague that was terrorizing Thebes. 2. Where was Laius killed? Laius was killed at a three way crossroad out of the country by Oedipus, when Oedipus and Laius had a scuffle and Oedipus ended up killing Laius. 3. Why did not anyone investigate Laius murder at the time it happened? No one tried to find out…

The downfall of Oedipus is the work of the gods; the downfall of Othello is self-inflicted.” The time periods and customs they had during that time, in each of these stories help lead to the downfall of Oedipus and Othello. The age of the two characters plays a role in who is to blame for the downfall of each. The personality of each differed, Oedipus being more selfless and Othello more selfish. Oedipus looked to his people and to the gods, Othello looked to his own strength. The endings of…

When confronted with the truth, most people decide to overlook it and neglect it, which leads to them to a worse predicament. Oedipus the King is a play written by Sophocles, it was first performed around 492 BC. This Athenian tragedy is about a king named Oedipus and his story of how he killed his father, the previous king Laius and lead to marrying his own mother, Jocasta. Minority Report is a science fiction movie that debuted in 2002, written by Frank and Cohen. This movie is about a man…

Sophocles' Oedipus The King tells the story of Oedipus, destined from birth to kill his father and marry his mother. It was first performed in Athens in the year 429 BC (Mastin), at a time where law was strictly carried out and courts were conducted with a trial by jury. This strong view for carrying out justice is a theme in the play and is reflected in the form of Oedipus being charged with several crimes he has allegedly committed. Whether the reason for these punishments is justifiable or…

In Oedipus the King by Sophocles and Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller each playwright constructs a main characters who despite being written in different eras act as a cautionary example due to a common characteristic. Through the similar use of symbolism and irony as well as the contrasting view of what it means to be a tragic hero, Sophocles and Miller put forward the idea that an individual’s misfortune is closely related to lack of self-consciousness. The similar use of symbolism allows…

Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is a play that has confounded many scholars throughout the ages. There is debate over Sophocles’ purpose in writing this play–what message was he trying to get across? Almost as is important is the controversy over Oedipus’ guilt–was he really guilty? Two particular scholars attempt to explore these questions–P.H. Vellacott and Edwin Muir. In “The Guilt of Oedipus”, Vellacott argues that Sophocles wrote the play with a deeper intention to portray a just punishment for…

Lifting Veils From the Faces of Marriage Both William Shakespeare and Henrik Ibsen have spun tales of marriage with deep complexities woven in, each having major objectives that are veiled from spouses. Sophocles Oedipus the King and Ibsen’s A Doll’s House provide readers with similar elements in the two plays. Oedipus the King and A Doll’s House are each a strong example of dramatic irony, providing the reader with a more detailed and comprehensive look at the characters and situations, more…