King

A disturbing amount of evil, cruel and unjust treatment is displayed throughout Shakespeare’s King Lear. So much so that it can be a challenge to look beyond and recognize the occasions where justice is served. Although not as consistently as it should have been, justice is served in its own unique ways, for both the characters with good intentions and those with evil. Due to the lack of goodhearted characters in the play, more opportunities for justice naturally came to the evil characters, or…

The Irreversible Fate: The power of the Gods in determining density The play Oedipus the King by Sophocles is a depiction that fate is not of free will or random chance instead, it is an inescapable density set by those in higher power. The author uses the overshadowing character of the deity Apollo to reveal and control Oedipus’ fate. Oedipus unfortunate fate of having incest with his mother and killing his father did not accidentally occur rather, it is a predetermined density created by…

flaw, or hamartia, that causes his downfall; experiences a realization which moves him from blindness to sight; face his downfall with honor and dignity; and causes the audience or Chorus to experience pity and fear. In Sophocles’ play, Oedipus the King,…

In many religions, the god or gods are believed to be all-knowing and powerful, and their judgment ultimate. The tragedy Oedipus Rex, written by the Greek playwright Sophocles, is a classic Greek play telling of a king, Oedipus, who refused to accept the fate determined by the gods for him. Although he seeks to know the truth, he denies it when people tell him. All throughout the play, both reverence and irreverence to gods is shown. Reverence is shown when Oedipus says “It was Apollo, my…

father. As this shows,Oedipus was portrayed as a stubborn egocentric protagonist who makes rash decisions.In any event, his rage causes him to activate his rash decision making and impulsive personality therefore resulting him to kill his father, King Lauis. The fact that he didn’t think over the…

Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex flawlessly demonstrates Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero through the protagonist, Oedipus. As required, the character exhibits errors of judgement, reversal of fortune due to such judgement, and acknowledgement of their self-inflicted misfortune. In addition, Oedipus exhibits extreme pride and receives a fate much colder than deserved. Shortly into the play, Oedipus reveals his hamartia, or flaw in judgement, when he refuses and mocks the advice of the blind…

Nature is not a mere theme in William Shakespeare's King Lear; it is the foundation of the entire play. The concept of nature is articulated throughout the whole play but the only natural occurrence (pertaining to earth's atmosphere) happens towards the end of act two (2) scene four (4): a storm [and a tempest]. At this moment in the play, Lear, Goneril and Regan are in Gloucester’s castle. In this scene, the three (3) are in the midst of a feud and Lear goes into a rage (pursuant to the 'divine…

Oedipus: The Tragic Hero “A man doesn’t become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall.” – Aristotle. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus attempted to escape the prophecy that was given in Corinth, but in reality, he ended up running towards his true doom that lay within Thebes. He can be considered a tragic hero, according to Aristotle’s definition, because he acknowledged his mistakes, made himself suffer more than he deserved, and thought about his children in a serious situation.…

The most famous Pharaoh of Egypt’s 18th dynasty has to be King Tutankhamen. The riches of his tomb have given him international fame and recognition , but in a historical sense his accomplishes cannot be compared to those of Ahmose I. Ahmose I accomplished something that Pharaohs before him could not and that was then continued by his Successor. Although the lack of riches in his tomb could not allow him to have the modern recognition that King Tutankhamen he is rich in his history. Before…

Consequently, Western society’s perception of the aged has not changed much since Shakespeare wrote the play. Moreover, Lear is viewed by his evil daughters as irrelevant, old and foolish. When Lear arrives at Gloucester’s castle hoping that Regan will accept him, she responds, “O, sir, you are old! / Nature in you stands on the very verge / Of her confine” (Shakespeare 2.4 145-147). Regan demonstrates the burden of taking in her father, portraying how individuals in Western society view their…