Laius

At first Oedipus is seen as a man of mighty feats; however, in the end, the remembrance of his great acts are overcome by the infamy of how he killed his father and married his mother. At the beginning of Socrates’ play, the priest cries out on the subject of the mighty acts the king, Oedipus’ has done; surely the man who was powerful enough to destroy the dreaded sphinx could also save them from the plague ravaging their town. Ironically the riddle that the sphinx gave to Oedipus could point to…

them looking at the truth which is shown through Oedipus in Oedipus the King. However, Oedipus was running from the prophecy so it won’t come true. But fate came to him while he was searching for the murderer as Tiresias accuses Oedipus of killing Laius. Oedipus refuses to accept the truth and thought that everyone else except him is telling a lie. “ You have no power or truth. You are blind, your ears and mind as well as eyes”(pg.23). This quote explains that although Teiresias is blind…

Aristotle developed a series of six elements that he thought every production should have. Within his six elements, there are: plot, characters, theme, diction, music, and spectacle. Each element is different in its own way and provides a new way of direction in each production than before the poetics were developed. The first element is plot. Aristotle describes plot as why things happen, not just that they do. In his view, there is a reason for why each action in a movie or play happens and…

The time-honored figure saves the damsel in distress; a warrior saves his kingdom with the slaying of a dragon; a prince steps into position as king to lead his soldiers into battle. A beloved hero, praised for his or her benevolent and generous actions, shoulders the burden of inevitable tragedy-- the inescapable downfall. However, with the fall of the esteemed hero, comes a certain attainment. The fall does not result in pure loss, as seen in the epic poem Beowulf, translated by Burton…

Virginia Boggs Mrs. Meng ENGL 201-D36 LUO 12 December 2014 Oedipus: The Tragic Hero Aristotle’s definition of the tragic hero is one that combines specific qualities. One is that the main person in the tragedy must be of superior status. Another quality is that the main character must be a person that is well liked by other characters in the play and the audience. The main person in the tragedy will also have flaws that not only bring him down but also other people around him. Oedipus is a…

There are multiple reasons as to why we make certain decisions that have the power to determine our present, future, and those around us. The main one is not that of Religion or morals but simply; selfishness. In today's society, there is the belief that if we are selfless and put others before us, then we will be rewarded in the end. Does it still count as being selfless if we expect to benefit from doing a so-called "good deed"? No, it does not. Most people refuse to realize that we…

For Oedipus, the ruler of Thebes, the god’s informed him and his people that they must “drive out the thing that defiles [the] land which… [they] have fed and cherished” (pg.9), the murderer of the previous ruler, Laius. The murder is thus causing the spoiling and desecration of the city of Thebes Likewise, Prince Hamlet, who returned back to his state of Denmark for his father’s funeral, was proposed a very similar task as Oedipus. One night Hamlet encountered an…

wanted to be seen and treated that way. His downfall was brought on by himself. His pride was also a major cause of it as well. He was in fact the king and the hero of Thebes. The people of Thebes were wondering who killed their former king, King Laius. Oedipus says that he will kill the person who killed the king. Oedipus went to Creon, Teiresias, the shepherd and even his own wife. Teiresias and the shepherd told Oedipus the same thing.…

changed by his tragedy, Oedipus had a truly life altering crisis. At the start of the play he believes he is the son of the King and Queen of Corinth, married to the beautiful Jocasta, his wife. By the end of it, he's the son of the King of Thebes, Laius, whom he murdered, and both husband and son of…

Oedipus the King Aristotle explains that tragedy stirs two emotions, pity and terror. These emotions are shown through the words and actions of the actors in the play. When writing a tragedy play the author puts elements of both in his/her play. When I read Oedipus the King I personally see both emotion and tragedy. What one person might see as terror another reader could interpret as pity. Different experiences can change your perspective on someone else's tragedy. The definition of pity is,…