Comparing Othello and Oedipus the King

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Oedipus the King and Othello are both plays in which are known for their dramatic tragedies. Oedipus the King is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed in 429 BC. The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, which was written in approximately 1603. These two plays do a profound job at making sure the audience understands the background of the main characters, however, there are minor characters who are just as important. Emilia, Othello’s wife, and Jocasta, Oedipus’s mother and wife, both aid in the understanding of the major characters throughout these plays. These two plays showcase the power of love and how destructive it can be.
Sophocles wrote the play, Oedipus the King. Oedipus the King was written around 420 BC, has been noted as the most powerful expression of Greek tragic drama (Hyesso). Oedipus, who was a stranger to Thebes, became king of the city after the murder of the city’s king, Laius, about fifteen or sixteen years before the start of the play. He was offered the throne because he was successful in saving the city from the Sphinx, an event referred to repeatedly in the text of the play. He did so by solving a riddle in which killed the Sphinx. He married Laius’ widow, Jocasta, and had four children with her. When Oedipus was born, there was a prophecy that said Oedipus was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. In order to prevent this, his parents pierced and bind Oedipus’s ankles and abandoned him in the mountain. They believe that Oedipus’s fate was in the God’s hands. When Oedipus grew up, he heard about this prophecy, and decided to flea town in order to avoid the possible outcome. What he did not know was that the parents who raised him, had ...

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...a helps show the destruction of powerful love and jealousy. Although Emilia and Jocasta play two completely different roles in their plays, they have many similarities. They are both the reason for the main characters downfall. Jocasta is the reason for Oedipus piercing his eyes, and Emilia is the reason for Othello killing his wife, Desdemona, which as a result ruins his life completely. Both plays, Oedipus the King and Othello, are prime examples of just how destructive love can be.

Works Cited
Shmoop Editorial Team. "Othello." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.
Shmoop Editorial Team. "Oedipus the King." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.
"Hyesoo Kim (redirected from Hyesoo=Kim)." Classicalmythology [licensed for Non- commercial Use Only] / Hyesoo Kim. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.

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