Kyra Brown English 102—9:00 04/19/2024. Oedipus the King Research Paper. Oedipus Rex, also known as Oedipus the King, is a play written by Sophocles and first performed around 429 BC. The play is about the tragic tale of Oedipus, a man who unknowingly murders his father and marries his mother. Something I liked about Oedipus Rex was the irony that was sprinkled throughout the play. For example, Oedipus mocks Tiresias for being blind and Tiresias turns around and says that the same thing Oedipus says about him, others will say about him. This implies that Oedipus will also become blind, which happens at the end of the play. Another thing I liked was the tragicness of it all. What makes Oedipus’ story tragic is that, to his core, he is not …show more content…
Oedipus’ actions also had an effect on the people of Thebes. Tired of Oedipus’ badgering, Tiresias says, “Is that so? I charge you, then, to submit to that decree you just laid down: from this day onward speak to no one, not these citizens, not myself. You are the curse, the corruption of the land!” (397-401). Tiresias tells Oedipus that he is the reason for the curse on Thebes because he is the murderer of the old king. Oedipus’ mere presence in Thebes caused a plague to fall upon the city. This is ironic because his saving the city from a plague is why the citizens named him king in the first place. Most notably, Oedipus’s actions affected his father, Laius. Lowell Edmunds writes about this in his article, “Oedipus in Burma”. He writes that Oedipus and Pauk Tyaing are similar because they both killed their fathers (Lowell 18). Pauk slays his mother’s dragon lover (who is believed to be his father and worshiped as “the Great Father”) and, while he was unaware at the time, Oedipus killed his father when they crossed paths. Oedipus was trying to run away from his destiny and ended up running right into it. The final character trait of a tragic hero is that he …show more content…
However, he did kill Laius, so he had to pay for his crimes. All this being said, I believe that Oedipus was a victim of Fate, something that all tragic heroes succumb to. Oedipus’ fate was sealed as soon as the gods placed a curse on his entire family, starting with Atreus, Oedipus’ grandfather. Even though that does not excuse his actions, there was no way around it. Oracles may be extremely confusing, but they are never wrong. My opinion on whether man has free will or if his destiny is decided by forces that he has no control over is that there is no clear answer. On the one hand, people can do whatever they please, and if that results in harming others, they should pay for it. On the other hand, some forces determine who a person becomes and acts. Whether it is for a religious or scientific reason, someone is not completely in control of what he or she does. This play taught me that. Even though Oedipus committed crimes of his own volition, it was his destiny. Fighting destiny is impossible. One way or the other, it was bound to happen. This play also taught me that it is human nature to run away from things that scare us. In the case of Oedipus, the fear of living out his destiny made him run
In Sophocles’ work, Oedipus the King, Oedipus definitely fits Aristotle’s meaning of a tragic hero which is a man of honorable importance. He is not a usual man, but a man with outstanding superiority and immensity about himself. A man of his own ruins goes for a greater cause or principle. Oedipus conveys many mistakes. In the play Oedipus the King, things really had taken a turn from good to bad. Using Aristotle’s meaning defines will be proven that Oedipus is a 1main example of a tragic hero Nobleness
The tragic display of the life of Oedipus in Sophocles’ masterful work, Oedipus the King, flawlessly encompasses the consequences of fate and our obliviousness towards the future. As clarified by Bernard Knox, tragedy contends to “the problem of man’s true stature, his proper place in the universe”. Oedipus’s crimes against his family were not only fated to transpire, but they were outside of his control. Oedipus’s certainty of knowledge, his decisions based on this certainty, and cursed fate led
Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex is believed to be one of the best classical examples of the Greek classical order and what tragedy represents. Many Greek tragedies include a central character that is known to be the “tragic hero”. In Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, Oedipus the main character plays this role. This paper will give a brief summary of some of the characteristics of a tragic hero, while also analyzing all the major events that lead to Oedipus rise and downfall. Oedipus, the king of Thebe’s
will have a big impact in people lives.Sometimes one can not have control over their own lives, his ability to act at one’s own preference. Oedipus is responsible for his own downfall. Oedipus has shown throughout the play his stubborn nature pushes him to make wrong decisions, and the decisions lead him towards his downfall. First of all, the reason why Oedipus is responsible for his own downfall is because he thought if he does not go back to his kingdom, he would not kill his father and sleep with
Oedipus the King, the Anti-Tragic Tragedy Sophocles’ drama, Oedipus The King plays out the misfortune of the King of Thebes, Oedipus who kills his father and marries his mother; committing two sins of the highest order. Although this drama is a tragedy; owing to the fact that the hero comes into ruination by the end of the play, it is not tragic; in the sense that his downfall is not merely pre-dictated by destiny and the will of the Gods but is brought about by his independent decisions.
The Destruction of Oedipus the King The events in the play "Oedipus the King" show an underlying relationship of mans free will existing within the cosmic order or fate that the Greeks believed guided the universe. Man was given the freedom to choose ones own acitons, and was ultimately held responsible for them. Both ideas of fate and free will played an undividing role in his destruction. Clarence Miller considered the killing of his father to be fate. " This is what I consider that if fate
of Sophocles’s plays, Oedipus proves to be the tragic hero in Oedipus the King, a play about a powerful king whose life begins to fall apart when he learns more about his past. Oedipus learns his from the Gods that he will murder his father and marry his mother, this causes him to run away from his family in hopes of escaping this horrible prophecy. Although while doing so, he kills several men, solves a riddle for the town of thebes, and marries the queen, making himself king. Aristotle believes
“Oedipus is, as it were, only a tragic analysis. Everything is already in existence, and has only to be unraveled.” Throughout the history of literature, there has been perhaps no other character quite as complex and convoluted as Oedipus. Whether it be the reality of his parents abandoning him to die or the mere fact that he married his own mother Jocasta, Oedipus has been continually analyzed and processed by scholars in an attempt to discover the means by which Oedipus arrived at his eventual
Oedipus Rex Research Essay Sophocles’ three Theban plays recounts the myths leading up to Oedipus’ tragic downfall as a result of his great, great grandfather’s curse along with his pride and ignorance. From these myths, the reader is able to obtain knowledge on the many themes presented that are still relevant today. They are also able to see the importance of these myths and the role they play in society. In Edith Hamilton’s book, Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes, she explores the
In the Greek tragedy, Oedipus the King, Sophocles writes about fate and what it is to be blind to the truth. Many Greek tragedies consist of tragic heroes. A tragic hero is someone who can possess many qualities, like being born of noble status and is destined by the Gods to inevitably lead to their own downfall. According to Aristotle, “The tragic hero is a man of noble stature. He is not an ordinary man, but a man with outstanding quality and greatness about him. His own destruction is for a greater
stated. In the play, Oedipus the King, Oedipus emphasizes many different tragic downfalls, but a specific one stands out. When Teiresias blames Oedipus for the plague, Oedipus killing his father Laius, and Oedipus gouging out his eyes, this all prevails the downfall: anger. Oedipus shows anger towards Teiresias because he blamed him for starting the plague. Oedipus informs the chorus that he called Tiresias just for advice. However, Teiresias believes and tells Oedipus that he killed his own
Who cared for Oedipus when he was a child? Who taught him right from wrong? Who loved him unconditionally? Oedipus’ biological parents certainly did not. Oedipus had lived his whole life without his parents just because of a prediction of Oedipus’ fate. Oedipus Rex is trying to fight the plagues in Thebes. The only way to do that is to find the killer of the last King, Laius. Oedipus realizes that he killed Laius and leaves Thebes for what he has done. Oedipus’ parents, Laius and Jocasta, are to
Oedipus the King is one of the most famous examples of a classic tragedy. At the center of this play, like other Greek tragedies, is the idea that all humans are subject to fate and that no one has the power to change his or her fate. This is the case with the protagonist of this play, Oedipus. Although he has learned from the oracle what his fate is, his victory over the Sphinx and his rise to power in Thebes has led him to believe that he can overcome his supposed fate. Also, his experiences have
Oedipus: The King of Thebes and Tragic Hero Ancient Greek Literature encompasses an assortment of poetry and drama to include the great masterpieces of tragedy. In Classic Literature, tragedies are commonly known for their elaboration of a protagonist fitting the classification of a tragic hero. This type of hero often collectively described as a character of noble birth, facing an adversity of some nature and a fate of great suffering. The characteristics of what encompasses a tragic hero are most
Oedipus Rex suffered a strange, confusing, awkward, and sometimes embarrassing childhood. His trauma as a child, wretched beginning, strange fetish for older women, and unfavorable standing with the gods left him with no alternative but to suffer a terrible life. But what really drove the man to become what he will forever be remembered as? Little to nothing is truly known about his early life before his ascension to the throne and triumph over the Sphinx. After countless years of research and dedication