tragoed Comparing Tragedy in Hamlet and Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex)
opinion Essay
624 words
Tragedy in Hamlet and Oedipus the King
Tragedy comes in many forms, for example earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes are all types of tragedies. On the other hand, when talking about tragedy in literature, it has a whole different meaning. Tragedy in literature is on a smaller scale than things like earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes. In literature tragedy is usually about one person and the horrible things that happen to them during their life in a story or play.
Oedipus is the main character in the play Oedipus the King. Oedipus is thought of as a tragic figure because he was doomed from birth. Tiresias, an old blind prophet, told Oedipus' parents about Oedipus' fate. He told them that Oedipus would kill his father and sleep with his mother. So, his parents decided to have him killed, only it did not happen that way. He was passed off by two shepherds and finally to the King and Queen of Corinth, Polybus and Merope to raise him as their own. Oedipus finds his way back to Thebes and on the way kills his father, but Oedipus did not know that one of the men he killed was his real father. This is the beginning of the prophecy coming true. In short Oedipus obtains the throne, Marries his mother and has kids with her. Oedipus' fate has come together without him even realizing what is going on. Eventually he is told what has happened and asks to be banished by his uncle/brother-in-law Creon. The tragedy in Oedipus' life began with his birth and the realization by his parents that his whole life was doomed.
However on the other hand, Hamlet did not know that his life would be a tragic one. Hamlets' fate played out through his whole life. No one knew that hamlet's life would end up the way that it did. Hamlets' life first changed when his Uncle Claudius killed Hamlet's father, the King and Claudius' brother. Claudius just wanted to get to the Queen Gertrude. So he committed the worst sin and killed the King. Claudius weaseled his way into Hamlet Jr.' spot on the throne as King.
There are many reasons why both of these characters are classified as tragic figures. First off Oedipus' fate was determined from birth, and no one knew Hamlet's fate. Oedipus's parents sent him off to be killed, and Hamlet's father was killed by his brother Claudius.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that tragedy comes in many forms, such as earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes. however, tragedy in literature is on a smaller scale than those.
- Explains that oedipus is a tragic figure because he was doomed from birth. tiresias, an old blind prophet, told his parents about his fate. he was passed off to the king and queen of corinth, polybus and merope to raise him as their own.
- Analyzes how hamlet didn't know that his life would end up the way that it did. claudius weaseled his way into the throne as king.
- Opines that oedipus' fate was determined from birth, and no one knew hamlet's fate.
- Opines that oedipus and hamlet were two very different characters but in the end they both had very tragic lives.
Related
- analytical
- Compare Hamlet And Oedipusanalytical essay"To be, or not to be: that is the question" (Shakespeare 1750). "Human beings have no part in the craft of prophecy" (Sophocles 1582). Both quotes are part of famous plays. Although the plays appear to be completely different they do have some similarities such as containing a tragic hero. A tragic hero is a character that makes a mistake and eventually leads to their defeat. A tragic hero usually contains at least 5 characteristics such as a flaw (hamartia), reversal of fortune (peripetia), character 's actions leads to a reversal, excessive pride, and the character 's fate is greater than what they truly deserved. Hamlet and Oedipus are both great examples of what a tragic hero is because they both contain flaws, reversal of fortune, and
In this essay, the author
- Explains that hamlet and oedipus are examples of a tragic hero because they both contain flaws, reversal of fortune, and their fate is greater than what they deserved.
- Analyzes how oedipus and hamlet are tragic heroes because they contain all the characteristics needed to be considered one.
- Analyzes how hamlet and oedipus have a flaw that caused their fall. they are the son of the king and queen of thebes.
- Analyzes how oedipus and hamlet faced their defeat due to their flaw, but they both experienced it differently.
- Explains that both hamlet and oedipus can be classified as tragic heroes because they meet many of the qualities required to be considered one. both had a single characteristic that caused their death or led towards it.
1275 wordsRead More - Comparison: Oedipus and Hamletanalytical essayAccording to Aristotle there are five characteristics of a tragic hero: Flaw or error of judgment, (Peripeteia) a reversal of fortune, the enlightenment (anagnorisis) the discovery or recognition, (hubris) excessive pride, and the character’s fate. Oedipus finds the elders of Thebes praying to the gods for liberation of the plague. Oedipus “alone can help. The cause of the trouble is himself; the chances he has had in his life are precisely the source of the plague” (Diski 1). Oedipus is the cause and the solution to end the plague, but he is blind to the true. Hamlet, differently from Oedipus, is a “man of thought and action, a justice seeker and a criminal, a victim and a wrongdoer, a deeply reflective introvert and a man capable of acting on impulse” (McHugh 1). Hamlet’s free will, injected him with the desire to vengeance his father at any cause. Both Hamlet and Oedipus meet all of the characteristics of a tragic hero. In the beginning of both stories is introduced the first characteristic of a tragic hero, the flaw and error of judgment. In Hamlet, the ghost of his father tells him to revenge his death and In Oedipus; the oracle warns Oedipus about killing his father. Next, the reversal of fortune, in both tragedies leads to the death of their mothers. The anagnorisis of Hamlet was when he discovered how his father died and in Oedipus when the shepherd recognized Oedipus as the killer of Laius. The hubris overpowered both heroes, Hamlet for vengeance of his father’s death and Oedipus to revenge the death of Laius, which ironically was his real father, and he had killed him. Hamlet and Oedipus have the five characteristics of a tragic hero, the main characteristic that both share, is the error of judgment, however, their fate ...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes aristotle's five characteristics of a tragic hero: flaw or error of judgment, reversal of fortune, discovery or recognition, excessive pride, and the character’s fate.
- Analyzes how hamlet's error of judgment of the ghost message of revenge made him react mad throughout the story.
- Analyzes how oedipus' error of judgment led to his vengeance of his father's death.
- Analyzes how oedipus and hamlet's fate led to their deaths by different circumstances. they left corinth because a prophecy told them that he would kill his father.
- Compares oedipus and hamlet's fates, stating that they are similar in every tragic story.
- Analyzes how oedipus and hamlet's stories show how fate and free will can change the future of the protagonist.
- Cites vernay, jean-françois, "literary contexts in plays: william shakespeare's "hamlet."
- Explains that cornea, andrei, "oedipus and the sphinx." world literature today 84.5 (2010): 37. contentselect research navigator. web.
- Analyzes fosso, kurt, hornby, richard, kardaun, maria s., and mchugh, diana.
1313 wordsRead More - The Tragic Analysis Of Oedipus The Kinganalytical essay“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 outcome. To summarize, Oedipus, being originally from Corinth, travels to Thebes in search of his true heritage. After a series of events, Oedipus becomes the king of Thebes and soon discovers the truth. Once thorough deliberation has been given to
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how oedipus, originally from corinth, travels to thebes in search of his true heritage, and soon discovers the truth.
- Analyzes how oedipus is inevitably responsible for his ending, but it is important to realize that the play is not without any instance of fate.
- Analyzes how oedipus and laius were told the truth by the oracle, however harsh and difficult to accept.
- Analyzes how oedipus is the prime example of a tragic hero being brought from prosperity into dversity. he was overly confident, despite the severity of the prophecy.
- Analyzes how oedipus, consumed by his desire to seek knowledge, ignores all of the signs that point toward the truth.
- Analyzes how oedipus's emotions overrule him, leading him to his bleak future. he is so consumed with finding the truth that he turns a deaf ear to everyone.
- Concludes that the idea of oedipus being a victim of fate is false. he chose to ignore warnings and acted hastily and without careful consideration, which led to his prophecy becoming true.
1617 wordsRead More - The Tragedy Of Oedipus The King As A Tragic Heroanalytical essayOedipus is widely known for being the man that killed his father and married his mother. After Oedipus finds out about what he has done he proceeds to jab both of his eyes out and remains blind for the rest of his life. By Oedipus doing this it means that his fate that was told to his parents at the beginning of the story had come true. With Oedipus jabbing his eyes out, this made it clear that this was a tragedy. Oedipus is the perfect fit of being a tragic hero. First of all by being born into royalty and throughout his life he held a royal persona. Also he makes some choices that leads him to his own destruction. For example, with him already marrying his mother and his mother had already had several of his kids their was nothing that he could do when he found out that his wife was also his mother. In the story as he went back to confront his mother/wife, she had already hung herself. As for being a hero, he done many heroic things throughout his life. For example, when he arrived at the city where he met his mother and father, there
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how oedipus is the perfect fit of being a tragic hero because he was born into royalty and held the royal persona. he solved the riddle of the sphinx, which made him an honorable man.
- Narrates how oedipus was born into a royal family, but when the family found out about his fate, they sent him with the man to kill the baby.
- Analyzes oedipus' reversal of misfortune. his curiosity kept him busy trying to avoid his father's death, and his arrogance led him to leave thebes.
- Opines that oedipus did all he could to avoid the horrible fate that was placed onto him and his fate eventually took over his life.
1209 wordsRead More - Oedipus Rex - Most Renowned Tragedy of All Timeanalytical essayOedipus Rex is one of the most renowned tragedies of all time in part because of its direct paradoxes but mostly due to it’s touching of several major themes. In this play, Sophocles chooses Oedipus as the hero (if he is to be called that) and manages to convey many of broad perspectives of Ancient Greek life. Oedipus deals with the oracle in many contrasting ways, which lead to this specific unfolding of events, which we will discover is not in his hands. The protagonist of the play Oedipus is the son of king Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes. Oedipus is abandoned by his parents as they learned from the oracles that their son will kill his father and marry his mother. However, the fate hasn’t changed. Oedipus was saved by a couple. As Oedipus gets older he consults the oracle and they tell him the same thing. Not wanting to harm his parents, Oedipus runs away. On his way to Thebes where the three roads meet he gets into a quarrel with an old man and kills him without knowing that it was his biological father.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how oedipus rex is one of the most renowned tragedies of all time in part because of its direct paradoxes but mostly due to its touching of several major themes.
- Analyzes how oedipus becomes the king of thebes and marries jocasta's biological mother. he promises to find the murderer of laius and banishes him.
- Opines that oedipus is not fully responsible for his downfall, since his destiny was pre-determined by the oracles. he lived as a normal man who couldn't determine his future.
- Analyzes how oedipus contributed to his downfall in a certain way. he kept insisting for discovering the truth about the murderer of laius even when the prophet didn't want to tell him.
530 wordsRead More - Comparison Between Hamlet And Oedipusanalytical essayFree Will: A response to Hamlet and Oedipus The absence or presence of fate and free will is as controversial as religion and science. The question of whether one can exist without the other is purely a matter of perspective, but the amount of evidence for both is vast. Like all topics of this magnitude, the fate or free will influence reaches all aspects of life. In literature, whether knowingly or unknowingly, works are subjective to the author’s ideals, but the interpretation of the works by the reader is a product of his or her ideals. This is why some readers see fate in a work and others see free will.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the absence or presence of fate and free will is as controversial as religion and science.
- Analyzes oedipus of thebes, a tragedy written around 429 b.c. by play writer sophocles.
- Analyzes how oedipus made the conscious decision to leave home, and avoid the prophecy he exercised free will.
- Analyzes how oedipus altered his life through the curses he placed upon himself. the play opens with the people expressing grief about the famine in the land.
- Analyzes how hamlet, son of the deceased king, receives word from his best friend that he has seen a ghost of his father, revealing that his uncle was the one that had poisoned him.
- Analyzes how oedipus causes or avoids the outcome through the ability to make decisions, and makes other subjective choices throughout the story.
- Analyzes how shakespeare incorporates the idea of free will in hamlet and oedipus.
2015 wordsRead More - Dramatic Tragedies: Oedipus Rex and Hamletanalytical essayWilliam Shakespeare and Sophocles were both intellectual playwrights for their time. Shakespeare is considered to be one of the most advanced writers of his time. They both created plays similar in nature such as; “Oedipus Rex” and “Hamlet”. Both plays were consistent of dramatic tragedy. Sophocles wrote about the typical Greek tragedy that consisted of an ill-fated doom for Oedipus. Shakespeare wrote about Kingdom of Denmark where all things fell apart and death was imminent. Each story consisted of a queen that was important to the outcome of each play. Gertrude was the queen in “Hamlet”, and Jocasta was the queen in “Oedipus Rex”. Gertrude and Jocasta were both widows at one time and each had a son that played a major role. It appeared that Jocasta may have been more self-aware as she knew her fate was doomed with the birth of her child Oedipus.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that shakespeare and sophocles were both intellectual playwrights for their time. both created plays similar in nature such as "oedipus rex" and "hamlet".
- Analyzes how jocasta and oedipus were told by tiriseas, the blind seer who could foresee the future that their son would kill his father and wed his mother.
- Narrates how gertrude, the queen of denmark, was married to hamlet and had a son together.
- Analyzes how jocasta and gertrude were both queens of their respective cities. they ended up marrying claudius' killers, but all the clues and evidence point towards him.
713 wordsRead More - The Intention of Oedipus in Oedipus the Kinganalytical essayOedipus Rex, also known as Oedipus the King, is one of the most ironic plays ever written. Sophocles, the author, is a famous philosopher of the ancient times. The Play is about Oedipus, the king of Thebes, who unwittingly killed his father and married his mother. An oracle warned Laius, the king of Thebes prior to Oedipus, that his son would slay him. Accordingly, when his wife, Jocasta, bore a son, he exposed the baby on Mt. Cithaeron, first pinning his ankles together (hence the name Oedipus, meaning Swell-Foot). A shepherd took pity on the infant, who was adopted by King Polybus of Corinth and his wife and was brought up as their son. In early manhood Oedipus visited Delphi and upon learning that he was fated to kill his father and marry his mother, he resolved never to return to Corinth. Travelling toward Thebes, he encountered Laius, who provoked a quarrel in which Oedipus killed him.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how oedipus, the king of thebes, unwittingly killed his father and married his mother. an oracle warned laius that his son would slay him.
- Analyzes how oedipus, the main character in the play, is motivated to find the truth, and his intentions are good.
- Analyzes how creon, oedipus's brother in-law, comes from the oracle with the advice to end the plague. he explains the previous leader, laius, had been murdered, and they haven't found the murderer.
- Analyzes how oedipus's honest character and closeness with the public is revealed. irony is used in the method of punishment, in which he pledges himself to find and punish the murderer.
- Analyzes how the reader stays in suspense to see how oedipus reacts to the truth and realizes he has one more quality to his character, and that is anger.
- Analyzes oedipus's blind motivation, he becomes angry if the truth is held from him. anger leads to laius’ death, and false accusations to tiresias and creon.
- Analyzes how oedipus's realization is so sad, for one can feel his pain by his words. the truth has more of an impact on the audience.
- Opines that oedipus is an honorable man and respects his honesty and courage.
1161 wordsRead More - Theme Of Honor In Oedipus Rexanalytical essayOedipus Rex is a Greek play written by Sophocles. The play is set in Thebes; Thebes is infected with a plague that is killing its crops and unborn children. This plague is caused by the prophecy. The prophecy states that Oedipus would kill his father and wed his mother. Laius threw out Oedipus when he was a baby to avoid this fate, but he failed because Oedipus was not killed. Oedipus was raised as a prince in Corinth. One day he was told the prophecy and feared that he would kill his father Polybus. While running away from Corinth to escape the prophecy, Oedipus killed Laius. When Oedipus arrived in Thebes, he freed the people from the sphinx. He was named king and married Jocasta. Towards the end of the play, Oedipus finds out that he had fulfilled the prophecy and is exiled from Thebes.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that honor is one of the main values that advocated in oedipus rex. honor is a claim to worth along with social acknowledgement of worth.
- Explains that incest is the crime of having sexual relations between people who are closely related. oedipus married his mother jocasta, and their four children were orphaned.
- Analyzes how oedipus is a fiercely self-assertive man who answers only to himself. he tries to live on standards he sets on himself and not the standards set on him by god.
- Analyzes oedipus' temper and arrogance when he quarrels with teiresias and creon, leading him to make false accusations and disregard the truth.
- Explains that creon is a very important character in the play. he portrays values of honesty, bravery, and calmness.
- Analyzes how creon shows his bravery by trying to stand up to oedipus, even though he threatens to kill him.
- Concludes that the play highlights many values that are important to the ancient greeks. the advocated values were honor, honesty, ambition, bravery and calmness.
- Analyzes oedipus rex, a greek play written by sophocles, which highlights many values important to ancient greece.
- Analyzes how teiresias accuses oedipus of lying and working with creon to overthrow him as king. piety is the quality of being religious and respectful toward god.
1196 wordsRead More - Comparing Oedipus and Hamletanalytical essayFree Essays - Oedipus vs. Hamlet as Tragic Protagonists Oedipus fits Aristotle's definition of the tragic flaw and protagonist almost flawlessly. Aristotle described the protagonist as "someone regarded as extraordinary rather than typical..."(1117). Oedipus freed Thebes from the Sphinx by solving her riddle-- something nobody else had been able to do. The priest in the first scene of Act I calls Oedipus "...our greatest power" (1121) and describes him as rated first among men. Hamlet is of noble birth but there is nothing else extraordinary about him.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how oedipus fits aristotle's definition of the tragic flaw and protagonist almost flawlessly. he freed thebes from the sphinx by solving her riddle.
- Opines that hamlet is of noble birth, but there is nothing else extraordinary about him. in tragedies the protagonists are usually of the nobility to make their falls seem greater.
- Explains that protagonists must have a "determination to meet some goal or task to make them admirable." oedipus set about to find the killer of king laius to free thebes from plagues.
- Analyzes how arthur miller said "tragic feeling is evoked in us when we are in the presence of a character who is ready to lay down his life..." hamlet was bent only on revenge and acting only for himself. oedipus tore out his own eyes due to his shame
374 wordsRead More