Oedipus Rex and Fuente Ovejuna

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Bad things happen to good people. It’s a life lesson that’s well-illustrated in many plays. Lope de Vega’s Fuente Ovejuna and Sophocles’ Oedipus the King are two prime examples. Fuente Ovejuna features a small Spanish town of the same name which is unjustly oppressed by a man named Commander Gomez and his subordinates. Oedipus the King features Oedipus, a man doomed by a prophecy to murder his father and marry his mother. Many would argue that both plays are tragedies. Although both certainly feature strong tragic elements, thoroughly examining the final condition of the protagonists, society’s final condition, and the way fate is represented in the final scenes of each play proves Fuente Ovejuna is a heroic drama, while Oedipus the King is a tragedy.

The final condition of the protagonist is one of the main factors in determining whether a play is a heroic drama or a tragedy. In Fuente Ovejuna, many argue that the protagonist is the town itself, since each townsperson suffers from the actions of the antagonist, Commander Gomez. This is particularly noticeable in the final scenes of the play, when every member of the town is tortured to reveal the name of Commander Gomez’s murderer. Despite being tortured, the only answer any of the townspeople give the judge is a resounding “Fuente Ovejuna!” When King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella hear of this, they realize they must decide whether they want to pardon the entire town, or execute everyone in Fuente Ovejuna. They meet with the townspeople and announce that since no killer could be named, the town is pardoned. The town rejoices; they fought against Commander Gomez’s tyranny and won, they have a full pardon from the queen and king, and they’re no longer under the control ...

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...d decide to take hold of their fate instead of passively watching it unfold. This coincides with the final condition of the protagonist and society; since they fight for what they believe in, they reap the benefits at the end of the play.

In the final scenes of Fuente Ovejuna, the protagonist and society are in a far better position than they were at the beginning of the play. Fate is represented as something they can change by taking their destinies into their own hands and fighting for what they believe in, they emerge victorious in the end. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus fulfills a prophecy, ensuring his demise and the society he lives in, with no power to control his destiny. These characteristics distinguish the two plays from one another and help to illuminate how Fuente Ovejuna is much more of a heroic drama than a tragedy, like Oedipus the King.

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