The two famous playwrights Oedipus the King by Sophocles, written thousands of years back for Greek audiences and Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen which was written as a criticism of the Norwegian society in the 1890’s. The universal theme that both Sophocles and Ibsen explored in their plays is that people are punished through their own actions, and unfortunately those ungrateful events can occur to essentially good people, who suffer through no fault of their own, but as a result of the actions by others.
In Oedipus the king, Oedipus was a very powerful figure in the play; he was born the son of Laius and Jocasta, the king and queen of Thebes. When they heard the Apollo’s prophecy which was foretold that Oedipus will kill his father and marry his mother, they decided to destroy Oedipus, which made Oedipus an unwanted and condemned child due to Apollo’s prophecy. The attempts to defy the gods by evading Apollo’s prophecy lead to the suffering of Oedipus. In Ghosts, Regina was the compensation of an affair that Captain Alving had with the housemaid Johanna. Regina is considered a child born out of a wedlock, which defines that she is not intended to be here, and therefore she is unwanted by Captain Alving because she is the result of his mistake, and thus if anyone were to identify and discover her true origins, it could ruin the respect that Captain Alving has in the society. Furthermore, Regina is also unwanted by Mrs Alving since Regina is the only and unique proof of Captain Alving’s intemperance.
The parent’s attempt of hiding their children’s true origins is displayed in both playwrights. The suffering of Oedipus can also be that he is hidden from his true origins and identity, not only by Jocas...
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...s and Oswald are victims of their parent’s actions, which lead to their unacceptable and sinful behaviours.
The extent of which parent’s sins impacting on Oedipus, Oswald and Regina in Oedipus the king and Ghosts proves how the parent’s action creates a negative effect on their life, and the lives of their next generations. Both Sophocles and Ibsen explores the significant effect of Karma, which is the cycle of cause and effect, is presented thoroughly through out both playwrights. Both writers conveyed the idea of how unfortunate events can occur to essentially good and innocent people, who are compensating for the actions committed by others.
Works Cited
Ibsen, Henrik. Four Great Plays by Henrik Ibsen. New York: Bantam Books, 1959.
Sophocles, Antigone, Oedipus the King, Electra by Sophocles. New York: Oxford University press 1962.
...f King Laius and a reversal of fortune. Ironically, he had cursed the murderer to a “life consumed in evil and wretchedness.” Thanks to Oedipus’ own pride and conceited ego, malediction had turned upon him. Likewise, Oedipus’ own stubbornness and willpower towards solving the mystery behind Laius’ death, ironically lead to the revelation of who his actual parents were. A feeling of catharsis was expressed as it was made clear that the ultimate tragedy was the result of the tragic hero’s hubris and ironic actions.
A son who kills his own father, marries his own mother, and is both the father and brother of his mother’s children. Oedipus, meaning “swollen foot”, grows up with adopted parents and a brooding prophecy on his heels. The frightful tale of Oedipus and his indescribable fate play out in the Greek theatrical production of Oedipus Rex. The horrible destiny for Oedipus is inevitable due to the unfavorable traits given to him by the author, Sophocles. Throughout Oedipus Rex, Sophocles masterfully weaves Oedipus’ fatal traits of naiveté, arrogance, and curiosity into the intriguing plot.
The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate that the events in Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, are the result of the hero’s self determination and restless attempt to escape a terrifying destiny predicted for him by the oracle of Apollo at Delphi. My intention is to prove that although the Fates play a crucial part in the story, it is Oedipus'choices and wrong doing that ultimately lead to his downfall.
Oedipus the King is a very famous Greek tragedy written by Sophocles that was first performed in 429 B.C. A major theme during the course of the play is the characters keenness to ignore the truth. Many times in the play, there are circumstances in which the truth is blatantly obvious, however the major protagonists are blinded by their own self-preservation to see it. For instance, when the messenger says, “Your ankles… they tell the story. Look at them”(1032). When Oedipus was a child, his birth parents, Jocasta and Laius, bound his feet together. The fact that Jocasta never made the connection between Oedipus and her once baby illustrates that she doesn’t want to hear the truth.
In the play Oedipus Rex, Oedipus learns things that make him realize that he is not who he thinks he is. His past is slowly unavailing throughout the play from where he came from to why it happened and he is determined to learn the truth. This play is based on tragedy and some say that Oedipus himself is to be held responsible for what happens to him towards the end. As Oedipus seeks out the truth behind the prophecy going on about killing his father and marrying his mother, Jocasta realizes the truth before Oedipus does and tries to prevent him from pursuing the knowledge.
In “Oedipus the King” by Sophocles, Oedipus, the king of Thebes finds out that he kills his father and that his wife is his mother. Oedipus is very concerned for his kingdom and his people. He wants to “drive the corruption from the land” (Sophocles 109) by finding Laius’s murderer and killing him. Through his curiosity, Oedipus finds out that the man he kills long ago is Laius, who is his father, and that his wife is his mother—all in accordance with Oedipus’ prophecy. After coming on this realization as well, Jocasta, Oedipus’ wife, commits suicide, and Oedipus gouges out his eyes as a result of this. In his search for the murderer, Oedipus strives to be a fair king. Ironically, he often is not fair to the people he sees or things that are essential to him. This play demonstrates the theme of justice through Oedipus’ denial of justice in three situations—Oedipus’ meeting with Tiresias, Oedipus’ gouging out of his eyes, and Creon’s asking of Oedipus to adjudicate fairly
Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once declared, “It is impossible to suffer without making someone pay for it.” In other words, when one is suffering, the desire to reap revenge without consideration as to who is being harmed in the process is innate. This is a common theme within the poem The Epic of Gilgamesh, Euripides tragic play, Medea, and Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Hamlet. Characterization is used in these three works to exemplify the revenge seeker’s disregard for anyone but themselves in order to take vengeance on those who committed an act against them.
In the two thousand since “Oedipus Rex” was written, it has been analyzed and dissected innumerable times and in every possible way. Usually the analysis has been within the context of the play itself or within the context of other Greek tragedies. Perhaps it would be more relevant and interesting to evaluate the play within the context of the modern world.
A vital subject in the play Oedipus the King is the relation between the characters action and fate. Oedipus had the choice to either let destiny play its course, but as seen in the play Oedipus’s chooses his own downfall, he choose free will. His persistence to uncover the truth about his past and his identity are substantial. Fate on the other hand is accountable for many other important and disturbing events in the play one being responsible for Oedipus marring his own mother. Sophocles clearly suggests that both fate and one’s action works hand on hand, it is clear and becomes difficult to judge Oedipus for incest given his unawareness.
Oedipus is a story about a few basic human emotions. Among them are rage, passion, humility, and guilt. The Ancient Greeks understood these emotions well; their society was based upon the logical emotions, but always threatened by the violent ones. Oedipus was at first told that he was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Fearful of himself, he fled showing a lack of humility away from his home, thinking that his problems would be solved. Later on, he gets into a tumultuous fight with a passerby on the road to Thebes. Enraged, he kills the man and his servants; this turned out to be a big mistake. After saving the city of Thebes from the Sphinx, he marries and then passionately sleeps with the queen. Towards the end of the play, he realizes that he has indeed killed his father and married his mother, thus echoing the lack of humility that first drove him away from his adopted parents.
It is the fate of all of us, perhaps, to direct our first sexual impulse towards our mother and our first hatred and our first murderous wish against our father. Our dreams convince us that this is so’’(Freud). The real power of Oedipus The King lies not in the fact that it illustrates the Oedipus complex—that Oedipus was oedipal—but that it depicts a troubling and seemingly universal dimension of human behavior; the way we unwittingly create the fate we fear and abhor. Oedipus, like many of us, falls victim to what he frantically strove to avoid. Readers identify with Oedipus not because they wish to possess one parent and eliminate the other, but because they often end up precisely where they didn’t want to be: a woman who was abused as a child may choose a partner who mistreats her; or the boy who was crushed by his marginal status in his family and unwittingly lives his life so that as an adult he is repeatedly unseen and under appreciated. What Oedipus could teach us is how magnetic the pull is to repeat what we desperately wish to
The myth of Oedipus is one of a man brought down by forces aligning against him. Over the years, different playwrights have interpreted his character in various fashions. In Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, Oedipus is a man who is blind to the path on which his questions take him and exemplifies the typical tyrannical leader in ancient times; in Senaca’s Oedipus, it is the fear of his questions that give Oedipus a greater depth of character, a depth he must overcome if he is to survive his ordeal.
Sophocles’ Oedipus is the tragedy of tragedies. An honorable king is deceived and manipulated by the gods to the point of his ruination. In the face of ugly consequences Oedipus pursues the truth for the good of his city, finally exiling himself to restore order. Sophocles establishes emotional attachment between the king and the audience, holding them in captivated sympathy as Oedipus draws near his catastrophic discovery. Oedipus draws the audience into a world between a rock and a hard place, where sacrifice must be made for the greater good.
In the play Oedipus the King, Sophocles affirms that the gods ultimately have the final say to control one’s destiny; however, an individual is solely responsible for the decisions he makes. Approaching near the climax, Sophocles sets up a fundamental conflict of the play, the need for Oedipus and Jocasta to perceive the immutable state of prophecy through the consequences that deliver itself when the gods fulfill their plans for one’s destiny. The messenger even describes the omnipotent power of the gods, and witnesses the augury of death proposed by the supernatural, finally stating:
In the play Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, two themes appear; one that humans have little control of their lives because fate always catches up with them and the theme that when someone makes a mistake, they will have to pay for it.