In Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, the audience is able to gain a deeper understanding of Oedipus’ downfall due to the context provided by the chorus. Through its own wavering faith in the Gods, the chorus is able to explain and add meaning to Oedipus the King that would not otherwise be evident. Further, the chorus’ explanation allows Sophocles to expose his goal in writing the play, giving the reader a unique perspective into the true cause of Oedipus’ downfall. Therefore, it is strictly the chorus that enables the reader to realize that the true cause of the plague is not a murderer but a crisis in faith. The chorus first presents themselves as devout worshipers of God; however, this is mainly because their faith has not yet been tested. …show more content…
Since there is a human element to prophecies, these foresights cannot be seen as coming directly from God. However, through looking at the chorus over time in Oedipus the King, we can see how Sophocles’ effectively defends the prophet. Opposed to Oedipus, whose beliefs about religion are stagnant through the play, the chorus originally believes in God. But, once Tiresias condemns Oedipus, the chorus not only abandons their respect for the divine but also tries fruitlessly to find something or someone that solidifies its belief in Oedipus’ innocence. However, when trying to convince Oedipus (and itself) that he would be acquitted of murder in the morning, the chorus calls upon the power of prophets and says that, “…if I am a true prophet / if I can grasp the truth…at the full moon of tomorrow, Mount Cithaeron / you will know how / Oedipus glories in you— / you, his birthplace, nurse, his mountain-mother!” (1195-1199). However subconsciously it makes this comment, the chorus is saying that it would only trust a prophet to tell Oedipus when he will discover the story of his birth. By saying that prophets will provide Oedipus accurate information, the chorus not only recognizes the inescapable power of the Gods but also correctly predicts that these Gods will indeed tell Oedipus’ true story—even though it is likely not what the chorus wants to hear. In other words, while trying to avoid the religion that it once so fervently proclaimed faith in, the chorus is forced to go back to using prophecies in order to gain information—information that ends up being true. The inescapable nature of religion in Oedipus the King shown through the chorus’ forced return to faith allows Sophocles to successfully defend the Gods. This defense and support for the power of the Gods is what allows the reader to realize that the
Sophocles style of plot structure was usually to begin in media res. This is particularly true of Oedipus Tyrannus. When the reader or audience is first introduced to the main character, Oedipus is already a grown man and king of his country. In the first few lines, talk of a "fiery plague ravaging the city" is mentioned (Sopochles 3). In the very early stages of the play the reader begins to feel pity for Oedipus and recognizes his suffering. The time span is also another important factor to consider when analyzing the plot structure. The play in its entirety takes place within a one to two day period. The flashback scenes into Oedipus' childhood give the audience a better sense of the big picture, but can be misleading when focusing on the time aspect element.
Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex introduced the one of the most important tragic heroes of Greek literature. First performed in the fifth century B.C.E., the play is centered around Oedipus, the king of the Greek city-state Thebes, and his struggle to conquer his emotions as he seeks out the true story of his life. This work, inspired by a well-known Greek myth, scrutinizes both the tragic flaws of Oedipus and his heroism. Examples of Oedipus’ tragic flaws abound in the play. In his condemnation of Tiresias and Creon, Oedipus is controlled by his emotions. However, the heroism of Oedipus is also an essential theme of the drama, though it is often downplayed. Despite this, careful analysis can uncover many instances in which Oedipus exhibits his heroism by attempting to control his emotions and discover the truth of his origins. In his finest moments, Oedipus is in complete command of his emotions as he searches for the truth, while at his nadir, Oedipus is completely controlled by his emotions and is absolutely unpredictable. This contrast is, in large part, what makes Oedipus a tragic hero. Oedipus, King of Thebes, is among the greatest Hellenistic tragic heroes because of his fight to overcome his greatest flaw, his uncontrollable anger, as he heroically searches for the truth.
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.
The great Sophoclean play, Oedipus Rex is an amazing play, and one of the first of its time to accurately portray the common tragic hero. Written in the time of ancient Greece, Sophocles perfected the use of character flaws in Greek drama with Oedipus Rex. Using Oedipus as his tragic hero, Sophocles’ plays forced the audience to experience a catharsis of emotions. Sophocles showed the play-watchers Oedipus’s life in the beginning as a “privileged, exalted [person] who [earned his] high repute and status by…intelligence.” Then, the great playwright reached in and violently pulled out the audience’s most sorrowful emotions, pity and fear, in showing Oedipus’s “crushing fall” from greatness.
From the opening dialogue we sense the character of Oedipus. When confronted by his subjects praying for relief of the plague he reacts kingly and graciously, saying, “I am king, I had to come....How can I help?...Ask me anything. Anything at all.” He obviously cares for the people in his kingdom, but he goes on to say how he pities “these poor shattered people of [his].” The pity he feels is rooted not only in his love and sympathy, but his arrogance as well. Perhaps this attitude is duly deserved, for Oedipus had solved the Sphinx’s riddle, an apparently heroic feat, and was seen to be “greater than any man”, but the leader that he had become still possessed the hubristic tendencies which doomed him from the time he fled Corinth.
The greatest realization faced by a character is that of Oedipus who for many years has come to terms with his situation. The Prophet Apollo’s predictions that he will kill his father and have sex with his mother. The course of his life is shaped by this prophecy. What Oedipus has been told from the beginning of his life shaped his thinking, this also allows the reader to grasp that this myth is relevant to their lives. The physical actions of Oedipus are the results of a man with high principles and probing intelligence. The story can be separated into points where Oedipus gathers more information about himself. The “ignorance” that Oedipus faces is the foundation he was brought up by. He has believed that he lived with his birth mother and father and therefore when he learns of Apollo’s prophecy he leaves home so that it cannot come true. Slowly as the story progresses Oedipus discovers bits and pieces of his true-life story, as Oedipus learns that he killed Laius by the story of the shepherd. He continues on his journey to discovering the truth. When he pieces together what he has done he cannot face himself. The chorus best shows his true emotions
Insuring the portrayal of his theme, Sophocles targets the tension of his tragic play, Oedipus Rex, through the growth of the main character, Oedipus, rather than the mystery. Utilizing literary devices such as dramatic irony, soliloquies, and foreshadowing, Sophocles reveals to the audience the conclusion to the mystery of Oedipus before the hero has solved it himself; forcing the audience’s attention towards character growth of the hero, over the actual development of the mystery.
In Ancient Greece the existence of gods and fate prevailed. In the Greek tragedy King Oedipus by the playwright Sophocles these topics are heavily involved. We receive a clear insight into their roles in the play such as they both control man's actions and that challenging their authority leads to a fall.
The Chorus’s speech is rather long and is not directed towards anyone in particular. At the start of the play, the Chorus starts in full support of Oedipus. They held him in high esteem saw him as the great king who came to save Thebes. At this point in the play, we just found out that Oedipus’ prophecy had come true. Therefore the Chorus has started questioning its views of Oedipus. It did this by first stating all the reasons for why the Chorus was so infatuated with Oedipus before. It only saw the perfect and admirable side to him and fell head over heals into full support of him. It stated,
They also critique characters’ actions and also add detail on the themes such as fate, confronting the past, and the dangers of brashness. “Oedipus” is considered to be the perfect example of a tragedy according to Aristotle’s poetics. The chorus is the population of elder men in Thebes, following the traditional route of Greek tragedy. “Oedipus” begins with the chorus explaining the plague occurring in Thebes in great detail, making the audience realize what a tough and challenging situation Oedipus is in as king. The chorus is constantly contributing to the action of the play, conversing with and giving Oedipus advice. Throughout the story, they often tell Oedipus to keep calm and to be more rational, a result of one of his tragic flaws. The elder men of Thebes directly effect the characters as well, preventing Oedipus from banishing or executing his brother-in-law Creon. Mainly the chorus seems to be supportive and loyal of their king, although his rash behavior does make them question him towards the middle of the story. By the end, the chorus is supportive of Oedipus once more. To prove their devotion, the chorus said, “But whether a mere man can know the truth, whether a seer can fathom more than I— there is no test, no certain proof though matching skill for skill a man can outstrip a rival. No, not till I see these charges proved will I side with his accusers.... Never will I convict my king, never in my heart.” (Chorus, 563-568) This quote demonstrates how well liked Oedipus is to the people of Thebes and how highly they think of him. It shows that his character and previous actions make it hard to believe he would ever commit the atrocities he is accused of. Also, like in many classic Greek tragedies, Sophocles incorporates strophes and antistrophes to split his choral
Throughout Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, there are many references to sight, blindness, and seeing the truth. Characters, such as Tiresias, are able to accurately predict what Oedipus’ fate will be through their power to see the truth in a situation. Oedipus maintains a pompous and arrogant personality throughout the play as he tries to keep control of the city of Thebes and prove the speculations about his fate as falsities. Ironically, although Tiresias is physically blind, he is able to correctly predict how Oedipus’ backstory will unfold, while other characters, such as Jocasta and Oedipus are oblivious to the truth even though they can physically see. Thus, we can conclude that the power of “seeing the truth” deviates greatly from the power of sight in reality and can lead to an expedited fate or a detrimental occurrence.
When it is suggested that Oedipus himself could be the source of the plague, his anger emerges in full force. "(Truth has strength,) but not for you (Teiresias); it has no strength for you because you are blind in mind and ears as well as in your eyes (Soph. O.T. 370-371)." The Oedipus of Senaca’s play is not nearly so rash. He seems to dread what will come from his exploration into the death of Laius, even though the condition of his city is just as terrible as that of Sophocles’. "I shudder, wondering which way fate will steer. My shaky mood could waver either way. When joys and griefs so close together lie, the mind is doubtful. How much should one see? How much is best to know? I’m dubious (Sen. Oed. 204-208)." This Oedipus even has thoughts that the plague might have something to do with him, that his rule might be the pollution that has descended upon the city (Sen. Oed. 40). It is this anxiety that Seneca wishes to bring out in his play, one of the emotions that are the downfall of man.
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.
What is the Role of the Chorus in Oedipus the King? In answering this question, I will look at the question in two ways. Firstly, I will look at the role of the chorus objectively, examining the basic role of the chorus in the play, and looking at the role of the Chorus as Sophocles would have intended the role of the Chorus to be understood. However, I will then look at how I think the Greek audience would have perceived the role of the Chorus and then how the role of the Chorus is perceived today in the 20th century and examine the key differences in the two different sets of perceptions. Finally, I will look at the importance of the role of the Chorus to a 20th century audience and a Greek audience.
Through critical analysis of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, the work Oedipus Rex, and other research it is affirmed that Oedipus searched for the truth but due to his pride could not see his connection to the plague that infected Thebes.