Oedipus Rex Analysis - 904 Words

Oedipus Rex is one of the many plays that exemplifies Aristotle’s principle of tragedy, where the plot revolves around the hero’s progression towards his own demise. In this story, the titular character was subject to a horrendous fate where he murders his own biological father-King Laius- and marries his own mother, which he eventually unearths this truth when it became his duty as the new king to find the murderer of the previous Ruler. Throughout the play, we begin to see that Oedipus intends to solve this case with the expectation of a success like he did with the sphinx’s riddle , but instead resulted in the extreme opposite. Through Oedipus progression as a character, the author implements a message that regardless of anyone’s†¦show more content†¦While some may argue he could have avoided this, Sophocles justifies his intentions for doing so by associating dramatic irony with his past-King Laius sent Oedipus away to only encounter him at the crossroads- where only the audience acknowledges he was bounded by the prophecy while Oedipus doesn’t, which his encounter with fate again implements a sense of doubt towards him that contradicts his self-assurance that he had avoided fate in the beginning-he left his stepparents in effort of not fulfilling it. As the play progresses towards the end, Sophocless proceeds to use the audience’s knowledge of the play to reveal how Oedipus’s vulnerability negatively affects his actions which injures the relationship of those around him. The titular character’s engagement with his wife Jocasta demonstrates how his enslavement to the prophecy diminishes not only her and himself, but ultimately displays the drastic transition from the highest point of life towards his downfall. When Jocasta heard of Oedipus’s situation, she attempts to converse him out of it by stating the value of life along with the potential consequences that may occur; but despit e this Oedipus still insists on striving towards the truth, stating, â€Å" I will not listen; the truth must be made known ( Scene 3, page 57).† The manner Oedipus speaks to his wifeShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Oedipus Rex 1705 Words   |  7 PagesIn the play Oedipus Rex, Oedipus unknowingly murders his father and marries his mother. When Oedipus discovers this he is disgusted with himself and decides to go into exile. The Misanthrope is a play about the self-exile of the main character Alceste. Challenged in court, he refuses to take back the criticism of a sonnet written by a powerful nobleman. Alceste and Oedipus are both convicted by their knowledge of the truth. Although, the United States grants asylum to more refuges than any otherRead MoreAn Analysis Of The Of Oedipus And Oedipus Rex Essay1229 Words   |  5 PagesCreon Rex Ambition is a unique trait that allows the human race to either accomplish great things or fall into a web of greed and malice. Throughout the framework of history, humans have willingly paid a price to obtain power, glory, and wealth. The price for this achievement could include the loss of friends, family, monetary goods, and social status. The story of Oedipus Rex is no exception. A man, seemingly through no fault or causation of his own, rises to power then suffers a great fall atRead MoreAnalysis Of Oedipus Rex1024 Words   |  5 Pages In the play â€Å"Oedipus Rex† by Sophocles, the story revolves around the central theme of prophecy, and forces the reader to seriously consider the extent to which the protagonist’s doom is dependent upon his own free will or is predetermined by fate. In the story, Oedipus was not a victim of only his actions or only his fate, but his actions and fatal flaws did affect the path that he took to his demise, through his pride/ignorance/temper, his unquenchable thirst for knowledge, and his cowardiceRead MoreAnalysis Of Oedipus Rex 2527 Words   |  11 PagesAri Victor Honors English 28 July, 2015 Summer Reading Oedipus Rex 1. The people of Thebes are suffering from a god attacking their city. 2. The Priest asks Oedipus to save Thebes and the people living there. 3. The Thebans plead Oedipus for his help because 1) they think that Oedipus has help from the gods, and 2) they know that he already saved their town before, so he can save it again. 4. Oedipus has already taken the step of sending Creon to Apollo’s temple to ask how to save the city. 5. TheRead MoreAnalysis : Oedipus Rex 2007 Words   |  9 Pagessupposedly perfect, it only makes sense as to why a man gifted a beaten gold mask has flawlessly proportioned features. Individuals seemingly must have worshipped and blindly obeyed his every whim like the Chorus in Sophocles’, Oedipus Rex, followed their false god, Oedipus. That theory can even furthermore be confirmed, considering this artwork comes after the life of this man occurred, his death not sufficient in ceasing the infatuation many held. Beaten gold, a material that continues to possessRead MoreAnalysis Of Oedipus Rex Bliss 944 Words   |  4 PagesMr. Myles May 3, 2010 Oedipus Rex - Bliss in Ignorance One of the most memorable and meaningful Socratic quotes applies well when in context of Sophocles Theban Trilogy. The unexamined life is not worth living, proclaims Socrates. He could have meant many things by this statement, and in relation to the play, the meaning is found to be even more complex. Indeed, the situation of Oedipus, king of Thebes, the truth of this statement is in question. Would Oedipus have been better offRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Oedipus Rex943 Words   |  4 Pagessolved as the people of Thebes suffer. In Sophocles’ Greek tragedy, Oedipus Rex, Thebes is being punished by the gods for a crime committed far in the past. The city of Thebes is cursed with a plague until the murderer of Laius is discovered and banished from the land. As Creon and Oedipus work to save Thebes, their different qualities show who is a better fit to be king. Oedipus saved Thebes once from the sphinx; however, Oedipus’ qualities of being arrogant, intense , and stubborn cause him to foilRead MoreOedipus Rex Character Analysis994 Words   |  4 PagesGuilty Woman Within the drama Oedipus Rex, Iocastà ª becomes a central figure of the controversy surrounding the arising destruction of Thebes. The kingdom of Thebes has become the victim of a sickness causing the death of crops, animals and people. The King Oedipus has sent his brother-in-law to the Oracle of Delphi to discover the problem that is plaguing the kingdom. The Oracle reveals that in order for the plague to end, the murder of the previous king must be found and killed. In the hunt ofRead MoreLiterary Analysis : The Kite Runner And Oedipus Rex1292 Words   |  6 PagesThe Kite Runner Oedipus Rex: Literary Analysis Essay Although The Kite Runner and Oedipus Rex differ from the style in which they were written and by the authors who wrote them what they do share are common themes. Both the play and the book share two major subject matters. Guilt is one theme that is seen constantly between Amir dealing with it in The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini and Oedipus and Jocasta’s struggle with it in Oedipus Rex written by Sophocles. Another theme found in bothRead More Analysis of Oedipus Rex Essay890 Words   |  4 Pages Oedipus did not have a fair start in life. His father, Laius, heard prophecy that Oedipus would one day kill his father and sleep with his mother. In order to prevent this, Laius gave Oedipus to a shepherd to be killed. Fortunately, through a string of events, Oedipuss life was saved, and he even went on to become the honored king of Thebes. Despite this feat, Oedipus still managed to make several decisions that ultimately fulfilled the original prophecy told to Laius , and inevitably sealed