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Analysis Of Oedipus The King David Guterson

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Sophocles’ Oedipus the King was written around 430 B.C. and earned the Greek tragedian a win in the annual festival to the god Dionysus. Clearly, a murder mystery is guaranteed to draw a reader’s attention or in this case an audience for Oedipus the King. David Guterson’s nearly identical retelling Ed King was published in 2011. It takes the classic story and reinvents it into a modern form that is as profound as the original. The basis for examining this classic and contemporary work together seems purposeful since the appeal of the story stems from a psychological and literary perspesctive which never loses its element of surprise and continues to compel the audience and the reader. Today as in Sophocles’ period, there exists a sense or
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Critical Lens As said by Benjamin Disraeli in Contarini Fleming, “Circumstances are beyond the control of man; but his conduct is in his own power.” Although this quote originates from 1832, centuries before Oedipus the King was published, its logic can still be applied to Sophocles’ play. Disraeli is saying that no one can help the circumstances they are born in, but everyone has the capability to live how they want. At face-value, this may seem true; in the end everyone has the ability to make a decision. Yet, it is their circumstances that drive the choices people make.

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In “Oedipus the king” translated by David Grene, a dialogue between different characters in which the idea of tone, attitude, and diction is amplified throughout this text using many rhetorical strategies and shifts supporting more emphasis to the text which brings it to life, as it also provides the tools for the audience to live through the text, and live through it’s reality. In the beginning as Oedipus mentions “I pity you, children” in a way it conveys not the the idea of sympathy, but the idea of sharing pain or close emotional feeling; providing the idea that words are often very good vehicles of communication. Oedipus uses children as a hook to grab people’s attention providing a patronizing yet audacious tone. As the text goes on Oedipus questions the priest “Why do you sit here with suppliant crowns?”

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The field is freshly raked, the sun is blaring in, the game is beginning, but before she is ready, the ball is hit. With the spot light on her, she quickly stumbles over her feet and misses the ball. “Stupid rock” she mumbles under her breath. Her parents protect her with words like “good job” then she proceeds to smile. Ignorance is bliss, for some.

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From the beginning Oedipus was destined to fulfill a terrible prophecy, but through particular events that follow the steps of the Hero’s Journey, Oedipus becomes a powerful king of Thebes, only to be destroyed by the prophecy that should have ended his life as a child. The Hero’s Journey typically leads to self-confidence and power, however; the Hero’s Journey of Oedipus leads to his tragic demise. The Hero’s Journey lays out the steps of Oedipus’s future actions, which create suspense, fear, pity, and other emotions that captivates the audience. Similar to many famous stories, Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles in 430 B.C., follows the Hero’s Journey path, which is evident in Oedipus’s departure, initiation, and return.

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Essay Outline INTRODUCTION 1. Opening Sentence: A prophecy, usually told by a god or spirit, can foretell your future destiny. If you were given the opportunity to know yours given the precautions that it could positively or negatively influence your life, would you ask for it or just let it slip? 2.

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The world of literature offers many different works; some may offer similarities while there are differences between others. There are more similarities than differences between Odysseus and Oedipus. Two great examples of literature is the tragic play “Oedipus the King”, written by Sophocles and “The Odyssey”, an epic poem written by Homer who were both Greek poets. Both poets’ work shows similar examples of life altering changes that were ultimately controlled by the Greek gods.

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Henroedipus Knowing one’s strengths and abilities helps people every day to face life’s challenges, whether choosing a career or tackling a home repair project. People constantly learn about themselves, and this knowledge helps people to succeed in everyday life. This concept of understanding oneself is not new; rather, the concept has survived since ancient society. According to the ancient Greeks, “knowing thyself” was an integral part of happiness and success. Both Oedipus from Oedipus Rex and Henry from The Red Badge of Courage face challenges because of not “knowing thyself”; even though the two characters share this burden, their dilemmas vary in essence.

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Oedipus the King Literary Analysis Jennifer Tincher When something horrible happens your first reaction is to blame yourself. What if the blame actually lies with the almighty beings? Tragedy is a central idea in Ancient Greek work. Usually it is brought on through a flaw in a character being exploited.

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It can be seen as a trend throughout history that stories reflect a society’s culture and values. One of the most memorable and inspirational civilization that made a substantial contribution to literature was Greece. Sophocles, a renowned Greek playwright, is beloved for his dramatic and action-filled plays that effectively satisfied the ancient audience. In Sophocles’ tragic play, Oedipus the King, the main character, Oedipus finds difficulty proclaiming his purpose against the fate bestowed upon him by the gods. Alongside his struggling, the values and cultural aspects of the Greeks emerge, reflecting their views on society during that time period at which the play was produced.

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Greek culture flourished during the Classical Period, despite the large amounts of turmoil that occurred. Many religious festivals incorporated performances of drama, tragic and comedic theatrical works. Many of these were written by writers who would become known as classic writes including Aeschylus, Euripides, Aristophanes and Sophocles. At the same time as these literary developments, theatre and stage design blossomed alongside it. (Silberman, et al. 1996).

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When considering “The Tale of Sohrab from the Shahnameh, and Sophocles’ work Oedipus Tyrannus, each contain two main male protagonists who undertake parallel tragic journeys which highlights the perils of absent parenting, which lead to death in each tale. Son and Father Oedipus and King Laius of Oedipus Tyrannus, and Sohrab and Rostam of Shahnameh have fungible qualities that, at times make them mirror images of each, though each of their fates are different, they share the same message, actions have consequences. Beyond the obvious father-son conflicts within these two works, there are deeper similarities that make these four characters interchangeable, each man is willfully blind to the consequence of their own hubris and impulsive actions which leads them each to their downfall or death. First is the act of blind hubris by King Laius, Oedipus, Sohrab, and Rostam. The least obvious character in this comparison is King Laius, already dead in Oedipus the King, but it is the hubris behind actions which led to his death, and is the catalyst for Oedipus’ tragic journey.

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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 kills his father and marries his mother. An oracle warned Laius, the king of Thebes prior to Oedipus, that his son would murder him. Accordingly, when his wife, Jocasta, had a son, he exposed the baby by first pinning his ankles together. The infant, who was adopted by King Polybus of Corinth and his wife was then brought up as their very own.

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Brilliantly conceived and written, Oedipus Rex is a drama of self-discovery. Achieved by amazing compression and force by limiting the dramatic action to the day on which Oedipus learns the truth of his birth and his destiny is quite the thriller. The fact that the audience knows the dark secret that Oedipus unwittingly slew his true father and married his mother does nothing to destroy the suspense. Oedipus’s search for the truth has all the tautness of a detective tale, and yet because audiences already know the truth they are aware of all the ironies in which Oedipus is enmeshed. That knowledge enables them to fear the final revelation at the same time that they pity the man whose past is gradually and relentlessly uncovered to him.

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In ancient Greek society, the tragedy was a deeply spiritual and emotional art form integral to daily life. Perhaps one of the best examples of Greek tragedy is Sophocles’ Oedipus the King. The work is distinguished by the deep emotion and thought it elicits from the reader. This is in part due to Sophocles’ expert portrayal of Oedipus, who bears all the attributes of an Aristotelian tragic hero. A once powerful king turned blinded pariah, Oedipus is characterized by both his pride and his honorable character.

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