Analysis Of Sophocles 'Oedipus The King'

The play “Oedipus the King” by Sophocles displays an emotional drama in which a royal family encounter fate, regret, and shocking events. Sophocles is an epic poet who wrote Athenian dramas that caught readers and viewers attention with suspenseful scenes. The plot device used in this book is a “deus ex machina”. This is an unexpected event that is seemingly a hopeless situation that the main character Oedipus is dealing with. The tone of the book is sympathetic, ironic and tragic. Throughout the poem, Oedipus tries to partake in the right motive within his life, although he has no control over his fate. As the book closes, everything for Oedipus goes downhill and the chaos spins out of control. Living in an uncontrollable life where there

This scene is lines, 1431-1442 where the most disturbing chaos occurs. During this scene, author Sophocles creates a catharsis so that readers can feel what the characters are feeling in their minds. In the scene, Oedipus found his wife, Jokasta “hanging by the neck, swaying in a noose of tangled cords” (Sophocles 1432-1433). Jokasta had committed suicide because she felt ashamed of how much her son Oedipus has suffered all his life. She killed herself because she also loved Oedipus as a wife and mother, she thought this would have been better for him. The feeling of guilt overtook Jokasta because she knew Oedipus’ fate, slept with him, married him, had children with him, and lied to him. Oedipus is shocked to see her dead decided to “pull the long pins of gold on her gown, held them up, and punched them into eyes, back through the sockets” (Sophocles 1437-1440). He popped his eyes out so he wouldn’t have to see the evil he caused and the truth that he killed his father, married his mother and made children with her. He felt that he was the blame because his children won’t be able to get married in the future based on the curse that still exists with the family. Oedipus would rather see nothing but darkness because he and his family 's’ life is ruined full of death and

Everyone has their own path of good and/or evil and it all depends on what God has planned for us. In Oedipus’ case, he is destined by the gods even before he was born as an innocent baby. Oedipus thought he was doing the right thing but everything went rebellious for him and his family. Sophocles provided instances throughout the book and made readers step into the shoes of the characters. Oedipus suffered all his life and uncontrollably caused others to suffer as well, not just his family, but the people of Thebes too. Jokasta took her own life as in our world, God would not give forgive that act of evil.

In life all humans sin even if we don’t think we are getting involved in it. “Oedipus the King” made me think of the life of Oedipus and how much he struggled and his inability to stop the chaos from happening. I understand the feelings of disbelief, frustration and grief he felt in his life, especially with losing his own mother. The fate Oedipus faced had full control over him and his actions throughout his life. In the end, I learned when people strive to make the right decisions in their lives they can overcome sin and God will be the helping