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Sophocles Oedipus The King

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This work by Sophocles is based on one person who has been lied to for his whole entire life. Oedipus is the person that this is named after. When he was a child his father Laius and his mother Jocasta had a child, but sent him to be killed because the prophesies told the father that one day this child would kill him and sleep with his wife. Now, twenty years later it become a reality one day on Oedipus journey he ended up killing servants and an old man who was the King of Thebes. After, he killed this man he went on with his life later when Oedipus he defeated the sphinx who guarded Thebes and after this he was praised by many and was placed with the honor of Kingship. In addition, he married a woman named Jocasta and had four kids with
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In Antigone, they were four siblings, they were the children or Oedipus and Jocasta. Eteocles and Polyneices that was strong and brave but Eteocles was so stubborn and the things he wanted will happen either you like it or not and Polyneices was fair. Antigone that was kind, helpful,strong,confident and loyal. Lastly Ismene she was the one that was scared she cared about the law and respected the king. In Antigone the two brothers fought against the law Polyneices was supposed to have his turn to have the throne, playing by the rules of Eteocles having the throne for a year,displaying fairness.

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1051 Words | 5 Pages

Hamlet, Julius Caesar, and Romeo and Juliet are just a few examples of the many pieces of literature which are considered tragedies. A tragedy is a type of dramatic story which depicts horror and suffering throughout the events of the narrative. Oedipus Rex is one of these many tragedies which portrays Oedipus, the king of the land of Thebes seeking to unravel the truth about the murder of the previous king of Thebes: Laius. However, as he learns more about the murder, he soon realizes that everything is not as he expects.

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488 Words | 2 Pages

In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, the interconnectedness of the characters highlights the responsibility of individuals for the well-being of their society. Oedipus’ actions, driven by his tragic flaw, lead to the downfall of his entire city, emphasizing the importance of individual accountability in maintaining social harmony. Oedipus’ actions are connected to those of his fellow citizens. In the opening scene, Oedipus declares his responsibility to “bear the load” of the city’s suffering and solve the mystery of Laius’ murder (Sophocles, 46).

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575 Words | 3 Pages

Oedipus, holding Creon by the collar, begging Creon to promise him to take care of his children while he would be gone; but little did Oedipus know, Creon would go against Oedipus’s promise and try to kill his own daughter to uphold his image as king. Creon continuously lies to Oedipus and the people of Thebes throughout the course of Antigone and Oedipus Rex. He claims he isn’t killing her and says he isn’t a liar, but in truth, he knows the he is disregarding his friend Oedipus’s wishes for his own purposes. In Sophocles' Theban Plays, Creon is not fulfilling his promise to Oedipus by protecting his two daughters because he is about to kill one of them which shows that he is not trustworthy or reliable. When Creon makes his command to kill Antigone, who had been locked in a chamber in his basement, he claims that “his hands are clean” meaning he should not be accused for her murder and that she brought it upon herself (pages 104 ll. 975).

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141 Words | 1 Pages

Playwright, Sophocles, in his Greek tragedy, Oedipus the King, depicts Creon as a man who defends himself from Oedipus’ accusation of wanting to take over the throne. Sophocles intends to portray Creon as a mature and logical person. He combines an arrogant and confident tone in order to display the characteristics and personality Creon possesses. Sophocles begins with utilizing logos in Creon’s words to describe himself as a sane man who has equal power but fewer duties than the king.

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408 Words | 2 Pages

In Sophocles' Oedipus the King, the themes of fate and agency are very strong throughout the play.  Both sides of the argument can be greatly supported.   The attributes of a person have either a positive or negative affect on the choices that they make.   For Oedipus, his main attribute was the desire for knowledge and understanding about his own life. Because of this strong will and desire, this was Oedipus’ driving force in the play to lead him to the truth of his beginnings.

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806 Words | 4 Pages

Antigone is the last story of the famous Greek trilogy and tragedy, The Oedipus Cycle, and was written by Sophocles. In all Greek tragedies, including Antigone, they must include a character that is considered a tragic hero. A tragic hero must have a tragic spirit, vision, and suffering. In Oedipus Rex, the first story of the trilogy, it is clearly understood that Oedipus is the tragic hero in this story. However, the tragic hero of Antigone is a bit debatable.

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1043 Words | 5 Pages

a) In a philosophical context, hubris refers to foolish pride exhibited without requisite abilities. This concept is often seen in ancient Greek literature as the inherent failure of an epic hero. A boastful attitude leads to overconfidence and ultimately results in a decline of power. Sophocles, who was an Ancient Greek tragedian, demonstrated this concept in his play Oedipus the King. Initially, Oedipus was a capable and attentive leader who listened to his people.

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1651 Words | 7 Pages

“Oedipus the King” is an ancient tale which demonstrates a timeless lesson about human nature. It explores the inner characteristics of the man Oedipus and the multitude of conflicts that ultimately lead to his downfall. The play explores both the tumultuous and troubled relationships that Oedipus has with both himself and the natural world around him. Explored in this play are the conflict of human vs. self such as when Oedipus struggles with his own inner pride, the conflict of human vs human such as when Oedipus argues with Tiresias, and finally the conflict of human vs supernatural in which Oedipus fights to free himself from the fate of the Gods. Oedipus unknowingly fights both himself, his fellow man, and the gods in his quest for knowledge

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523 Words | 3 Pages

The Fault, Dear Oedipus, Is Not in Our Stars Sophocles comments through his work Oedipus Tyrannus on the role Apollo and prophecy occupy. They serve as stage directions in some cosmic play where the remaining script is filled in an improvisational fashion by the people who live it. On examination of the words of Teiresias and the conclusion reached by Oedipus, one can see that prophecy does not remove choice, but rather it inspires it. Teiresias, regarding the idea of fate, appears to dismiss the idea of choice when he says these “things” will come to be whether he speaks of them or not (OT 341). However, an inevitable fate does not necessarily preclude choice.

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123 Words | 1 Pages

Matthew, Tiresias did appear to be the representer of the "truth" that Oedipus so despretely wanted to know. The conversation between Tiresias and Oedipus was an interesting turning point in the play since Tiresias was the one telling the truth and Oedipus did not believe him. Oedipus would find out the hard truth at the end of the story though. It struck me when Tiresias said “You ridicule me and call me blind, but your eyes cannot see your own corruption.” This is because even though Tiresias was literally blind and was ridiculed by Oedipus, he knew the truth.

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539 Words | 3 Pages

How does one go from wealthy and powerful to nobody? Is it due to bad choices or is it fate that cannot be changed. In the play Oedipus the King by Sophocles, Oedipus is the great and smart king of Thebes who defeated the sphinx but he ends up as a beggar wandering the land alone. Oedipus should have known that he could not escape his fate given to him by the oracle in Delphi by fleeing his home in Corinth. Oedipus wanted the truth but when he was given it, he refused to believe it.

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1597 Words | 7 Pages

Sophocles does not provide background information as it would have been common knowledge. Prior to the opening of Oedipus Tyrannus, Oedipus has left his home and adoptive parents in Corinth in an attempt to escape a prophecy which declares that Oedipus will murder his father and marry his mother. Not knowing that his true parents are Jocasta and Laius, King and Queen of Thebes, Oedipus makes his way towards their city. Along the way, he kills a man travelling with a group who are later revealed to be Laius and his subjects. Oedipus continues and arrives at the Sphinx who has terrorized Thebes until someone solves her riddle.

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1224 Words | 5 Pages

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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1056 Words | 5 Pages

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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