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Oedipus The King: A Heroic Analysis

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According to Aristotle,“Tragedy is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not narrative; with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish katharsis of such emotions…” From this it can be seen that “Oedipus the King”, is tragedy written by Sophocles which portrays king Oedipus as a heroic figure whose life was ultimately doom before it began. Scene two, which comprises of characters such as Oedipus, the leader and Tiresias is where this doom though already known by most is no longer hinted at but directly revealed. In this scene, Oedipus calls for Tiresias a well-known and beloved prophet to help him find the murderer of dead king Laius as “The truth lives inside him [and] him alone” (Sophocles 175). However, upon Tiresias’ arrival he refuses to speak on the truth as it make cause him his life but is push to anger by Oedipus and reveals all. In this scene, Sophocles uses principles of drama such as the …show more content…

This is so as he really goes in depth when exploring the themes such as wisdom and knowledge, power and determination. The theme of wisdom and knowledge in this hinted in Oedipus’ search for the truth and is sorting for Tiresias who has knowledge of such. The line “O Tiresias master of all the mysteries of our life… we are in your hands…” The theme of determination is shown through his constant asking of Tiresias to reveal the truth even after his refusal to do so. It is also here that the theme of power is portrayed in the line. “Strange response… unlawful, unfriendly too to the state that bred and reared you – you withhold the word of god.” Oedipus was saying to Tiresias that since he is the king Tiresias should obey his wishes because he can be severely

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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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This quote showed that Oedipus can be petty and stubborn, thus he reviled Tiresias even more but later that ate up his own pride. Although upon hearing this, he still sentenced himself to exile and it seems like he cares for his own people first before himself which in the end, Oedipus was the most perfect and righteous

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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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Oedipus Rex written by a tragic Greek playwright named Sophocles, is considered one of the world’s most significant tragedies. This play incorporates many themes such as the quest for identity, the abuse of power, and the nature of moral responsibility which become apparent as the dramatic work goes on. Oedipus the main character, begins seeking justice for Thebes and then sets about to seek his own identity. Before he was born, an oracle warned his parents, Laius and Jocasta, that a curse has been set upon their son at birth, and that he is destined to marry his mother and kill his father.

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P.13 Oedipus questions Teiresias, curious to know what he knows. “Oh gruesomely clear it has all unraveled… I was bonded with the people I should have never killed.” P.40 Oedipus sees what he has done wrong and feels vulnerable and horror. The audience clearly sees that heroes are very human and how real their limitations. Most people would have felt that same vulnerability if the gods had made us their plaything and tormented us, writing a prophecy of our doom.

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Tragedy was one of the primary sources of entertainment in ancient Greece. Of all the Greeks, “the most successful writer of Greek tragedies was the Athenian playwright Sophocles, (c. 496-406 B.C.E.)… although only 7 of his 123 plays have survived.” (Western Civilizations, 75) One of his most known plays is Oedipus Rex, which presents several themes to the audience. The interesting part of this play is that it presents itself to the audience in a minimalistic way, though it somehow overkills many of its points. The Greek Tragedy was presented approximately 429 BC, a time where the Greek states were faltering under the rules of the three city states Athens, Sparta, and Thebes.

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Oedipus" is the model of the classical tragedy. Furthermore, Sophocles depicts the protagonist 's

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Second, the desire for truth that makes him "the researcher-researched" (Starobinski), which passes from ignorance to clairvoyance, at the price of tearing out his eyes as punishment for their crimes. (-- removed HTML --) (-- removed HTML --) (-- removed HTML --) (-- removed HTML --) The essential thing is to turn the figure of Oedipus into a symbolic paradigm that guarantees the universality of its discovery. (-- removed HTML --) (-- removed HTML

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Symbolism and Theme in Oedipus Rex Buddha once said, ¨Three things cannot be hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth" (Buddha Quotes). Buddha’s quote discusses what is true in life and what can not be concealed, both literally and metaphorically. The sun and moon are eternally prevalent, as well as the truth, which must never be hidden. In other words, the same way one can not stop the sun and moon from coming out, one can not stop the truth from coming out as well. The story of Oedipus Rex has an overall theme that not all who have sight can see the truth.

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This blindness towards doom is made even more ironic by the fact that he was made king by his knowledge and insight. Oedipus was known as the person who solved the famous riddle of the Sphinx, a monster which terrorized the citizens. As the play proceed, we can see how much of a contrast between the two groups of character there is, even the messengers knows stuff that the king doesn’t. Sentences like “My son, it is clear that you don’t know what you are doing” (Sophocles 55) salutes to the ignorance of the supposedly “wise” king. Using words like “son”, Sophocles gives an sign that even the messenger It illustrates the flaws that exist in Oedipus, amplifies it by comparing him to other who are supposedly

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Oedipus has overlooked the divine sight that Tiresias withholds and denies that Tiresias is the hand of Apollo. The arrogance that Oedipus is presenting after Tiresias has accused him as the murder, furthermore the king is struck back in the belief, ‘“It is – excepting you; for you are blinding your ears and eyes and brains and everything”’

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Introduction The story of Oedipus the king is gloomy, yet captivating. Going from a child bond around the feet and abandon by the mountainside, to marrying his mother, his story is intriguing. In search of the truth about the prophecy and putting an end to a plague Oedipus, search for king Laius’s killer, did somethings inadvertently, making him a tragic hero. His search for truth in the death of Laius the king, as well as his birth led to the ultimate destruction and downfall of his life.

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So in the end, Oedipus no longer thinks of himself. Thinking of his children 's impending marriage, Oedipus begs for his children and no longer can think of himself as anything more than a creature that embodies what it means to be pathetic: “When you come to the age ripe for marriage, who will he be who will run the risk, children, to take for himself the reproaches that will be banes for my parents and offspring alike? What evil is absent? Your father slew his father; he ploughed his mother, where he himself was sown, and he sired you in the same fount where he himself was sired.

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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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