Oedipus Rex: A Tragedy of Fate and Parental Actions

Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles
"My parents are really well intended, and I think their way of dealing with things is denial and guilt. Nobody wanted to talk about it. But all I did was
blame myself." This quote, from actress Teri Hatcher about her own childhood also relates to Oedipus's situation from Oedipus Rex by Sophocles.
Sophocles' Oedipus Rex tells the story of a monarch named Oedipus whowho becomes the unfortunate victim of circumstances beyond his control. In
Oedipus Rex, Oedipus' downfall is not a result of excessive hubris or his actions, but rather his parents' disgraceful actions and uncontrollable aspects
of fate. Oedipus' parents actions and decisions are a major element in Oedipus' tragic downfall. Before Oedipus is born, Laius and Jocasta, the ... Show
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The driver struck Oedipus to get him to move out of the way, but this enraged the young man, who continued to fight and kill the driver and the man he
was transporting – King Laius." (Oedipus 1) At this revelation, Oedipus discovers that he fulfilled the prophecy of the Oracle, and blinds himself in
his grief. Laius and Jocasta should never have abandoned Oedipus on Mount Cithaeron. If Jocasta and Laius had raised Oedipus instead of
Polybus and Merope, then Oedipus wouldn't have inadvertently killed his father or unknowingly married his mother and the prophecy foretold by
the Oracle at Delphi would never have come true. Oedipus could not control the fact that his parents abandoned him on Mount Cithaeron nor did he
intentionally marry his mother. Jocasta and Laius and Oedipus' tragic downfall by trying to prevent the prophecy from coming true and allowing
their own selfishness get in the way of doing what was best for their child. They were so concerned about their own lives that they did not care
about Oedipus and cruelly cast him aside. Laius and Jocasta's ineptness as parents are primary causes of Oedipus' defeat; Oedipus was in no way
responsible for his parents actions and decisions. Random acts of fate also play an important role in Oedipus' tragedy. Fate is also an important
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The Tragedy Of Oedipus Rex
Oedipus Rex by Sophocles is a tragedy revolving around the titular character Oedipus. Oedipus is a tragic hero and his story starts en media res, or, in
the middle of things. I will first examine what happens before the story starts. Oedipus was the son of the king and queen of Thebes, King Laius, and
Queen Jocasta. It was prophesied that Oedipus would kill Laius and marry Jocasta. To prevent this from happening, Laius and Jocasta leave Oedipus
to die, but a shepherd gives him to a messenger and the messenger gives the child to the king and queen of Corinth. Through lack of communication,
Oedipus does not know that Laius and Jocasta are his real parents, and they don't know that Oedipus is alive. This is where we get into Oedipus' flaws
as a tragic hero. His main flaw his Hubris, or, excessive pride. Two other important flaws are his selfishness and short temper. It is Oedipus' short
temper that causes him to kill King Laius, his father when Oedipus got some road rage. Another example of one of Oedipus' flaws, his ignorance,
and selfishness, is what causes his blindness and him being a static character. Oedipus is too ignorant to realize all the signs that point to his prophecy
becoming correct, he defiles the gods and their oracles just out of spite, excessive pride, ignorance, and selfishness. His pure ignorance causes him to
be blind.
To further prove the point that Oedipus is a static character when he does finally realize that he killed his own father and married his

Sophocles Oedipus Rex
In Sophocles' play Oedipus Rex, Oedipus is extremely persistent because he wants to figure out who killed the former king, Laius. With the information
that he discovers about the killer, the plot completely turns a completely different direction. Investigations aren't always as important as uncovering the
information beneath it. The way a character uses the information shapes them into a different person and brings the reader more insight on the way that
character thinks.
Oedipus' determination to resolve the mystery over who killed the king sets him apart from most other heroes trying to find justice. Oedipus' search
leaves him metaphorically blind (as well as physically.) When he learns about the murder of Laius from Creon, he creates a plan to ease ... Show more
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He was also told of the king's murder and became relentless on figuring out who killed him. After Oedipus correctly answers the riddle, Jocasta takes
him as her new husband. This only makes Oedipus want to resolve the mystery of the murder of Jocasta's former husband even more than ever before.
After much investigation on the killing of Laius, Oedipus discovers three truths; two of which he swore would never be true. The least bothersome of
the three was the discovery about his biological parents. Oedipus lived his whole life believing that Polybus was his father and Merope was his
mother; but in fact Laius was his father an Jocasta was his mother. This lie was nothing compared to his sins.
An even worse discovery than that of being adopted was figuring out that he married his mother, Jocasta. This made Oedipus cringe with disgust and
be ashamed of himself for his sins against society and the gods. Jocasta and Oedipus had four children together as well as a faithful marriage which
added to his overall shock. As if the inscest wasn't enough, he finally realized who the murderer of Laius

Oedipus Rex
Essay on Oedipus Rex
4–3–97
In Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, the theme of irony plays an important part through the play. What Oedipus does, what he says, and even who he is can
sometimes be ironic. This irony can help us to see the character of Oedipus as truly a 'blind' man, or a wholly 'public' man.
A great irony is found in Oedipus's decree condemning the murderer. Oedipus says, "To avenge the city and the city's god, / And not as though it
were for some distant friend, / But for my own sake, to be rid of evil. / Whoever killed King Laios might – who knows? – / Decide at any moment to
kill me as well." Later he says, "As for the criminal, I pray to God – / Whether it be a lurking thief, or one of a number – / I pray that that man's life be
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In her ignorant quest to defy the inevitable, to achieve the impossible, she raises the fears and anger of the chorus, who know that the prophesies must
come true.
There are two prophesies in the play. One, that the child of Laios would murder him, and two, that Oedipus would kill his father and marry his
mother. Both Laios and Oedipus went to great lengths to avoid these fates and defy the gods. Laios sent his son to die on a mountain, and Oedipus left
his 'homeland' forever. In their actions to defy the prophesy, they set in motion the events which would fulfill them. The Prophesy is truth; it cannot be
avoided. However, this does not mean that the fate controls the actions of the man. The Prophesy must be looked at as being out of time, seeing the
past, the present and the future all at once. Although the individual controls completely his or her actions, the Prophesy sees these actions in the past,
the present and in the future, and reports only the truth. Maybe if Laios did not question the Oracle, the prophesy would have been different because
he would not have sent his child away. However one could never know this, because the prophesy would be an untold tale.
Commentary
It would be hard to find a play that has been more universally praised than Oedipus Rex ("King Oedipus"). Aristotle considered it the model tragedy,
and that opinion has been widely held to the present day. No drama

Guilt In Oedipus Rex
The speech of Oedipus ("Tell me not....... can under bear"–48–50) in Oedipus Rex by Sophocles depicts guilt and shame and action versus reaction
when he realizes his own misdeeds. Although Oedipus committed the sin of murdering and incest unknowingly, he could not forgive himself for
violating two basic rules of human civilized world–taboo against murder and incest of own parents. Oedipus promised to bring justice by punishing the
killer of King Laius and save Thebes from plague. The helplessness of Oedipus for the unbearable shame is vivid when he says, "I know not how
with seeing eyes I could have looked upon my father–coming to the underworld, or my mother, when against them both I have sinned sins, worse than
a halter's meed" (48). The agony

Oedipus Rex Outline
Title: Oedipus RexAuthor: _Sophocles Date of Publication: 429 BCE__ Genre: Tragedy
Oedipus RexMotifs and Symbols:
~Sight and Blindness: Prophecies see the past, present, and future and are portrayed as an influential and common source of information for the king.
Oedipus blinds himself in the end signifying that throughout the whole play he was blind to his own fate.
~Oedipus' swollen foot: Since birth, when he was bound at the ankles, he has had a constricting and confined movement in his life.
Character List and Significance:
~Oedipus: King of Thebes, protagonist of the play he provides problem solving intelligence to the twisted plot.
~Creon: brother of Jocasta, the foil to Oedipus and is tough minded. He secretly is ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
~As well as that is it perfectly alright to have slept with your mother, many men think of that, still put it behind you.
~Go and live your life as if there is no tomorrow. ~ This quote matters because it shows the blindness (motif) of the mom/wife.
~She knew the prophecy and yet when signs pointed to it, she ignored it and when Oedipus' adoptive father died it reassured her even more that it was
not possible.
~When she does figure out the truth she is mortified that she did not see it, and blames herself; therefore ending her life (suicide–symbol).
" Oh no, I'm right at the edge, the horrible truth–I've got to say it!"
~(Sophocles pg. 1419) ~ The peasant is so overwhelmed with a decision; he does not know whether to tell Oedipus or not tell him the truth.
~He chooses to say the truth even though it pains him to do so, inflicting agony on Oedipus. ~ This quote matters because it shows how gut wrenching
this decision and fall out of the truth is going to be for Oedipus.
~The truth (theme) is very hard to tell, especially if it is a stinging agonizing truth that causes his whole life to come undone and see things with a
whole new eye

The Consequences Of Oedipus Rex
Sometimes a man is in a middle of the worst of his life, not knowing what happen to lead to this or what he can do to salvage what little shrapnel of
life that he can. Oedipus from Socrates' great work Oedipus Rex knows this kind of feeling far too well, having the city of Thebes in which citizens
worship him as king have their be under some sort of curse of unknown origin. The curse, sadly, had its origin in Oedipus himself and the parents which
abandoned him, causing a string of events which include father murder, incest, self–doubt, suspicion, and a plethora of other events which sends
Oedipus' mind farther and farther down into the abyss and eventually lead to the stabbing of eyes and the exilement of the once sane king. The truly ...
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Instead Oedipus had to deal with trauma all throughout his life and had to live a life life of tragedy.
In the sense of a tragic hero, Oedipus hits all the marks. Mask with arrogance throughout the story until the end, making a critical discovery and
having that change hm as a person for the better, dying at the end or shortly after the end, the whole nine yards. Compared to most other famous
tragic heroes, however, Oedipus had less information about his "tragic" flaws. The only other flaw he had besides his arrogance was that he slept with
his mother. At that point in the story he thought that his true mother was his mother back in Corinth and that the person he was sleeping with was just
some random lady that the previous king who was killed by someone married a while back. He had no idea that that was his mother and that sleeping
with her was even remotely wrong. Heck, even Jocasta didn't even know that that was her son. Both parties gave consent and didn't feel anything was
wrong even though something was clearly wrong throughout all of the sexual activities between them.
Oedipus himself is a very... interesting character to say the least. The lack of information that was presented to him was his main downfall. All that
was wrong with him he couldn't do anything about. The only thing he could do was find it all out eventually and grow gradually insane due to the flow

Oedipus Rex Ethics
Oedipus situation may be considered one of the most abused and misuse of the justice system. Although his acts may have been really unethical, we
have to soundly consider reasons and circumstances. If his ignorance or lack of knowledge had really put him in this crazy situation, we have to
contemplate the fact that he genuinely didn't really want to commit these heinous crimes everything that took place in Oedipus Rex was an unfortunate
tragedy fueled by destiny, lies, and ignorance. There should be an exception in this case in the guilty criminal activities because of a very valid
reason. He is innocent because of his lack of knowledge, self–defense, and pre–ordained destiny.
First, this troubled man doesn't even know that he's already doing the act itself. Even though he had unknowingly committed murder and incest, he
never meant to do so. It was stated in the dramatic play that he wanted to overcome the prophecy. He didn't want to commit the crimes he was accused
of. For that genuine fact that he didn't want to let the prophecy see itself through, he can be exempted from the mistakes he had done. He didn't want
all the outcomes that played out to even happen. Another belief I stand firm by, is that punishments must be carried out to those who intended to
directly offer crimes to others because of their bad virtues. He may have played his ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Although Oedipus did admit to killing Laius, this was his fate that the Gods decided before he even came to this world. It is hard to escape a pre
destined fate. He was destined to marry his mother and murder his father. He had no idea that the women he married was his mother. A thought of
incest with his mother never even occurred to him because no one had told him before. When he murdered his father on the crossroad he was
defending himself and only living his fate. Like father like son they were both stubborn and he played the hand he was dealt to continue his

MWD Oedipus Rex
Title: Oedipus Rex
Author: Sophocles
Date of Publication: around 430 B.C.
Genre: Dramatic Tragedy
Biographical information about the author: Born at Colonus, son of Sophilus. Sophocles was a playwright and served as a priest. He had a son with
Nicartrata, who was also a playwright. And he also had a son with Theoris. Wrote 123plays but only 7 survived: Ajar, Antigone, Trachinian women,
Oedipus Tyrannoss, Electras, Philocetes, and Oedipus at Colonus. Also increased the number of chorus from 12 to 15. Powerful imaged occur in
Ajar's sword, Philocetes bow, and Electras urn. Actions in his play unfold in a more natural way and avoid the expository prologues of his
contemporary. The modern concept of tragic drama begins withSophocles. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The messenger reveals that Polybus and his wife are not Oedipus's real parents. Oedipus was brought to palace to be raised after being found by a
Sheppard. Oedipus asks that this shepherd reveal the truth to him, but Jocasta begins to beg him not to stop to try and find out the truth. The Sheppard
finally reveals that Oedipus is son of Laius. Oedipus screams when he realizes the truth about his parents. A messenger says Jocasta has hanged
herself, and Oedipus has chosen to stab out his eyes. Oedipus now declares he must be punished and exiled. He asks Creon to look after his daughters,
Antigone and Ismene. Creon accepts the ascendency to the throne.
Describe the author's style:
Sophocles has a harsh and tragic style. He is a master at dramatic tragedies and irony. Oedipus Rex is scattered with ironic and very tragic moments.
He also uses the chorus as a way to comment on a subject in the play. Foreshadows using various methods. He also uses imagery, rhetoric questions and
metaphors.
An example that demonstrates the style:
The entire play comes to a tragic end. And with dramatic irony is clearly seen in the entire play. Oedipus killed his father and murdered his mother,
but Oedipus and Jocasta did not find out until the end, Tieresias ' warnings and prophecy clearly portray the use of irony. Rhetorical questions are seen
questioning himself or fate. What, born as mine were born?"
Memorable Quotations
Quote

Oedipus Rex Essay
In Oedipus Rex, Sophocles explores the conflict between a man's intellectual reasoning and the universe beyond his grasp. This may seem like a
generalization, but the play's minor conflicts are arguably derivatives of the main struggle. As we would see, the fate or destiny that opposes Oedipus
does not act directly on him, but creates a domino effect that through other conflicts drive him to face his destiny by unearthing his true identity. Similar
to the Sphinx's riddle that gave power to Oedipus, he must travel the different stages of life in order to "know thy–self" (Rudnytsky 264). The play
opens with what may seem like a trivial conflict between Oedipus and the forces of nature, but the plague and other misfortunes that afflicted ... Show
Creon tells that "Apollo commands to take revenge upon whoever killed him [King Laius]", and Oedipus without any further reasoning proclaims that
the murderer must be exile, bringing to himself doom (DiYanni 1310). Nevertheless, is the oracle Teiresias by accusing Oedipus of committing the
murder who really sparks the conflict between Oedipus and Creon, the conflict of man versus man. Believing Creon is behind a plot to overthrow him
and lacking any concrete evidence, Oedipus fails to his proclaimed intellect and fearing the prophecy could be true, mocks Teiresias for his blindness
and charges Creon with treason. When the tension between both characters begins to build up Jocasta enters to give a solution by giving hopes to
Oedipus stating that the prophecies were wrong because a herdsman, witness to the murder, had different information. This only prolongs the inevitably
truth until the servant to which Jocasta gave up Oedipus dissipates any doubt of the "patricide and incest" Oedipus innocently committed (Letters).
Both Oedipus and Jocasta thought the truth was more powerful than the prophecies or the will of the gods. Even though, their biggest mistake was
based on the initial prophecy in which he would kill his father and marry his mother, which made Jocasta to give up Oedipus and Oedipus to wrongly
flee from Corinth. They both, unknowingly, trying to disprove the supernatural with

Sophocles Oedipus Rex
Sophocles uses a variety of dramatic conventions like his formal structure, prologue, parados, scenes/episodes, choral odes, and the exodos and the role
of the chorus to support the theme of fate in the play, Oedipus Rex.
The structure that is used by Sophocles has an effect on the dramatic plot due to the prologue and parts of the play as a whole. The prologue is
significant because it explains how and why Oedipus got to where he was. Oedipus is a traditional Greek hero. Greek Tragedies have a technique
called a flawed hero. He is unaware that he is the problem, that his actions have caused the misery. On the other hand we, the audience know it is his
fault and his 'blindness' to the truth is the main conflict within the play. For example, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
They help the actors prepare by letting some time pass which also allows the audience to prepare themselves for the next scene. But most
importantly, the chorus dramatizes their own development. They sometimes think and doubt, wish and expect the wrong. They are much like us, as
they are undergoing the process of being educated and enlightened by the experience of the reality of life. In the beginning they only express some
faith in the gods, but they disbelieve and even disregard the prophecy of Teiresias by saying that "these evil words are lies". Then they begin to fear
the law of the gods and express that fear, warning us also that the disobedience of the divine laws brings about doom. In the third ode, they express a
false wish that Oedipus were the son of the gods, but they do emphasize that we can never see the future. At last, they fully change and purify
themselves directing our process of change also. In the fourth ode, they finally realize the ultimate reality that fate rules us absolutely. They pity and
fear the plight of Oedipus, and they help us have the catharsis. Their comment is thematic and it dramatizes the full development of their growth. That
embodies the dramatic effect intended for the audience

Oedipus Rex By Oedipus The King
Oedipus' evolution throughout the Theban plays is one with fascinating twists and turns. Oedipus' characterisation evolves and changes as he
experiences the fall from being the great ruler of Thebes into a blind beggar who is tortured by what he did. As the stories progress, so does their
protagonist to the point where the Oedipus of the second play is a completely different man. In Oedipus Rex, the main character is portrayed as a
strong and clever yet arrogant king whose ignorance leads him to his downfall while in Oedipus at Colonus, he is a changed man who has accepted that
his fate is out of his control and who respects the gods' influence on human life.
In Oedipus Rex, the title character displays many great heroic qualities. He is portrayed as a good ruler who cares for his people and aims to protect
the city he has been trusted with. From the moment he solves the Sphinx's riddle, Oedipus' relationship with Thebes begins and with it the implicit
trust its citizen place on him. It's obvious from the very beginning of the play that he is written as a strong capable ruler who takes his people's needs
into consideration. As the play opens, he says to the begging citizen: "You can trust me. I am ready to help, I'll do anything" (Sophocles, line 13–14, p.
159). It shows the strong relationship he has with his people. Furthermore, when the Theban people beg Oedipus to act against the plague that has been
troubling their land, it is revealed that he has already sent Creon

Essay On Oedipus Rex
Plagues are beyond man's control; therefore, they believed that someone with higher power created tragedies, human suffering, trials, and tribulations
due to man's sinful acts or to test the nature of man. Oedipus Rex downfall according to the play is by the god called Apollo. According to Opina
states, In Roman Mythology, Apollo, was the arch–god of medicine and healing light, truth, archery and the bringer of death dealing plague" (Opina,
n.d., slide 19). The plague fell on Thebes after the actions of Jocasta and Laius. Also after the actions of Oedipus killing a person on a road to Thebes.
The presence of an oracle which is the communicator between man and the gods make the audience believe that all the terrible things happen to
Oedipus was from his own actions not the gods. Oedipus, who cursed from the time he was born; therefore, the gods may have cursed him, but it
was his chose to commit murder and all the other decisions that made the oracle prophetic words happened. The curse started with his father, King
Laius of Thebes who learned from an oracle that the hand of his own son killed him, and so ordered his wife Jocasta to kill the Oedipus. There actions
set off a chain of events that cause the tragedy. Othello downfall coerced by someone the thought he knows so well, and self–inflicted because he did
not trust his true love. Iago dislikes Othello because of the promotion of Cassio and other factors. He used Othello's love for his wife drove him in
sane to

Oedipus Rex By Sophocles?
In Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Sophocles is Sophocles. In Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Sophocles is Sophocles. In Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles,
Sophocles is Sophocles. In Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Sophocles is Sophocles. In Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Sophocles is Sophocles. In Oedipus
Rex, by Sophocles, Sophocles is Sophocles. In Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Sophocles is Sophocles. In Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Sophocles is
Sophocles. In Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Sophocles is Sophocles. In Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Sophocles is Sophocles. In Oedipus Rex, by
Sophocles, Sophocles is Sophocles. In Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Sophocles is Sophocles. In Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Sophocles is Sophocles. In
Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Sophocles is Sophocles. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Sophocles is Sophocles. In Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Sophocles is Sophocles. In Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles,
Sophocles is Sophocles. In Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Sophocles is Sophocles. In Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Sophocles is Sophocles. In Oedipus
Rex, by Sophocles, Sophocles is

Oedipus Rex Justice
In Oedipus Rex, the protagonist's downfall begins with him seeking justice for himself as well as his people. As the play opens, a plague has come
upon the city of Thebes, killing many of the citizens; therefore, they plead Oedipus for help. It was then that Oedipus viewed justice as something
crucial for building a path towards success. In addition, the whole play was built upon the theme of justice that ended up revealing the protagonist's
tragic flaws and uncovering some devastating secrets that lead to Oedipus' ruination. As king of Thebes, Oedipus had made a promise to be devoted
to his people and make the city triumph. Therefore, Oedipus sends someone to seek advice from the gods in order to be able to discard the plague.
As a result, he uncovers that the only way to succeed in his duty as king was to find the killer of the previous ruler of Thebes, Lauis. Oedipus, being
as prideful as he was, saw himself determined to seek justice for king Lauis. In addition, nothing was going to impede Oedipus from acquiring the
justice he was so daringly desiring. His necessity for justice exposed Oedipus' anger and ambition that eventually caused his own ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
Therefore, he sets himself once again responsible for uncovering the truth about his past. Now Oedipus was seeking justice for himself and for the
citizens of Thebes. Oedipus wanted to know who were his biological parents and obtain knowledge about his past and his connection to the murder of
King Lauis. After he obtains the identity of his true parents, he realizes that the prophecy the old man told him, "you should kill your father and marry
your mother," had come true. The news of what Oedipus had unconsciously done, impacted those that surrounded him greatly. As a result,Jocasta
committed suicide as she realized that she had married her son, and Oedipus chooses to live his life blind as he is exiled from

oedipus rex
In Sophocles' play, Oedipus Rex, there are many themes that are woven through the life of King Oedipus, and revealed through the key points of the
plot. One of the most important themes is the inevitability of ones' fate. Although fate is considered the usual genre of the Greeks in playwriting there,
are specifics that Oedipus conducts unusual to our own way of thinking of a king during the Ancient Greek times. For example: Oedipus's ignorance of
believing what is said from his wife, Iocaste and others. Also there is the prophecy and tragedy portrayed in the story. The action and plot/structure of
the play is part of what makes it one of the most studied Greek, plays ever.
Even today one of the most famous themes is the idea that ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Yet, it is because of his character as a great discoverer of truth and a man determined to find out what he has decided to discover, that Oedipus meets
with tragic reversal. In the scene where he is cross–examining the shepherds, Iocaste begs him not to carry the investigation further, but he pays no
heed to her words, in page 1336 the shepherd says, "In God's name do not torture a old man. Unhappy king! What more do you wish for?" It is this
determination of Oedipus to find out the whole truth at any cost, which makes him tragic. According to Aristotle, thetragic hero must be a person of
noble birth and prosperity whose misfortune results, form depravity or vice but from some hamartia. Hamartia is translated as an error of
judgment by most critics, but interpreted as tragic flaw by some. Oedipus is clearly the intermediate kind of person stipulated by Aristotle.
However, it is difficult to say that his misfortune befalls him because of some flaw in his character, or some error of judgment committed by him.
There is no doubt that his character has several flaws, and that he commits some errors of judgment, but the question is whether these errors are the
cause of his tragedy. Oedipus is no doubt rash, impatient, irritable and passionate. He is also very proud of his intelligence, and believes that he can
find the answer to every problem. Yet, if we take his tragedy to be the basic actions of incest and parricide, then these flaws and errors of Oedipus are
quite

Oedipus Rex Translations
"A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanged, it is the skin of a living thought and may vary greatly in the color and content according to the
circumstances and the time which it is used"(Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, 1918). In the two different versions of Oedipus Rex, the first version
translated by Fitts and Fitzgerald, and the second translated by Luci Berowitz and Theodore Brunner, the emotional appeal is quite different due to the
different diction of each of the translation versions. The different diction in the two versions seems to give Oedipus two different characters. The diction
that the four authors use in their translations of Oedipus Rex is very effective in conveying different emotional feelings about Oedipus and ... Show
In the Berkowitz/Brunner version, Oedipus directly questions his citizens about what they need. He questions quickly, wanting to get to the point, "has
something frightened you? What brings you here? Some need? Some want?" Oedipus wants to reach out in every possible subject of help they may
desire. The diction makes Oedipus seem more passionate about helping his people. In the other version, Oedipus does not seem passionate and seems
to want to help the Theban citizens because of obligation. However, in both versions, they want to help. As far as what Oedipus thinks about the
situation in Thebes and improving it, he wants to help in both translations. Wanting to help the Thebans is one of the major similarity in the two
passages. In the Fitts/Fitzgerald translation, Oedipus seems to be telling his people that he will have no problems in helping them, and that they
should not worry. He says, "never doubt that I will help you/ in every way that I can"(Fitts/Fitzgerald). This shows his over–confidence because he
personally thinks that there will never be a time in which he will not be able to help them. The other version portrays Oedipus a more humbler and
simpler of a man, as he just states, "I 'll help you all I can"(Berowitz/Brunner). This shows how he does not guarantee the Thebans that he definitely
will resolve the plague of Thebes, but he comforts them by saying that he will try his hardest to help them.

The Story Of Oedipus Rex
The story of Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles and generously translated by Robert Fitzgerald and Dudley Fitts, is a greek tragedy that evokes
strong emotions from even the most apathetic readers. The main character, Oedipus, may seem to have a picturesque life with 4 children, a loving
wife, and respect from most, but be wary because all is not as it seems. In attempt to rid Thebes of a plague of infertility, he uncovers many truths that
turn out to be a poison chalice for Oedipus. As described by Aristotle, atragic hero is, "A virtuous man whose misfortune is brought about not by
depravity, but by some error or frailty." Oedipus is the perfect example of a classic tragic hero because he is a waning king who lets his hubris get
the best of him, which eventually leads to his reversal of fate and inevitable downfall. The most obvious archetypal characteristic that Oedipus
shares is the fact that (although unaware at first) he is of royal blood. After the previous king, Laius, was arbitrarily murdered, the citizens of
Thebes looked to Oedipus to claim the throne after heroically defeating the Sphinx. The Sphinx is a riddling creature that not even Apollo's
prophets can decipher, so when Oedipus decoded the Sphinx's riddles and ultimately kills the monster, the citizens of Thebes look to him.
Because of such a triumph, Oedipus is treated with respect and reverence by all the Theban people; including the Priest, who when consulting
Oedipus, begins with, "Great Oedipus, O powerful King of Thebes!" (Oedipus Rex 16). The priest and other characters within the play (including
Oedipus himself) refer to Oedipus with the utmost respect, by using terms such as great and powerful. In return, he treats them with kindness and
empathy as if the city and its people are his own children. In response to the Priest's dreadful news he cries out, "Poor children! You may be sure I
know/All that you longed for in coming here./ I know that you are deathly sick; and yet,/Sick as you are, not one is as sick as I [...] my spirit/Groans
for the city, for myself, for you." (Oedipus Rex 60–66). Although he is perfectly healthy, he states that no one is as sick as he is to express his concern
for his people. Oedipus, as a

Rex And Antigone And Oedipus
The characters of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex and Antigone's actions can be explained in terms of cultural or religious implications, gender expectations,
and the impact of authority on a personal scale. Austrian Psychologist, Sigmund Freud interpreted, or in some cases misconstrued, the behavior of the
characters as disturbances in the part of the brain humans have no control over– a perspective known as the psychoanalytic approach. Freud claimed
that all of man's actions are a manifestation of the workings of the unconscious mind, and most troublesome behaviors are linked to suppressing its
desires. The Oedipal Complex exemplifies this in young men who Freud stated have an unconscious and primal urge to compete with their fathers for
their mother's love and sexual attention. Although Freud theorized this concept with Oedipus as the inspiration, suppression of these subconscious
desires evoke irrational behaviors driven by paranoia and aggravation, much like the actions taken by Creon, and Oedipus. Readers often identify the
hamartia of these characters as hubris, but a psychoanalytical approach reveals that Oedipus, and Creon's actions are deeply rooted into their
subconscious fear of losing love, happiness, and pleasure, and doing so will trigger a lifetime of aggressive, volatile, and sometimes sexually driven
behaviors.
Freud conceptualized the human mind's functions into three parts– the id which is the locus of all primal pleasures, the ego which balances the id

Oedipus Rex And Antigone
The Final Class Critique Oedipus Rex and Antigone written by Sophocles were two difficult but enjoyable plays. I think the pacing of the class
reading these two plays were a little off. It seemed to me that we either took to long on a part of the play or we rushed through a part. I personally
think that the class should read these two plays first because, there a bit longer than the short stories that we read. Reading these first would be
beneficial because everyone just came back from spring break and would be refreshed. Which would make going through the reading easier. The
Taming of the Shrew written by Shakespeare was one of my favorite readings. The activities and assignments that went with the reading were very
helpful when trying to

Oedipus The World Of Oedipus Rex
Oedipus Rex: A Phrase to Describe Oedipus' World To describe the world of Oedipus Rex I have selected the phrasing; "false sense of security".
Although it was not the concluding word on my tree, I realized that it was important to describe the play and its world as such. Having a "false sense
of security" could be a feeling that the characters have but it could also be an underlying contribution to the play itself. Think of it as that feeling when
the characters on stage assume they are overly secure but we, as audience members, start to realize that they are actually not. This describes the world
in which the character, Oedipus, lives in. One filled with fate, denial, spirituality, dependence, fear, smugness, and blindness. All of these words which
create a false atmosphere.
My word tree starts off with the word "fate". I thought it was more suiting to start off with "fate" rather than "spiritual" because it could seem that
regardless if you believe in the spiritual world or not, fate always has a way of happening. Oedipus and Jocasta ignored the prophets or tried to prevent
the future from happening and yet their fate happened regardless. Fate encompasses not only those two characters, however. A majority of the side
characters in Oedipus also had a hand in making Oedipus' fate come true. For example, the Shepherd who saved Oedipus' life when he was a baby as
opposed to letting him die. Thus "fate" is a strong word to start off with because it does not just deal with

Oedipus Rex Analysis
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 ...
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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, Sophocles's 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 despite this Oedipus still insists on striving
towards the truth, stating, " I will not listen; the truth must be made known ( Scene 3, page 57)." The manner Oedipus speaks to his wife

Oedipus Rex Essay
"Crossroads, and hidden glade, oak and the narrow way at the crossroads, that drank my father's blood offered you by my hands, do you remember still
what I did as you looked on, and what I did when I came here?" (Oedipus Rex, 1575–1580). Precisely placed at the crossroads of fate and autonomy,
Oedipus struggles to define what, exactly, is fate and what, exactly, is left to his own discretion;Oedipus Rex challenges the common thought of Greek
Society. Transcending more than one thousand years, questions often posed within the context of this play come to light in high school classrooms
across America. What is seemingly an ineffective, antiquated piece of literature from Ancient Greece, actually should serve as a piece of required
reading ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Sophocles, through his writing, begins to engage in a contemporary debate of the time period: fate versus free will. Philosophers of ancient Greece
would often debate whether or not the gods had control over one's life, and Sophocles entertains all aspects of this debate. Through the use of a
meticulously crafted plot, humanity appears to have solved the issue prophesied at the birth of Oedipus. Ultimately, however, Sophocles
demonstrates the revolving way in which preordination of action ultimately comes to fruition. This is epitomized when Oedipus is met by King
Laius, his father, at the crossroads. When Oedipus is faced with the decision of whether or not to kill the man in front of him, he fulfills the
prophesy which had been placed upon him before his birth. While this concept might seem like an ancient event that leads to an archaic discussion, it
still invades relevant, personal philosophy of the world. The high school years require each student to arrive at a crossroads in their own life.
Decisions permeate their existence. Behind everything, each student has to arrive at a conclusion as to who is the driving force behind each decision;
is it themselves or is a higher power commanding everything to happen? This debate allows students to expand their thought in order to engage a
metaphysical debate relevant to discussions of society. Sophocles uses the plot of the play to teach a lesson

Oedipus Rex, Or Oedipus The King
Oedipus Rex, or Oedipus the King, has been translated thousands of times from the original ancient Greek version to English of varying recency.
Consequently, each work varies incredibly in its meaning and its presentation of Oedipus and the tragedy surrounding him. Two translations of
Sophocles' ancient play, one translated by Robert Fagles and the other by J.T. Shepherd, are perfect illustrations of this concept. Although these two
works share several similarities, they vary greatly in their presentation, language, and, ultimately, their effect on the reader.
To begin, Oedipus, the king of Thebes, comes across an unsolved murder– the murder of the former king Laius during his travels. This case had not
been solved by the people of Thebes because of the Sphinx, a terrible monster who unleashed a red plague at the same time as Laius's death and
refused to leave until someone solved her riddle. At this time, Oedipus the young traveller arrived at Thebes, and saved her people by answering the
Sphinx's riddle. Years later, Oedipus promises to save Thebes once more by resolving Laius's murder. However, he stumbles across a complication
– a
prophecy, from his youth. He fled from his home, Corinth, years before when Apollo gave him a frightening message– he would inevitably kill his
father, and marry his mother. As Oedipus comes closer to unveiling the truth of Laius's death, his wife,Jocasta, warns him to desist. Oedipus disregards
her advice, and continues to uncover clues, only

Oedipus Rex And Fate
Far too often, people find that despite their best efforts, life counteracts their intentions. It seems as though every person has had their moments of true
powerlessness and helplessness, as their fate appeared to be in the hands of someone else. Thousands of years ago, in Ancient Greece, a potent belief
in fate existed, and is even depicted in one of history's most infamous plays, Oedipus Rex. In this play, Sophocles depicts the cruelty and strength of
destiny through the terrible tale that is Oedipus' life. Oedipus deems himself a "child of fortune" after the most grueling truths of his fate are revealed,
as Oedipus realizes he truly had no command over his destiny. In Oedipus Rex, Sophocles poses an eternal question about destiny: What ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
While some days life just happens to be the greatest adversary to your aspirations, it is important to remember that other days life blesses you with
some of its finest treasures. Some days you get dumped, but other days you might not be able to wipe a smile off your face because fortune has
brought you a man that exceeds all expectations. One day you might get rejected from college, but a year later you may find yourself feeling lucky as
ever that you ended up at another university. Many blame fate during a nadir, but few give fate a well–deserved thanks during life's peaks. At high
points, one learns to appreciate the blessings of fate, and at low points, fate forces one to find their

Oedipus Rex And The Downfall Of Oedipus
A man has many defining characteristics. Some characteristics are positive, and others negative. There are times a potentially positive characteristic
may cause his eventual downfall. This concept could be directly related to the story Oedipus Rex. Aristotle once said something to the effect that the
tragic hero falls into bad fortune because of some flaw in his character. Essentially, he is telling us those characters, likeOedipus, have flaws that, under
normal circumstances, would be a beneficial characteristic. However in this case, his character caused his demise. The defining characteristics of
pride and determination can be attributed to the downfall of Oedipus. Oedipus' personality reflects pride and determination throughout the play.
When Oedipus heard the oracles' prediction, that he was to kill his father and marry his mother, he was determined to prevent the prophecy.
Therefore he left his homeland of Corinth with plans to never return. Then when he solved the Sphinx's riddle at the gate of Thebes, Oedipus'
pride rose to a new level. The people of Thebes praised him, which resulted in his marriage to Jocasta, Queen of Thebes. Oedipus also shows his
determination when searching for Laius' murderer. In scene one, line 47, he stated that he would avenge the King's death as if Laius were his own
father saying, "I say I take the son's part, just as though I were his son, to press the fight for him and see it won" (Gardner, 715)! He also curses the

Rex, Rex As A Tragic Hero In Oedipus Rex
The play "Oedipus Rex" recounts about the King of Thebes who was destined by prophecy to murder his father and wed his mother. Regardless of his
attempts to evade his fate, he inadvertently fulfills it, which unavoidably led to his demise. Prior to the start of the play, the reader learns Oedipus
ascended to the throne of Thebes after unraveling the enigma of the Sphinx. While under the jurisdiction of Oedipus, the Theban city was struck with a
plague, respectively due to the death of the former king. Oedipus is considered a tragic hero because he meets all five criteria designed by Aristotle:
the hamartia, peripeteia, anagnorisis, hubris, and acquiring a fate that is greater than deserved.As defined by Aristotle, hamartia is a flaw or error in
judgment of a hero. The hamartia is most clearly illustrated in Oedipus' struggle to surpass his destiny. Upon learning his fate, Oedipus flees his
family in Corinth and obtains the throne of Thebes. The citizens of Thebes became his loyal followers and proclaim him as "Oedipus, king of the land
our greatest power (Sophocles 1)." Oedipus believed that he successfully dodged his destiny in Corinth, but Creon brought news that there was a
corruption of power in the royal household of Thebes, "Drive the corruption from the land, don't harbor it any longer, past all cure, don't nurse it in the
soil– root it out (Sophocles 2)!" Unbeknownst to Oedipus, it was he who was corrupt. Oedipus also showcases the characteristics of hamartia when
he accuses Creon of conspiring against him by stating that he had murdered the former King Laius. An outraged Oedipus declared, "My loyal friend
steals against me (Sophocles 5)", believing Creon was falsifying the information that he had received from the oracles of Delphi. Oedipus' wife, spares
Creon's life by convincing Oedipus that Creon was always a faithful and reliable source of information.
Oedipus experiences the second trait of a tragic hero, peripeteia, when he successfully became King of Thebes, but ends up fulfilling the oracle's
prophecy. Aristotle's definition of peripeteia is a reversal of fortune, meaning a change for the worst. One example is the scene in which the messenger
informs Oedipus that Polybus was not his true

Ignorance In Oedipus Rex
Oedipus Rex tells the story of Oedipus, a man who becomes the king of Thebes, while in the process unknowingly fulfilling a prophecy that said he
would kill his father Laius, King of Thebes and marry his mother Jocasta, Queen of Thebes. The play is an example of classic tragedy, containing an
emphasis on ignorance and it's role in the downfall of several characters through the tragedy. Oedipus' fatal flaw was his constant lack of understanding
in his fate. He never truly understood his fate, even after the Oracle's prophecy was fulfilled. Oedipus' duty as king compels him to search for Laius'
killer. Because of his total confidence in both his role as king (269–270) and in his own intelligence (249–251). Oedipus' resulting self–confidence

Who Is Oedipus Rex?
In the film, Oedipus Rex begins when Oedipus comes out the palace and asks the people of Thebes why they are suffering. The people want Oedipus
to stop the plague so Oedipus lets them know that he sent Creon to the oracles to see how he can stop the plague. Creon tells Oedipus that he has to
find the murder of the previous king of Thebes who is also his father. Oedipus starts to investigate by questioning Creon so Creon tells Oedipus that
Tiresias, who is a blind prophet, can help him solve the murder. However, Tiresias tell Oedipus that he is the person he is trying to find, but Oedipus
becomes angry and doesn't believe Tiresias, so instead he starts to think that Creon and Tiresias are against him and are trying to destroy him. Jocasta

Oedipus Rex
The philosopher Aristotle wrote his work Poetics as a deconstruction of aesthetics approximately 50 years after the death of Sophocles, the author of
Oedipus Rex. Aristotle was a great admirer of the works of Sophocles and is said to have considered Oedipus Rex to be the perfect tragedy and the
basis for his thoughts in Poetics. He defines tragedy as, "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 of narrative; with
incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish its catharsis of such emotions...Every tragedy, therefore, must have six parts, which... Show
In Oedipus Rex some of the key incidents are the receipt of the information from the oracle that Laius' murderer be found, the argument between
Oedipus and Creon, and the story Jocasta tells Oedipus about the murder of Laius. This all leads to the metabasis and perpetia, or the shift in the
action and recognition, when Oedipus learns that Polybus was not his real father. The climax of Oedipus Rex comes with the stories of the messenger
and the herdsman revealing the entire story of how Oedipus ended up in Thebes and how he fulfilled his fate.
Aristotle's next principle is the character, and he tells us the main character should be good, appropriate, consistent, and yet consistently inconsistent.
So, very much like a real person that the audience can relate to. There will be a protagonist, the character undergoing the struggle, who is the lead
character represented by Oedipus in this play. There is also the antagonist, or the other side of the struggle. This is the bad guy normally, but in
Oedipus Rex the thing which Oedipus struggles against is his own fate, making it the antagonist. Oedipus fits Aristotle's definition of a good
protagonist and lead character because he is good but makes mistakes. Throughout the play Oedipus seems to be a good and righteous man who tries
to avoid his fate of killing his father and laying with his mother, and is also motivated to save the city where he is King. According to Aristotle there
should be some

Oedipus The King, Or Oedipus Rex
Ancient Greece was renowned for its classical tragedies, the most famous probably being Sophocles' Oedipus the King, or Oedipus Rex. For a play
to be considered a tragedy, it must have a tragic hero. According to Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero, they must be a decent moral person, of high
social standing who eventually meets with a tragic downfall, of their own doing, suffering more than deserved, and realizing their error too late. In the
play Oedipus the King, Oedipus is the epitome of a tragic hero. Oedipus Rex was generally a "good" person; he was a caring, fair ruler to the people of
Thebes, and tried to relieve his people, whom he lovingly referred to as his "children", of all hardships that came. By calling his people his "children",
Oedipus is looked at as a father–figure and is respected by his people. He earned the title as king after solving the Sphinx's riddle and lifting the
plague from Thebes. He then married Jocasta, the recently widowed Queen of Corinth and his mother, which he did not know at the time. When
Oedipus was born, an oracle had told his parents, the rulers of Corinth, that he would kill his father and marry his mother. In horror to this news, his
parents had left the baby to die on a mountain side, where someone found him and raised him as their own. Oedipus learns the truth of his fate years
later, he vows to leave the city of Corinth and lead a noble life, which would prevent this horrendous fate from occurring. Fulfilling the second

Analysis Of ' Oedipus ' Rex '
Ari 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. The significance of Delphi is that that is where Creon went to ask Apollo for help.
6. An oracle is someone who is like a medium that delivers advice from a god.
7. The message Creon was given was that the king, Laius, was murdered by a group of men while he was on an important mission away from home.
The oracle tells them that they need to find these murderers and punish them forcibly.
8. King Laius was murdered long ago.
9. Creon reveals a clue about the murder that says that there was one traveler left alive who told them that the murder was not done with a single pair of
hands, but many.
10. The Sphinx told the Thebans that the murder was not their biggest problem, preventing them from finding the murderer of Laius.
11. Oedipus promises to find the murderers of the deceased king not only to help the town, but to help himself from getting murdered by the same
criminals.
12. My first impression of Oedipus is that he is a smart and fair ruler. While looking out for himself, he is

Oedipus Rex By Sophocles
Free Response Questions
There is many novels and plays out there that discuss what the father tells the son in the novel by William Styron, "life is a search for justice". For
example, Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. After Oedipus saved the city of Thebes from the evil Sphinx, he does not know the problems that will come. He
later on encounters these problems and tries to find justice for him and for the city.
To begin with, when Oedipus saved the City of Thebes, he then became king, and married the Queen because the old King had been killed. Later on,
Tiresias a blind prophet told Oedipus that he had killed his father. This goes back when the King Laius and the QueenJocasta wanted to have a baby, but
the prophet warned them that their son would ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
She had done this because she had not found out that she had slept with her son. In addition, Oedipus later on understood that he needed to leave the
city because that would be the only way that the plague would go and that the city would be fine. In order for him to get justice with the city he
would need to leave. So that was what he did. Oedipus took his eyes out and left the city. He asked Creon to take care of his children and Oedipus was
off. He eventually died later in the mountains. His search for justice was eventually successful for the city but not for him. Oedipus died but the city
was now cured by the plague. After all Oedipus had done for the city, it shows that he is a good man that cares for others. He left the city in order to
keep it alive, which means a lot to the people who lived there.
All in all, throughout the story Oedipus showed the audience that he was a good man, besides him killing his father, but who wouldn't get mad after
someone bothering you for a while. Even Though Oedipus did not know that Laius was his dad and Jocasta was his mother, he understood what he
had done was wrong and blamed himself for everything. Oedipus was brave enough to leave the city in order for it to be back to a healthy

Analysis Of Oedipus Rex
The play Oedipus Rex is a tale that leaves readers shocked and has led to a lot of controversy. In the play the readers watch as Oedipus declares to
find the killer of former king Laius but instead he finds out his true identity. After accusing and blaming others for actions that were not true and
pushing a further investigation into the death of the king but he finds that he was the person he was looking for. In the end Oedipus Rex could not bear
the thought of what he found out about himself that he decided to gouge his eyes out for being so blind to what he truly was.
Controversial Plot
The most controversial argument concerning Oedipus Rex is the one of Oedipus' freedom. The readers debate whether his choices are deterministic or
free willed. The primary sought after issues are that of parricide, incest, ignorance, and the exposure of a child.
Oedipus' first controversy was recalled by Oedipus which originally took place before the play started. Oedipus spoke about how, "[he] lost his balance
and fell from the carriage and lay there helpless – on his back – [Oedipus] killed him" (Sophocles 19). Although he did not know it at the time this was
when Oedipus was committing parricide by killing his father at the place where the three roads meet.
Oedipus sin of incest was bedding and having children with his mother. The sin was not ever said clearly by eitherJocasta or Oedipus. Instead when
Jocasta realizes what she had done she begged Oedipus that, "in the name of God,

Fall Of Oedipus Rex
Carved into the entrance of the Oracle at Delphi are two phrases, words of advice and caution for "Know yourself" and "Nothing too much". Delphi
plays an important part in the story of Oedipus, the oracle is where the all–important prophecy is twice delivered and where the kings of Thebes seek
solutions for the people's torments. Oedipus's fatal flaw is that by seeking to fulfill his duty as king and his own natural curiosity he has learned too
much about himself.
These closing lines follow the same general path as the play itself. First it regresses to Oedipus's cleverness and strong leadership of Thebes,
reminding the audience of the great king he had been before his fall.
"Dwellers in native Thebes, behold this Oedipus
Who solved the famous riddle, was your mightiest man.
What citizen on his lot did not with envy gaze?"
In class, we've talked about how Aristotle viewed the tragedy as the way in which the average Athenian could feel horrific and extreme emotions
they could not in their daily lives, so they could leave feeling cleansed. Oedipus Rex would infect its spectators with a sense of dread of the inevitable
reveal to Oedipus of his true parentage. People like to feel dread in their entertainment. As they say everyone loves a good trainwreck, they love them
even more when they can see them coming. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
They knew that what they were walking into. They knew that Oedipus was the killer he sought. They knew that he had married his mother. They
knew that the blind prophet Tiresias was telling the truth. For the audience, this play is waiting game a slow horrific reveal. When they see Oedipus
presented in the first act of the play as a wise and noble king, they know they're going to watch his family, his kingdom, and very sanity be torn
asunder. They're watching an ancient Titanic. They know the iceberg is coming, they're just waiting for those on the ship to see it too, so the ship starts

The Downfall Of Oedipus Rex
Throughout Oedipus Rex you are taken through Oedipus' downfall. Oedipus' biological parents were told by a prophet that their son would kill his
father and marry his mother. With this in mind they sent their son with his feet tied together to die on a mountain side. The man taking the poor boy
could not leave him so he gave him to a messenger from the city of Corinth. The king and queen took the orphan in as their own child and raised
him as if he was their own blood. Little did they know he would be told his true prophecy, and in an attempt to save his thought to be parents, he flees
his city. This is where the story begins and the readers begin to learn Oedipus' true side, from his flaws to his downfall. He shows that he is tempered,
self–centered, and prideful in everything he does. These flaws lead to his downfall as king and his prophecy comes true which shows that he is a
static character. Oedipus was a man who had a short temper. He became enraged when King Laius ran him off the road, so he killed him and all of
his men except one. This was the beginning of the downfall of Oedipus. From here Oedipus comes into Thebes and saves them from the sphinx and
married Jocasta who was King Laius' wife. This was the downward spiral of his prophecy coming true, killing his father and marrying his mom. The
one man that got away from the murder of the king and his men later identified Oedipus as the murderer and the baby of Jocasta and Laius. Oedipus'
anger continued throughout the story, he got enraged at the prophet for revieikling him as the murderer so he teamed up with Creon to overthrow him.
Oedipus' anger gets out of hand on multiple accounts and never changes, making him a static character throughout the story. As a self–centered
individual he chooses himself over others on many occasions. From the beginning you learn how selfish Oedipus truly is. He begins with attempting to
get sympathy from the people of Thebes even though he is the one that is suppose to save them. Later in the story, when he is questioning the Prophet
Teiresias he should have stopped questioning him when he was told not to ask any more questions. With continuous questions he upset the prophet
which in return upsets the god. As

On Misunderstanding The Oedipus Rex
Vanessa Figueroa Weston
10/16/17
English Gaughen P2
A DCQ Essay: Defending Dodds
In his essay, "On Misunderstanding the 'Oedipus Rex'" E.R. Dodds justifies his interpretation of the meaning of the play, "Oedipus Rex," after
establishing his concern for and correcting those who misunderstood the focus of the play which they believe to be either a play regarding fate and
destiny or a play of punishment. He then states the true message of the play: that human greatness is the willingness to pursue the truth and accept the
responsibilities that come with the truth.
Dodds asked a question to his Oxford students regarding the message of the play, "Oedipus Rex" and the results fell into two main categories of
answers which only skim the surface of the plot. The first group of students wrote about how the play's message was of punishment: an example being
that Oedipus was being punished for the way he acted towards Creon after he returned from the Oracle at Delphi. However, Dodds explains that the
actual punishment Oedipus received occurred twenty years before his unkind treatment towards Creon, and "then the punishment preceded the
crime–which is surely an odd kind of justice" (Dodds 39). This explains that the play's message couldn't be viewed as punishment because Oedipus
hadn't even existed before the prophecy was given. Another argument that could be presented by the students is that Oedipus was simply a man of bad
value, but yet again the prophecy was written before he was even born. Of course, the tragic events that occurred to Oedipus could be a punishment for
Laius, Oedipus' father, but there is no suggestion that Laius had sinned and "the critic must not assume that what the poet has abstained from
suggestion" (Dodds 41) which roughly translates to "don't assume something has happened if it wasn't written." There are many contradictions to this
theory which therefore disproves their validity and further promotes Dodd's assertion.
The second major category that students wrote of was of destiny. These students claimed that Oedipus is simply a puppet, a victim, that cannot control
his own actions. However, review what the Oracle told Oedipus during his visit, " Related as a brother, through their sire,

The Role Of Oedipus Rex
Oedipus Rex is a play written by Sophocles in 429 BC. Oedipus Rex was a king who happened to kill his own biological father Laius and married his
biological mother Jocasta and had kids with her. The most prominent role was played by fate in the life of Oedipus Rex which coiled the characters
in such a way that could not try and avoid the prophecy of a great Tiresias.
Aware of a terrible curse that has befallen Thebes,Oedipus sends his brother–in–law, Creon, to seek the advice of Apollo. Creon informs Oedipus that
the curse can only be prevented if the murderer of Laius, who was the former king; is found and prosecuted. Laius was murdered several years ago at a
crossroads.
Oedipus devotes himself to the discovery and prosecution of Laius's perpetrator. Oedipus subjects a series of evasive citizens to questioning, along with
a blind prophet. Tiresias, the blind prophet, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The "Oedipal complex" denotes to the sexual relations and desire shared between a son and his mother. And it also points out the emotions and ideas
that the mind stores in the unconscious, through dynamic repression, that focuses upon a child's desire to form sexual relations with the parent of the
opposite sex. This concept was derived from the legend of Oedipus Rex. His story served to be central in psychoanalysis. He also made its use to
name the most important of all the psychoanalytic complexes: the infamous "Oedipus Complex." In the ancient distorted version of the "Oedipus
Complex" it is believed that every man has a desire to marry his mother and murder his

Oedipus Rex
Hubris Goes Before a Fall
Greek literature is stocked full of characters that possess excessive pride. This is often referred to as hubris. Having too much pride is rarely seen as
a good thing, which is demonstrated in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. Oedipus' land of Thebes falls under a terrible curse, and naturally as a king, he
wants to solve it, which is usually the sign of a great ruler, however, Oedipus' journey to alleviate the plague for his people brings about the
realization of his fate. Oedipus is a character deeply flawed because he believes that he is a great ruler for the city of Thebes and that he cannot be
the reason why the plague has befallen them, only the one who can solve the problem. Oedipus' plight in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex illustrates hubris,
specifically the realization that having excessive pride is damaging, which is a moral presented to the reader over the course of the play. At the start
of the play Oedipus is blissfully unaware of his fate, however, the more he digs for the truth, the more his hubris demonstrates that this is a tragic
flaw. During the beginning of the play, Oedipus is a man full of pride, denying that he could be a person affected by fate and prophecies. He boasts
about his accomplishments and how he is the one who had saved Thebes before. For example, Oedipus says, "But then I came, Oedipus, who knew
nothing. / yet I finished her off, using my wits / rather than relying on birds. That's the man / you want to overthrow, hoping, no

Oedipus Rex: A Tragedy of Fate and Parental Actions

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