Sophocles Oedipus Essay - 1370 Words

Sophocles Oedipus You can Run, but you can’t Hide Sixteenth century play writers often focused on the tragic irony of fate. One such play-writer is Sophacles. In one of his later plays, â€Å"Oedipus†, he writes the tragic story of a man who can’t avoid his pre-destined fate, and that some things just can’t be changed by the people in your life no matter how hard they try. Oedipus, the main character of this tragedy, he is a protagonist ruled by conflict and fate. This is evident in the characters traits and motivations, interactions with others, and the characters language and what others say about him. Destined to kill his father and marry his own mother Oedipus is cursed. When people find out about the curse, Laius, the king of†¦show more content†¦He takes pride in his lifestyle and feels as though it is all his own works. He demonstrates time and time again his undoubtedly remarkable ability to rule the kingdom. Oedipus was always ready to handle the tragedies of his people. Weather it was his inhe rited gift, or adapted wit, Oedipus was always ready to handle any trials his people faced. He was especially arrogant because he felt he has escaped his predestined fate. â€Å"Similarly, fifth century Athenians struggled over many religious issues. As humanism grew in Athens, many citizens, particularly those in leadership positions, saw themselves as increasingly independent of the gods. They questioned whether their lives were results of fate or free will.† He naively believed he had outsmarted Apollo’s curse by running away. This of course added to his ego. Throughout most of the play, Oedipus was happier pretending he was an accomplished man with a successful marriage and picture perfect lifestyle. He chooses to block out inconvenient facts about his past throughout his adulthood. Oedipus is motivated in the beginning of the play by his determination to break the curse of Apollo. He flees his town in hopes of dodging his given fate. This is the first instance in where readers are able to see his over confident ways. Although the curse of murdering your own father and marrying your mother is horrific, only Oedipus would dare to challenge the gods. His motivations as king were to uphold his feelings of superiorityShow MoreRelatedSophocles Oedipus The King1714 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"ideal tragedy† is the play â€Å"Oedipus the King† written by Sophocles. In this play, Sophocles utilizes the concept of tragedy as well the theory of the importance of scenes of recognition and reversal to create a setting, tone, and mood throughout the play. Oedipus, the mythical king of Thebes, goes through a horrendous tragedy which includes moments of recognition and reversal. These moments are key to the fame and appreciation for the play, â€Å"Oedipus the King†. Sophocles’ use of Aristotle’s conceptsRead MoreSophocles Oedipus The King992 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout tragedies in Greek literature, the hero always has one tragic flaw. In Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, Oedipus’ main flaw is his overactive hubris, which in turn clouds his overall judgment. This is evident in the Chorus’ first ode to the city of Thebes as they try to ask the Gods for the banishment of the plague. Their answer does not come from a deity, but from Oedipus himself as he enters the palace and says, â€Å"You have prayed; and you prayers shall be answered with help and release ifRead MoreSophocles Oedipus The King2037 Words   |  9 PagesSophocles’s Oedipus the King features a chorus that sings several odes over the course of the play. In Sophocles’s play, the chorus is composed of old Theban men and represents the population of Thebes as a whole. The chorus recites a parodos, four stasima, and a br ief exodus. Through the choral odes, Sophocles reflects on the events and motifs of the play, including piety and faith in the Gods, the inevitability and the uncertainty of fate, and the dichotomy of right and wrong. After Sophocles establishesRead MoreOedipus the King by Sophocles614 Words   |  2 Pagesâ€Å"Oedipus the King† is a tragic Athenian play written and produced around 425 B.C. by Sophocles; a tragic dramatist, priest, and one of the three great ancient Greek writers whose excellent work has survived the centuries. The play takes place in mythical ancient Greece in a city called Thebes. It’s about a prophecy foretelling the murder of king Laius by his own son, Oedipus (protagonist), and the incestuous marriage between mother (Jocasta) and son (oedipus). The discovery of the truth broughtRead MoreOedipus The King By Sophocles1509 Words   |  7 Pagesman highly esteemed and prosperous who falls into misfortune because of a tragic flaw in the morality of the character: examples, Oedipus and Thyestes (Dodds, 1966, p. 38).† Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero has lasted the strains of time, because during Aristotle time he was rarely questioned on hi s teachings or practices. The play Oedipus the King by Sophocles changed the way tragic plays where viewed in early Greek times, this allows readers to identify with Oedipus’s moral flaw which createsRead MoreSophocles Oedipus The King884 Words   |  4 PagesKing of Thebes, owner of a family tree that identically resembles Medusa on a bad hair day, and the inspiration for a psychologically-riveting complex, Oedipus, tragic hero of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, exposes troubling truths about the human condition and, acting as an exemplary precaution for the entirety of humanity, demonstrates how a self-destructive struggle between love, anger, and fate, conveyed through an unorthodox love affair between mother and son (Who gets custody in a divorce?),Read MoreOedipus Rex, Sophocles1252 Words   |  6 PagesOedipus the ideal Tragic Hero Kelli Richards Liberty University Abstract In the play Oedipus Rex, Sophocles portrays Oedipus who is also the main character, as a good- natured, beautiful, noble yet narcissistic person who has a lapse of judgment and fall from power. Throughout the play Oedipus makes a few profound decisions for which he is condemned to plentiful suffering;Read MoreOedipus The King By Sophocles904 Words   |  4 Pages In Sophocles play â€Å"Oedipus the King† a deadly plague has descended upon the kingdom of Thebes, and because of this plague a dark and iniquitous secret begins to unravel itself only to reveal a web of events connecting Oedipus and others as the culprits behind all the havoc ensued. No one is the sole source responsible for the unfortunate events that befall Thebes, as well as the royal family; In fact, those who unknowingly paved the path of destruction were themselves trying to prevent it fromRead MoreOedipus The King, By Sophocles1407 Words   |  6 PagesWhen we think about a tragic play or protagonist, most people would think Shakespeare for his common theme of his plays to end with a tragedy. In Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, tells the tale of the protagonist Oedipus. Throughout the play, Oedipus searched for his past to discover the reason why his kingdom is plagued with wilting crops and illnesses. In the end, he becomes a tragic protagonist after discove ring his past was related to the previous king’s death. While the search progressedRead MoreOedipus the King by Sophocles1393 Words   |  6 Pages Sophocles’ play, Oedipus the King, has risen many questions concerning the main character and whether or not he acts on free will or if his future is predestined by the gods. I am going to test the theory that although Oedipus believes he is acting on his own free will, he is in fact a victim of the gods. I will analyze several different sources that discuss fate and human agency in Oedipus the King and then proceed to build my original argument on the archaic debate. There has been a great deal