Oedipus, the main character, remains on stage for nearly the entire play, sets up all the tragedy. ... The theme relative to the tragedy like Oedipus Rex is crucial to the play's long - lasting appeal. ... And when Oedipus says, "whoever killed king Laius might who knows? ... The fundamental irony in Oedipus Rex that stems from the fact which the audience knows king Oedipus's true identity, while he is unaware of it. ... The razor-sharp irony in Oedipus Rex is one of the elements that has given the play its power to spellbind audiences for thousands of years and remained popular toda...

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• Grade Level: High School

Oedipus threatens the killer of King Laius. ... This is ironic because the murdered King Laius is in fact the murdered father of Oedipus. Vision is also an ironic aspect introduced in the midst of the play. ... This is ironic because at the conclusion of the play Oedipus blinds himself. ... The conclusion of Oedipus the King is also essential in classifying Oedipus as a tragic character. ...

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Dramatic irony, the irony of fate, is the most important element in the play. ... Oedipus was born a prince, raised to be a king. The play teaches us about the nature of leadership and the qualities of a great leader. A person is not a great leader just because they are born a prince and raised to be King. ... However, because Oedipus forsakes the God's by killing his father and sleeping with his mother, he is not worthy of being King. ...

• Word Count: 438
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• Grade Level: High School

Oedipus Rex is a fascinating insight into the nature of a human being's need for control. From the opening lines of the play we see King Oedipus as the strong leader of his city. ... We know that Oedipus fled his home town to avoid a prophecy that foretold that he would kill his father. It is later revealed that he did in fact, albeit unknowingly to Oedipus himself at the time, kill his father. ... The story of Oedipus Rex teaches this moral brilliantly. ...

• Word Count: 518
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• Grade Level: High School

The dramatic irony is found mainly in the beginning of the play, before Oedipus unravels the dark secrets of his life. ... In line 141, Oedipus tells Kreon, "Whoever killed King Laios might "who knows? ... Irony of situation is found through out the whole play. ... It is also ironic that Oedipus be "enthroned in the place of the dead king,"" as in line 713, by saving the city and coincidentally, by inheritance. ... All of these elements, catharsis, hamartia, especially irony, and other devices, distinguish Oedipus Rex from all other tragic plays. ...

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• Grade Level: High School

Oedipus is already setting himself up for trouble because the king is actually his father. ... Throughout the play there is a great deal of paradox because Oedipus is so determined to avenge the king's killer that it becomes a huge downfall for him. ... The soothsayer says,"Oedipus is being blind by refusing to believe that he killed the king." ... Oedipus answers "man" to become king. ... The real king would still be married to his wife and Oedipus" life would have gone in a completely different direction. ...

• Word Count: 897
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• Grade Level: High School

Those prophecies played a vital role in the story. ... Tiresias accused Oedipus of murdering Laius, who was the king of Thebes before he was murdered. ... That played a vital role in the story. In Oedipus Rex the prophecy Tiresias gave Oedipus was a foreshadow of what was to come. ... Oedipus had become blind. ...

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• Grade Level: High School

Sophocles composed more than 100 plays, of which seven complete tragedies and fragments of 80 or 90 others preserved. ... Two important innovations he was noted for was increasing the number of actors from two to three, thus lessening the influence of the chorus and making possible greater complication of the plot and more effective portrayal of characters by contrast and coincidence; and he changed the composing of plays in groups of three, each of them part of a central myth or theme, and made each play an individual psychological and dramatic unity. Oedipus Rex is a tragedy written by S...

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The famous tragedy, "Oedipus Rex," by Sophocles, presents two morals that the reader may perceive while going through the play. ... In this play, many situations occur where it may seem that Oedipus's life was already predetermined at birth. ... Oedipus became the King of Thebes because of his heroic powers to save the land from the sphinx, but he was able to make choices freely in order to save himself from banishment. ... It may seem like it was ridiculous thing to do, but he was the king and had to get rid of the plague over the city. He made the choice to run away from his home an...

• Word Count: 646
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• Grade Level: High School

His analysis of the ideal form of tragic plays became a guideline for later playwrights in Western civilization. ... Baffled by the reluctance of the people to heal, Oedipus, who became the king after he solved the riddle of the Sphinx, sends his brother-in-law, Creon, at first a good natured, and rational being, to find the cure for the city's current disaster. Creon informs Oedipus that in order to save Thebes, he must solve the murder of the previous king, Lauis, who was killed at crossroads years ago. ... In addition to promptly summarizing the play, Marjorie discusses Aristotle embe...

• Word Count: 1098
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Oedipus is seen as a tragic hero in the play, a principal character, in a position of social importance being the King of Thebes. ... In Oedipus Rex, it is not so much a hamartia that leads to his downfall, but more the role played by fate and destiny. ... When his nemesis occurs, the chorus, plays a crucial role in generating sympathy towards Oedipus. ... This contrasts with Oedipus at the beginning of the play, but nevertheless foreshadows Oedipus's own future, with the anargnorsis causing him to blind himself. ... The tragic nature of the play, is not only brought out by Oedipus&#...

• Word Count: 1270
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Oedipus Rex, what a sad poor man. ... Imagine if you will, the scene with the blind sage telling the King about his past, present and future. ... In Antigone, we again follow the bloodline of Oedipus, through his daughters and sons. ... Again we see our old friend Tiresias, although I feel the role he has in this play isn't quite as influential to the story line as he was in Oedipus King. ... Why have these plays succeeded where others fail? ...

• Word Count: 766
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• Grade Level: High School

Around 400 B.C. an epic play was created by a Greek playwright named Sophocles, that play known as Oedipus Rex, or Oedipus the King has set the standard for the formula of a Tragedy. Unfortunately, most people today are unable to see the play in real time; they have only read the lines from the play, usually in form of a short story. ... By either reading or watching Sophocles" play "Oedipus Rex" you experience the classic illustration of a tragedy. ... Maybe the chorus was the timeline in Oedipus the King? ... In conclusion when Sophocles wrote "Oedipus the King" he could not have even ima...

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• Grade Level: High School

"Oedipus Rex," written by the great playwright, Sophocles, depicts ancient Theban, Oedipus, who attempts to escape the fate given to him by an oracle. ... Oedipus commits various acts of hubris, also commonly known as excessive pride, throughout the entire play as his tragic flaw. ... His complete arrogance and what we may call today as "road rage " causes him to kill King Laius, oblivious to the fact that Laius was his father. ... Their high status plays a big part in their hamartia and affects how they perform with others in their polis or tribe. Going back to Oedipus' exhibition of hub...

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EVIL Sophocles" Oedipus Rex and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein dive deep into the mentality and well being of Oedipus, Dr. ... Evil seems to play a significant role in both stories bringing out each character's fatal flaws. ... Oedipus reigns as a noble king to Thebes, however, this is soon forgotten and ephemeral when he is soon discovered as the murderer of Laios, his legitimate father in which he was suppose to kill according to his fate. ... He will kill his father, king of Thebes, marry his mother, and bear children with her. ... However, a shepherd rescues this baby and sends ...

• Word Count: 1209
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• Grade Level: High School