As in Oedipus the King, a major theme in Othello is man's inability to reliably distinguish between what seems to be and what; however, this shared theme of "uncertain vision" is treated somewhat differently in Othello than it is in Oedipus the King. ... This of course raises one of the most important questions regarding the two plays: are Othello and Oedipus different and to what extent? ... However, the entire play actually concentrates on Oedipus discovering what actually happened. ... Namely, Iago gets the idea at the very beginning of the play as Rodrigo complains about Othello. .....

• Word Count: 1353
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

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

In Robert Fagles' translation of the play "Oedipus the King", Sophocles explores many important themes of Greek tragedy such as fate and free will, wisdom and knowledge, determination and power through the effective use of his language, symbols and motifs and setting. ... Firstly, the story is one that introduces the main character, Oedipus, very positively. ... " This immediately portrays Oedipus as a character who readers are appealed to due to his attributes that are conveyed during the beginning of the play. This is very important because it is due to this reason that w...

• Word Count: 511
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

In Oedipus the King, the major reversal occurs when the messenger comes to cheer Oedipus and free him from his alarms about his mother. ... Additionally, he argues that through recognition, the hero discovers some truth about his or her identity (as in Sophocles's Oedipus the King) or actions that accompany the reversal of the situation in the plot. In the example of Oedipus the King, Oedipus's realization that he is, in fact, his father's murderer and his mother's lover is an example of recognition. ... In this way tragedy shields them from experiencing any harmful emotion...

• Word Count: 1068
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate