Oedipus the King is a story of trials and tribulations for a man who believed he had it all. Being known as the King of Thebes that had saved the town from a killer sphinx did more than just boost his ego, it made him King. ... Oedipus the King can be seen as a tragic hero which is defined as a person of high status who experiences a downfall due to their tragic flaw. Oedipus was considered a high society figure in two ways, being the heir to the city of Cornith and being the King of Thebes. Thinking he was born to the King and Queen of Cornith, Oedipus was the future heir of the throne. ...

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• Grade Level: High School

"Sons and daughters of Thebes, behold: this was Oedipus, Greatest of men; he held the key to the deepest mysteries; Was envied by all his fellow-men for his great prosperity; Behold, what a full tide of misfortune swept over his head, Then learn that mortal man must always look to his ending, And none can be called happy until the day when he carries His happiness down to the grave in peace." (77) The last lines in the Exedos presented here from Oedipus the King, which was written by the tragedian Sophocles, explicitly reveals the theme to be learned from this tragedy. .....

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• Grade Level: High School

A perfect example of a tragic character is Sophocles's Oedipus the King. ... Oedipus is a noble character who has no vices. He is a wise king, admired by all the people of his city. The sentences "As to the man surest in mortal ways and wisest in the ways of god" (915; 38-39) and "A king of wisdom tested in the past" (915; 46) show that the people of Thebes consider Oedipus a wise and spiritual king. ... King Oedipus fits the definition of a tragic character precisely. ...

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He sold the Sphinx's riddle and became the King of Thebes. He was not any ordinary king however; he was a well respected and loved king. His people admired him, respected him, and referred to him as "Great king" (p.16). ... Oedipus" flaw is his ignorance. ... Shakespearean plays were based on this concept and it is said that Shakespeare himself had a copy of Oedipus Rex while he was writing King Lear. ...

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According to Aristotle's criteria, "Oedipus the King," by Sophocles is a tragic fall. ... I will analyze "Oedipus the King" to show that it is a tragic fall. ... In the same conversation the shepherd says to Oedipus, "yes, my king." (377). This shows that Oedipus is a king, and of noble birth. ... The priest shows that Oedipus has power by saying, "King Oedipus, our master in Thebes." (350). ...

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Sophocles was a great writer of tragedies who wrote Oedipus the King modeling Aristotle's theory of a tragic play. ... Also, Oedipus is so prideful that he is blind to the fact that he was indeed the killer of his father. He called for punishment on the man who killed Laius, the king and Oedipus" estranged father, when it was his hand that slain the king. ... Although the physical punishment was agonizing, emotionally, Oedipus was even more grieved. ... As the protagonist of the play, Oedipus parallels Aristotle's theory of a tragedy. ...

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In Oedipus the King, Sophocles demonstrates how Oedipus is one of the most tragic characters in all of literature while using countless examples of irony. ... Oedipus threatens the killer of King Laius. ... This is ironic because the murdered King Laius is in fact the murdered father of Oedipus. ... Sophocles did a remarkable job of using numerous engaging examples of irony in Oedipus the King. ... The conclusion of Oedipus the King is also essential in classifying Oedipus as a tragic character. ...

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The way he reacts and changes his perception all the while is what creates and characterizes Oedipus the King. At the beginning of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus is the king of Thebes. ... Oedipus is more human than king in his long lament. ... Oedipus is taken from king to beggar and from light to dark. ... This fall from king, or Peripetia, is what characterizes The Great Oedipus as one of Sophocles? ...

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His drama, Oedipus the King – also known as Oedipus Rex, fits all Aristotle's requirements for a classic tragedy. ... His struggle raises sympathy and pity for Oedipus by the audience. ... In Oedipus Rex, the recognition occurs when Oedipus discovers his origin and his true identity by the herdsman and that is also when the peripeteia occurs. ... Oedipus was looking for the assassin of Laius when it is he the whole time. The situation reverses completely and Oedipus gains knowledge of his horrific deed. ...

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In Oedipus the King by Sophocles, Oedipus was a mythological character who experienced intense personal battles since the day he was born. ... Oedipus was particularly tragic because he was cursed at birth. Aristotle's theory is supported by Oedipus the king because Oedipus shows that even those of high power experience fatal tragedy. ... Opposite of Willy Loman, Oedipus did not choose his own tragedy. ... Oedipus was a good leader because he cared about his people. ...

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• Grade Level: High School

We realize Oedipus is damning himself when he declares punishment on he who has murdered King Laios. ... Oedipus has his flaws and was imperfect enough for the viewers to connect. ... Not only do we feel pity, but like in Oedipus we feel relief that we aren't them. ... This is the catch of the play: Oedipus is a character easy to connect with and when he fails it brings us comfort knowing that we didn't have to suffer like Oedipus. ... Also Sophocles uses the characteristics of a tragic hero in his main character Oedipus to arouse pity and terror in the audience, which is a result fr...

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Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae takes Briseis, Achilles's prize, or woman. ... His mother, the sea goddess Thetis, has gone to Olympia on the behalf of Achilles to persuade Zeus, the king of the gods, to help the Trojans defeat the Achaeans. ... However, Tiresias informs him that Oedipus himself is the murderer of King Laius and he has brought this plague to the city. ... Oedipus's egotism is well exhibited with his conversation with Tiresias. ... Oedipus's pride likely accelerated his journey, but it was bound to happen anyway. ...

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• Grade Level: High School

Throughout the play, Oedipus is proved to be perfect match to Aristotle's tragic hero as he is the king of Thebes, he is good and looked up by his people, but falls because of an act of injustice. ... Oedipus, the King of Thebes is highly renowned and prosperous. ... From the play (line 43- 55), the speech of the priest to Oedipus, saying " O mighty power, we turn to you", "by counsel of the gods or of men", "A king of wisdom", "Noblest of men" and " Liberator for your boldness long ago" show that they believe that Oedipus is the closest person to the god and is the only person who can le...

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"Oedipus Rex," written by the great playwright, Sophocles, depicts ancient Theban, Oedipus, who attempts to escape the fate given to him by an oracle. ... 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. ... Going back to Oedipus' exhibition of hubris, his high status as king engenders him to become very egotistic. ... He takes advantage of his position when he lashes out at Tiresias and calls him a blind fool because the man knew more about Oedipus than Oedipus himself. ... Even so, Okonkwo d...

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(Holt, 302) One of the most memorable tragedies is "Oedipus Rex." ... Oedipus's fate is pre-determined by a prophecy. ... At the beginning of the play, Oedipus shows us that he is a dynamic character by solving the riddle and becoming king. ... "Oedipus Rex" is a classic example of a tragedy. Oedipus's life was doomed from the day he was born. ...

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The two examples that are reflected on are Sophocles' Oedipus the King and E. ... The key difference between the tragic heroes in each example is Oedipus was a King, a figure of nobility, and Willy was an average man. ... Oedipus The King The tragedy that exists in Oedipus is that of the classical tragic hero wherein the plot presents a reversal of fortune in the life of a renowned person, a king in this case. ... Oedipus was a true tragic hero. As an audience, we gain an emotional connection to Oedipus. ...

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One tragedy in particular is a Greek play called "Oedipus the King" by Sophecles. ... Oedipus' strength is definitely intelligence and he knows it. After leaving Corinth, Oedipus wanders the land to find himself in the town of Thebes. ... "Here I am myself, you all know me, the world knows my fame: I am Oedipus." ... The King's flaw is his pompous, arrogant attitude that he uses to place himself above those around him. ...

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She shows this pride by first burying her brother, Eteocles, after her uncle and king Creon made specific rules not to commit this act. ... Antigone is from a noble family in which her dad Oedipus once king and brother once king and her Uncle Creon now the king of Thebes. ...

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Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus, the king, and she truly belongs in the high position of princess in the royal family of Thebes. ... Although Antigone is disobeying her king, she is very loyal to her family and the ones she loves. ... She is Oedipus" daughter, which makes her next in line to the throne if anything should happen to her brothers. ...

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Aristotle is the first to define and use a tragic hero in the play "Oedipus Rex," translated from the Greek meaning King Oedipus (pronounced edipis). Oedipus becomes the king of Thebes by defeating a Sphinx plaguing the city. ... Oedipus" own avoidance of the prophecy is what in fact made the prophecy come true, thereby fitting the definition of a tragic hero. ...

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The significance of the word hero still gets its roots from the traditional hero, but its meaning has changed to a point where it has become difficult to recognize it, so difficult that some mythologists say a true hero no longer exits. Heroes exist, but they don't symbolize the true hero. A very co...

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Aristotle was a great admirer of Sophocles'  'King Oedipus'. ... For example, Antigone was caught between doing the right thing from the religious point of view (burial of her dead brother) and doing the right thing from the point of view of law (obeying the king's orders). ...

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In the play Antigone, Sophocles at first portrays Creon as a respected leader who formulates a rational basis for his laws and punishments, and has a generally positive reputation among the people of Thebes. By the end of the play Creon's excessive pride, known as hubris, begins to control his acti...

• Word Count: 951
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate