Oedipus Rex is Greek tragedy written by Sophocles. The main character, Oedipus Rex, is a man who is trying to escape destiny. In spite of his efforts he walks right into it and becomes an ideal tragic hero with all the trimmings. Oedipus" greatest flaw is his arrogance. From this psychological flaw all his problems stem and by the end the Audience feels pity and fear for this ill-fated man. .
To become a tragic hero one must be high born. Oedipus is born the prince of Thebes. King Laios, Oedipus" father, fears that his son will kill him. Rather than risk death, Laios opts to have his son killed. Oedipus is saved however, and brought to Corinth where the royal family adopts him; again he becomes a Prince. After killing Laios and defeating the Sphinx he becomes the king of Thebes. After the king of Corinth dies, Oedipus becomes king of Corinth also. If Oedipus were any higher on the social ladder he would probably be mistaken for one of the Gods.
Taking one step back, Oedipus makes two major mistakes, his hamartia. His first error in judgment is killing Laios. Oedipus is an exceedingly arrogant man, and this fatal flaw causes him to kill the king of Thebes. Because the king has been killed and Oedipus solves the riddle of the sphinx he is awarded the status of King of Thebes and is married to his mother Iocaste. Oedipus has no idea he killed his real father and married his mother. His second major mistake is calling down a curse upon the man who killed the original king. He dooms himself in doing this since he is the murderer.
As the play reaches its end Oedipus recognizes that he has been blind to the truth; he killed his Father and married his Mother. The audience fears what Oedipus will do now that he knows the truth. He then drives needles into his eyes blinding himself as he now experiences the peripetia, or role reversal. Oedipus goes from king of Thebes to a blind exile.
The Greek drama Oedipus Rex is clearly a tragedy. ... Oedipus Rex clearly meets the first of these five criteria. ... The tragic flaw, or mistake that a character makes, in Oedipus Rex does not actually take place during the story. ... In these five ways, the story Oedipus Rex classifies as a tragedy. However, in my opinion at least, you don't really need a standard checklist to see if Oedipus Rex is a tragedy or not. ...
"Oedipus Rex Essay Number 1- The stories Antigone and Oedipus Rex were written by a Greek philosopher named Sophocles. ... In Oedipus Rex there was a very interesting prophecy. Before the prophecy, Tiresias and Oedipus had an argument. ... In Oedipus Rex the prophecy Tiresias gave Oedipus was a foreshadow of what was to come. ... Oedipus had become blind. ...
The contrast between light and dark, and blindness and sight plays a large role throughout Oedipus Rex. ... Oedipus Rex is a play full of paradox. ... During the exchange between Tiresias and Oedipus near the beginning of the play, constant reference is made to Oedipus" sight and Tiresias" blindness. ... Oedipus Rex is an account of Oedipus" quest for truth. ... Yet it is only in his blindness that Oedipus finally truly sees. ...
The entire concept of Oedipus Rex is enough to leave a sour taste in a reader's mouth. ... Contrary to this, however, Oedipus Rex is one of the most highly regarded plays in literary history. ... The mix of pleasure and disquietude create the volatile emotions that make Oedipus Rex a legendary play. Before the play even begins, Oedipus murders his father. ... Overall, the tragic nature of Oedipus Rex incites more sympathy from the audience than the initial disgust. ...
All of the tragedies, including Oedipus Rex are considered outstanding for their powerful, intricate plots and dramatic style. ... Oedipus Rex is a tragedy written by Sophocles. ... Oedipus's tragedy extends to his entire family. ... Such an ironic reversal occurs in Oedipus Rex when the messenger's speech unsettles rather than reassures Oedipus about who he is and what he has done. ... The major conflict occurred when Tiersias tells Oedipus that Oedipus is responsible for the plague and Oedipus refuses to believe it. ...
In Sophocles's play "Oedipus Rex- Oedipus Even though "fate" seems to determine Oedipus' life, . he does infact have a free will. ... Oedipus does not believe (his choice). ... Oedipus Essay (Fate) Sophocles "Oedipus the King- is a tragic play which discusses the tragic discovery of Oedipus that he has killed his father and married his mother. ... Oedipus Rex - Bliss in Ignorance Oedipus Rex - Bliss in Ignorance One of the most memorable and meaningful Socratic quotes applies well when in context of Sophocles' Theban Trilogy. ... Yet in terms of Sophoclean drama, specifically Oe...
Iokaste the Downfall of Oedipus Rex From the beginning of Oedipus Rex there are prophecies that insist the ultimate fate of Oedipus. Although these prophecies are excruciating, they are prophecies that in the end all come, true and lead to the destruction of Oedipus Rex. ... Iokaste through love and concern for her son tries to prevent these awful prophecies from happening, but in the end she is the ultimate cause of Oedipus Rex's grief and downfall. ... The Iokaste says Oedipus! ... Iokaste although it is not obvious was really the cause of Oedipus Rex's downfall. ...
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. ...
