Solving the Riddle of the Sphinx, becoming King of Thebes, and starting a family with his new Queen Jocasta sounds like a life of a blessed man. A man named Oedipus whose life is not all it appears to be. As a plague comes upon the city, Oedipus" past is revealed and his life takes a quick downfall that earns him the title of a Tragic Hero. Oedipus the King possesses all the characteristics of a Greek hero, but by his own pride and fidelity to the truth he meets a tragic end of his own making. With an intelligence superior to those around him, he has an inquiring mind and refuses to stop searching to find the murderer of Laius. Oedipus chooses his own course and therefore can be called a tragic hero because his misfortune is not brought about by fate or some depravity but by error, ignorance and frailty. .
In the minds of the Greek's, a hero was a person who possessed superior qualities of the mind and body and proved his superiority by accomplishing great deeds of valor, strength, or intellect. Oedipus" strong suit was definitely intelligence and he knew it. After leaving Corinth, Oedipus wanders the land to find himself in the town of Thebes. Here his mind pays off when he solves the Riddle of the Sphinx that took many lives before him. In one of his rages he says, "I stopped the Sphinx! With no help from the birds, the flight of my own intelligence hit the mark." (lines 451-452). His bright .
mind later acts as downfall for Oedipus as he puts together the pieces of his own past and the murder of his father. He uses his wits to slowly link the stories, but remains ignorant to important details that would reveal all. Even though he has a great intelligence, Oedipus was not totally lacking in the other characteristics. His physical strength is revealed when he meets his father, Laius, at the place where the three roads joined. "With one blow of the staff . I knock him out his high seat, roll him out of the wagon, sprawling headlong" (lines 323-325).
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. ...
Oedipus Rex is Greek tragedy written by Sophocles. The main character, Oedipus Rex, is a man who is trying to escape destiny. ... Oedipus is born the prince of Thebes. ... Oedipus Rex is a perfect example of the tragic hero. ... Oedipus Rex is a powerful play and will continue to influence generations for a long time to come. ...
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. ...
