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The ability to see is a much more complex ability than just the physical attribute. Most individuals have the ability to see physically but are blind to the reality of certain circumstances. In the play, “Oedipus the King” by Plato, Oedipus, the tragic hero, is not a blind man but cannot see the reality in the outcome of trying to escape his given fate.…
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One of the powerful relationships that continuously develops throughout the play is that of Oedipus and Creon. This relationship begins when Oedipus becomes king and shares his power equally between his wife/mother, Jocasta, and Jocasta’s brother Creon. The conflict emerges between Oedipus and Creon when Oedipus brings in Tiresias to assist him in finding the murderer of Laius, and Tiresias tells Oedipus that it was in fact he (Oedipus) who killed Laius. One of Oedipus’s reactions towards what Tiresias tells him is that he says, “Creon! Is this his conspiracy his or yours?” (Sophocles, Ln. 431) Oedipus’s jump to reach this conclusion of blaming Creon, is what causes their relationship to deteriorate and is the reason that later on in the play, Creon and Oedipus get into a fight about this accusation. Once Oedipus has blinded himself, he actually begs for Creon’s forgiveness, for Creon to exile him and for Creon to take care of his two young daughters, Antigone and Ismene. “Drive me out of the land at once, far from sight, where I can never hear a human voice.” (Sophocles, Ln. 1571-1572) This is probably the most emotional relationship in the play, and it is a perfect example of why all people enjoy this play. Relationships such as this one have helped Sophocles’s play tremendously with regards to it being one of the most…
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Sophocles, writer of Oedipus the King, compresses the dramatic reveal of the true destiny and origin of birth to Oedipus all in one day. Oedipus’s search for the truth creates a storyline of anticipation and intensity. The play focuses on human weakness, human suffering and man’s inability to change his destiny. Though the audience can see between the lines early on, the knowledge allows them to feel pity for Oedipus as the real revelation of himself is gradually unveiled. In his poems, Aristotle outlined the necessities of a good tragedy exclaiming a tragedy must evoke pity and fear in its viewers. A tragic hero, according to Aristotle, must be a man who is superior to the average man in some way. In Oedipus's…
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Another flaw of Oedipus that leads to his self-destruction is his excessive self-pride. He made it his mission to find the killer of Laius in order to end the misery that the plague in Thebes caused. He was sure of himself that he will save the land, ironically not realizing that he is the one at fault. He sees himself as being all mighty since he presumably escaped his fate. He was able to save Thebes from the Sphinx so he thinks history can repeat itself and he can be a hero ones again for his people.…
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King Oedipus tried to find out what killed Laius the King before he came to power, because the oracle told them that his murder needed to leave to free the city from disease. So the King used Creon to find men he needed to speak with in order to find out who killed Laius. King Oedipus did whatever he could to find out who killed Laius which was why he was thought of as a good king. I thought that he tried hard to help the people of Thebes, but it would come to haunt him in the future. Oedipus' wife Jocasta tells him where Laius was killed; she said it was at crossroads were Oedipus remembers killing a few men that were bothering him on the way to Thebes. Jocasta dreads telling Oedipus about the crossroads because without this information I believe Oedipus would never have found out the truth and would have given up his search. Oedipus then realizes that he was most likely the one to kill Laius.…
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As the play begins, Oedipus is crowned as king for his wit and intelligence after solving the Sphinx’s riddle. He appears to know it all and have the intelligence of a noble man. To Oedipus’ misfortune, he lives life blindly but the truth will soon be unveiled. His ignorance hinders his eyes from seeing and his mind from comprehending his environment.…
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“Oedipus the King” is a drama that portrays misfortune that dwells among mankind. The tragic sequence of events first starts with the birth of Oedipus. His biological parents are stricken with grief when they discover a secret that causes them to banish their son from the city of Thebes. Little did they know that, despite their actions, fate would still play out which would, in turn, cause the society of Thebes to be stricken by the plague. Although many people suffered from the unfortunate destiny of Oedipus, perhaps the person that suffered the most was Oedipus himself. Oedipus endured an unforgiving reality check after being blindsided by the current state of his life.…
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Sophocles’ Oedipus The King is a great tragedy, possibly one of the best. It is with pride that Oedipus in a way contributes to his downfall. Pride is the greatest factor when it comes to identifying his tragic flaw. His pride is what lead him to kill his father, leave Corinth, marry his mother, to answer the Sphinx’s riddle and etc. Oedipus did indeed possess a tragic flaw that lead to his downfall. This is how his tragic flaw lead to his…
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rule of thebes: "What is it that walks on 4 feet and 2 feet and 3 feet…
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In the play Oedipus the King, Oedipus is the main character and tragic hero. He is a royal king who came to Thebes to save it from the plague. Oedipus runs into some other character conflicts in the play with a prophet named Tiresias and his brother in-law Creon. In the play Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman stands out as the main character and has the tragic downfall. Willy’s mental disease causes trouble for him throughout the play with his family and friends. After examining the tragedies of Oedipus the King and Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman stands out as more of a tragic figure because the average person can relate to his everyday life.…
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Of all the tragedies that Greek playwright Sophocles created in his illustrious career, the one that stands out as his masterpiece, and quite possibly one of the greatest of all the Greek tragedies is Oedipus the King. The tragedy focuses on the life and downfall of the unfortunate King Oedipus, who was condemned by the oracle at an early age to murder his father and marry his mother. Despite the oracle’s grim prediction, Oedipus was responsible for his own downfall due to his overly proud and impetuous attitude, and his own intellect and diligence.…
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"What walks on four legs at dawn, two legs at noon, and three legs at nightfall." This was the riddle posed by the Sphinx who at the time was destroying the city of Thebes. The riddle was solved by none other than Oedipus who was made king for ridding the city of the Sphinx. Ironically though, Oedipus in his life comes to embody the riddle of the Sphinx and its soulution. Firstly, the Sphinx is percieved as a curse on Thebes and Oedipus also becomes a curse by the end of the play. Secondly, Oedipus's physical health embodies the riddle. Thirdly, Oedipus's emotional state also resembles the riddle. Lastly, the events of Oedipus's life relate to the theme of identity in the play.…
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Oedipus the King by Sophocles is about Oedipus, a man doomed by his fate. Like most tragedies, “Oedipus the King” contains a tragic hero, a heroic figure unable to escape his/her own doom. This tragic hero usually has a hamartia or a tragic flaw which causes his/hers’ downfall. The tragic flaw that Sophocles gives Oedipus is hubris (exaggerated pride or self-confidence), which is what caused Oedipus to walk right into the fate he sought to escape.…
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Sight and Blindness has many different meanings throughout the world. The concept of blindness can be seen as the literal inability to look at the world and it is also perceived as being blind to a situation or event that is obvious. The Sophocles Tragedy, Oedipus the King, portrays both of the viewpoints of sight and blindness. The characters in Sophocles’ work live a hectic, ever-changing, life with twists of fate.…
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In the scene where Tiresias and Oedipus are discussing who the murderer is, they exchange a couple of lines that show Oedipus cannot change his fate. Oedipus questions the prophet and his skills, frustrated Tiresias tell Oedipus “Well, it will….thy pent-up rage”…
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