Preview

Oedipus Paper

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2254 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Oedipus Paper
Alex Fradkin
Honors English II
Mrs. Singer
February 19, 2002 Whoever, with an earnest soul,
Strives for some end from this low world afar,
Still upward travels though he miss the goal,
And strays-but towards a star.
Bulwer

Ever since the early man could use logic to learn and understand, we have questioned the concept of the human condition and its horrifying limitations. Yet with the realization of our set human abilities, we have also created the concept of a human hero; a man who would to some extent is able to rise to great heights despite these limitations. The human hero strives to reach an impossibly elevated goal, and through his attempt to reach this goal, he stumbles and falls and is finally brought down by his own human limitations. Yet through his downfall and his acceptance of it, the human hero is uplifted, becoming greater than even his goals ever intended him to go. He “strays-but towards a star” as the quote says, meaning that he is pulled down only to be brought up again through his newfound knowledge and understanding of his human condition. Because he has been a tremendous part of our history, the human hero has been portrayed in different legends and myths, the greatest of which are the myth of the tragic Oedipus and the absurd Sisyphus. Yet while the story of Oedipus had been adapted 2000 years ago to a tragedy by the Greek writer, Sophocles, the myth of Sisyphus is known for its interpretation by 20th century French author, Albert Camus, who gave the myth its title of the absurd. The distance of time between the two, accounts for a difference in the generations’ opinions and beliefs, separated by modern science and technology as well as by time itself. The play, Oedipus Rex, which is known as the foremost example for a tragedy, displays many concepts and background ideas of the Greek world. The constant mention and reverence to the multiple gods and the idea of the restoration of a worldly order oppose today’s modern concepts

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Garner had the basic human right to live and not be shot to death for the commission of a nonviolent crime. However, man-made law was in effect and was interpreted literally without any regard for severity of crime and ultimate outcome of actions. Garner had the right to due process; a right that was asserted to have been violated when he was shot to death. However, Garner chose to violate the law and commit burglary and not surrender himself when ordered to do so, thus subjecting himself the myriad of possible actions and events that fell upon him. I am not condoning the killing, but at that time and place in society, those were the risks he took and faced regardless of the practicality of the law.…

    • 201 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    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.…

    • 435 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus Final Draft

    • 816 Words
    • 1 Page

    Sophocles depicts the rise and fall of heroes from their excessive pride and hubris. The heroes,…

    • 816 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Oedipus the King Paper

    • 344 Words
    • 2 Pages

    1) What were your initial thoughts about the character of Oedipus? My own initial thought about Oedipus is that he is very nice towards his “parents” because he thinks he will be saving his family and not killing his father. Then when he kills the king I was wondering why he would start a fight to the death when they could have just solved it peacefully. Then I thought he was very stuck up and spoiled because he became king for getting rid of the Sphinx and was very stubborn to his brother-in-law (uncle). Then I thought that he needs to stop talking and listen to his own thoughts and think everything threw.…

    • 344 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    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…

    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Tragedy is an imitation not of men but of a life, an action…” (Aristotle). Greek Tragedy was invented five hundred years Before Common Era, and focuses on the actions of characters. These actions emphasize the harsh reality in which the innocent mankind lives in. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus is defined as one with great potential, but has a hamartia leading to the ultimate demise of himself. Oedipus’ actions are tragic, as he tries to make the right choice but fails. He was dealt a hand that would only lead him to lose. Furthermore, Sophocles develops Oedipus as a relatable character which allows for catharsis to occur. Aristotle’s, The Poetics, explains the necessary components to create a powerful Tragedy. Oedipus the King is a powerful representation of Aristotle’s ideas on tragedy, so the purpose, protagonist, fall, and plot elements in Oedipus the King demonstrate the concepts of tragedy written in The Poetics.…

    • 1201 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus Rough Draft

    • 566 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Being ignorant of the world around oneself is worse than being blind. The truth is hard to observe if one is not thinking critically and be open minded. When one is self absorbed in his own hubris, he will lose track of values that are much more important to him, including his own prophesized fate. In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus’s “blindness” towards the decisions he made and his past added to his inevitable downfall.…

    • 566 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Oedipus

    • 351 Words
    • 2 Pages

    * showcase your critical thinking skills through analysis and insight and must demonstrate control of the topic at hand.…

    • 351 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    “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.…

    • 610 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus The King is most likely one of the greatest tragedies ever recorded. This play tells the story of the great downfall of a once honored king who by the end of the story, becomes a great curse. This is mainly due to his great sense of pride. It was believed by the Greeks that people with this immense pride thought that they were above the gods. Aristotle believed that the protagonist of every tragedy must have some type of tragic flaw that will eventually lead to his demise. To Oedipus ,of Oedipus The King, pride is his tragic flaw that leads to his downfall. Some examples of his pride taking over him were: when he correctly answered the Sphinx’s riddle, when he abandoned his adoptive parents in Corinth, and when he killed Laius in the crossroads.…

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus Essay

    • 775 Words
    • 4 Pages

    rule of thebes: "What is it that walks on 4 feet and 2 feet and 3 feet…

    • 775 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A. King is caring, investigator he is determined, as a husband and father he is loving, and as an arch-criminal he is reluctant to give up power…

    • 674 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus Essay

    • 963 Words
    • 4 Pages

    "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.…

    • 963 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Oedipus the king

    • 504 Words
    • 3 Pages

    “Oedipus the King” was a tale depicting the human experience; each human has a great victory, shortly accompanied by a great demise; the rollercoaster of life. Oedipus had his great success soon become the reason for his fall. With Oedipus’ deadly flaw being ‘hubris’; his excessive pride led him to believe he was on the level of ‘gods’. Once he paraded that he was invulnerable (untouchable by even the gods), his fall would be all the more tragic. Throughout the tale however, Oedipus uses many rhetorical devices towards all his subjects without even recognizing.…

    • 504 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    oedipus

    • 291 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The worship of Gods was important in Greek culture. I knew the Gods played an important role in Greek stories, but through this presentation, I learned of the connection between the Gods and irony. Apollo gave prophecies to the Greeks through his oracle at Delphi. The Greeks do everything the Gods tell them through prophecy, so dramatic irony is caused through the Gods because the audience may know the prophecy while the characters may not. This gave me another way to understand the many applications of irony in Greek mythology.…

    • 291 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays