Oedipus The King Free Will Essay
Which character exhibits the highest degree of remorse?
(Prometheus & Oedipus) Everybody has to be responsible for what they have done, and the inescapable fate would give a rise to a tragic ending. Compare to different tragedies, some of them would exhibit more remorse from audience about its tragic heroes. Two of the great tragedies are Oedipus Rex, by John Bennett and Moira Kerr and Prometheus, by Rex Warner. The character Oedipus in the tragedy Oedipus Rex definitely exhibits the highest degree of remorse from audiences, because the character goes from happiness to suffering, the uncontrollable fate, and often involving the deaths or suffering of their families. For a start, Oedipus is far more tragic than Prometheus, because he falls straight down from having a happy family to becoming a murderer of his own father and a husband of his own mother. Oedipus ruled as a kind and beloved king of Thebes, and who also marries Jocasta; the widow of dead King Laius. Whereas he finds out that the murderer of King Laius is he himself, who brings diseases as the punishments of the murderer to Thebans, he “angered more than ever, Oedipus told the old man to get out of his sight and never come near him again” …show more content…
(Bennett and Kerr 2). Oedipus cannot accept the truth that he is the murderer of the former King and his wife’s former husband, and this is just the beginning of his misfortune, which he finds out King Laius is his own father and Jocasta is his own mother continually. Hence, Oedipus undergoes from happiness to suffering the pain of murdering his father and marrying with his mother. On the other hand, the god Prometheus he himself as a Titan who helped Zeus wins the war, and has created Man who appearances are similar to gods and living as gods do on the earth. Since Prometheus wants to help them, he steals fire from Zeus from the island of Lemnos, which he is punished by Zeus to the dreadful Caucasus where among diseases, and the servant of Zeus has told him that Zeus does not think that is enough so: “’ and now, every day, the winged hound of Zeus, his great eagle, will fly to you and every day will tear the flesh of your body into rags, feasting upon your liver and gnawing it black; and every night the flesh will grow again to be destroyed’” (Warner 7). Prometheus was such a powerful god but now is suffering mental and physical punishments from Zeus profoundly because he wants to help Men. However, compare these two tragic heroes, Prometheus is suffering on his physical body, but Oedipus also suffering psychosomatic pain that would exert more pity, given by the audiences. Additional, the uncontrollable fate is another main reason leads both of the characters to be ended tragically. The tragic hero Oedipus was abandoned by his own parents because an oracle said that his father would be killed by any of his son so, he goes to a new city and becomes the king of Thebes. Yet after many problems come out, a cruel truth has been discovered, that is: “Oedipus had really killed his own father, and, more horrible yet, had married his own mother” (Bennett and Kerr 3). The destiny have made a joke to Oedipus, let him is given a birth by King Laius and Jocasta, but let him murdered his own father and married his own mother by accident, although he had tried to escape. Moreover, Prometheus has foretold that: “Prometheus told Oceanus to beware lest, if he took the side of one of the older gods, some such fate as this might fall upon him too” (Warner 6). When Prometheus was talking to Oceanus about Zeus who has already destroyed many of the older gods, he foretells they will have the same fate as well, and those words are just heard by Zeus by accident. That is such a destiny to lead the tragic hero to be punished. The fate is one important character traits in both two tragedies, but Oedipus is just more fateful and tragic. The most important point is the tragic heroes in both of the plays often involving the deaths and suffering of their families, which is the main reason that gains audiences’ remorse. The fact that neither Oedipus nor his mother yet wife can accept the truth that Oedipus has killed his father and has married with his mother, so Oedipus hears that: “a cream from within the palace bore the news o Oedipus that his wife and mother had hanged herself in horror at the grotesque deed she had unknowingly committed” (Bennett and Kerr 3). Oedipus hears his mother also wife’s death after knowing he himself is the murderer of his own father, which makes him lose both his parents in a tragic way unknowingly, hence becoming the murderer for both of them in some way. Furthermore, in another plays Prometheus, he himself as a tragic hero also feels pity for his own brother named Atlas, “by the will of Zeus, stood in the regions of the west and carried on his vast shoulders the whole weight of the heavens, a difficult burden which he could never shake off. And there was the great hundred-headed monster Typhon” (Warner 6). Prometheus can do nothing for seeing his own brother is suffering such pain although he tried to help. Comparison between Prometheus and Oedipus in this character trait, Oedipus is suffering more sadness because both his mother and father died all because of him, the audiences should feel more pity for Oedipus. Overall, the tragic heroes in both plays undergo from happiness to suffering, and have theirs predetermined destiny, also need to abide the deaths or suffering of their families.
However, compare to Oedipus and Prometheus in all these character traits, Oedipus exhibits more remorse obviously, in which his inescapable fate of killing his own father and marrying his own mother although he tried to get away. Furthermore, Prometheus is also suffering the mental and physical punishment from Zeus, which he is paying the price to what he have done previously, and it is the same to his brother Atlas as well. Therefore, there is nobody can struggle with the storms of fate, so no matter a life is ended in a tragic way or a comic way, they have to pay the
price.
Work Cited
Bennett, John & Kerr, Moira. “ Oedipus Rex.” Myth. Toronto: Copp Clark Pitman Ltd., Pp. 161-164. Print.
Warner, Rex. “Prometheus.” Literary Modes. Ed. D.W.S. Ryan & T.P. Rossiter. Jesperson Press, 1983. 4-9.
(Prometheus & Oedipus) Everybody has to be responsible for what they have done, and the inescapable fate would give a rise to a tragic ending. Compare to different tragedies, some of them would exhibit more remorse from audience about its tragic heroes. Two of the great tragedies are Oedipus Rex, by John Bennett and Moira Kerr and Prometheus, by Rex Warner. The character Oedipus in the tragedy Oedipus Rex definitely exhibits the highest degree of remorse from audiences, because the character goes from happiness to suffering, the uncontrollable fate, and often involving the deaths or suffering of their families. For a start, Oedipus is far more tragic than Prometheus, because he falls straight down from having a happy family to becoming a murderer of his own father and a husband of his own mother. Oedipus ruled as a kind and beloved king of Thebes, and who also marries Jocasta; the widow of dead King Laius. Whereas he finds out that the murderer of King Laius is he himself, who brings diseases as the punishments of the murderer to Thebans, he “angered more than ever, Oedipus told the old man to get out of his sight and never come near him again” …show more content…
(Bennett and Kerr 2). Oedipus cannot accept the truth that he is the murderer of the former King and his wife’s former husband, and this is just the beginning of his misfortune, which he finds out King Laius is his own father and Jocasta is his own mother continually. Hence, Oedipus undergoes from happiness to suffering the pain of murdering his father and marrying with his mother. On the other hand, the god Prometheus he himself as a Titan who helped Zeus wins the war, and has created Man who appearances are similar to gods and living as gods do on the earth. Since Prometheus wants to help them, he steals fire from Zeus from the island of Lemnos, which he is punished by Zeus to the dreadful Caucasus where among diseases, and the servant of Zeus has told him that Zeus does not think that is enough so: “’ and now, every day, the winged hound of Zeus, his great eagle, will fly to you and every day will tear the flesh of your body into rags, feasting upon your liver and gnawing it black; and every night the flesh will grow again to be destroyed’” (Warner 7). Prometheus was such a powerful god but now is suffering mental and physical punishments from Zeus profoundly because he wants to help Men. However, compare these two tragic heroes, Prometheus is suffering on his physical body, but Oedipus also suffering psychosomatic pain that would exert more pity, given by the audiences. Additional, the uncontrollable fate is another main reason leads both of the characters to be ended tragically. The tragic hero Oedipus was abandoned by his own parents because an oracle said that his father would be killed by any of his son so, he goes to a new city and becomes the king of Thebes. Yet after many problems come out, a cruel truth has been discovered, that is: “Oedipus had really killed his own father, and, more horrible yet, had married his own mother” (Bennett and Kerr 3). The destiny have made a joke to Oedipus, let him is given a birth by King Laius and Jocasta, but let him murdered his own father and married his own mother by accident, although he had tried to escape. Moreover, Prometheus has foretold that: “Prometheus told Oceanus to beware lest, if he took the side of one of the older gods, some such fate as this might fall upon him too” (Warner 6). When Prometheus was talking to Oceanus about Zeus who has already destroyed many of the older gods, he foretells they will have the same fate as well, and those words are just heard by Zeus by accident. That is such a destiny to lead the tragic hero to be punished. The fate is one important character traits in both two tragedies, but Oedipus is just more fateful and tragic. The most important point is the tragic heroes in both of the plays often involving the deaths and suffering of their families, which is the main reason that gains audiences’ remorse. The fact that neither Oedipus nor his mother yet wife can accept the truth that Oedipus has killed his father and has married with his mother, so Oedipus hears that: “a cream from within the palace bore the news o Oedipus that his wife and mother had hanged herself in horror at the grotesque deed she had unknowingly committed” (Bennett and Kerr 3). Oedipus hears his mother also wife’s death after knowing he himself is the murderer of his own father, which makes him lose both his parents in a tragic way unknowingly, hence becoming the murderer for both of them in some way. Furthermore, in another plays Prometheus, he himself as a tragic hero also feels pity for his own brother named Atlas, “by the will of Zeus, stood in the regions of the west and carried on his vast shoulders the whole weight of the heavens, a difficult burden which he could never shake off. And there was the great hundred-headed monster Typhon” (Warner 6). Prometheus can do nothing for seeing his own brother is suffering such pain although he tried to help. Comparison between Prometheus and Oedipus in this character trait, Oedipus is suffering more sadness because both his mother and father died all because of him, the audiences should feel more pity for Oedipus. Overall, the tragic heroes in both plays undergo from happiness to suffering, and have theirs predetermined destiny, also need to abide the deaths or suffering of their families.
However, compare to Oedipus and Prometheus in all these character traits, Oedipus exhibits more remorse obviously, in which his inescapable fate of killing his own father and marrying his own mother although he tried to get away. Furthermore, Prometheus is also suffering the mental and physical punishment from Zeus, which he is paying the price to what he have done previously, and it is the same to his brother Atlas as well. Therefore, there is nobody can struggle with the storms of fate, so no matter a life is ended in a tragic way or a comic way, they have to pay the
price.
Work Cited
Bennett, John & Kerr, Moira. “ Oedipus Rex.” Myth. Toronto: Copp Clark Pitman Ltd., Pp. 161-164. Print.
Warner, Rex. “Prometheus.” Literary Modes. Ed. D.W.S. Ryan & T.P. Rossiter. Jesperson Press, 1983. 4-9.