Oedipus The King Research Paper

Oedipus the King - Research Paper In the fourth century B.C., Aristotle formulated his own definition and concept of a tragedy, outlining the rules by which he thought a tragedy should follow. Corresponding with Aristotle's view of tragedy, Oedipus the King meets the strict and detailed standard of Aristotle's idea. The handling of the elements of plot is masterly, and even a modern audience has little difficulty in seeing this. In Oedipus the King, Sophocles presents us with a world in which fate is inevitable, pride can be dangerous or effective, good intentions are irrelevant, and sight and blindness may serve a similar purpose. Aristotle points out that a tragedy must contain a protagonist that falls from power and from happiness, and that
At each turn of the play, one can see both the strengths that earned him the title of King, and the weaknesses that will dethrone him from power. Relating the Sphinx's riddle and Oedipus, De Quincey writes: [Oedipus] it was, in the most pathetic sense, that went upon four feet when an infant; for the general condition of helplessness attached to all mankind in the period of infancy, and which is expressed symbolically by this image of creeping, applied to Oedipus in a far more significant manner, as one abandoned by all his natural protectors, thrown upon the chances of a wilderness, and upon the mercies of a slave. The allusion to this general helplessness has, besides, a special propriety in the case of Oedipus, who drew his very name (Swollen-foot) from the injury done to his infant feet. So, Oedipus has endured his own life from the beginning, solves the riddle of the Sphinx, and so his people turn to him during times of hardship: "Therefore, O mighty King, we turn to you: Find us our safety, find us a remedy, Whether by counsel of the gods or men" (1385). Lewin states, "The scene establishes Oedipus as a ruler not with divine intuition (the Priest also says 'You are not one of the immortal gods, we know') but with the intellectual prowess to ameliorate Thebes's grave situation" (Lewin 1). The people elect Oedipus as their king; because they
For instance, during the first conversation between Oedipus and Teiresias, Oedipus states: "You sightless, witless, senseless blind old man!" (Sophocles 1394) After the two exchange some dialogue, Teiresias responds: You mock my blindness, do you? But I say that you, with both your eyes, are blind" (Sophocles 1395). This scene ultimately sets the foundation preparing for a future irony in the story. Walton writes, "Only when he has become physically as blind as Teiresias does Oedipus appreciate the enormity of the situation" (Walton 1). When Iocaste hangs herself, Oedipus uses the pin of her brooch, blinding himself; so, going back to the first conversation between Oedipus and Teiresias, it is evident that the blind prophet Teiresias could actually see what was waiting for Oedipus. Conversely, although Oedipus could see, he was unable to put the puzzle together, and this costs him dearly. According to Walton, "We pity Oedipus, as Freud tells us, because, at some level, his fate could be our own" (Walton 1). One of the most prevalent ironies in the play is that Oedipus himself is blind to accurate measurement and truth until he blinds himself. If the play does constitute a critique of rationalism, the ironies of the play become deeply meaningful. The heart of irony is the contrast between the expected or the desired, or the ideal experience and the actual