Preview

Oedipus the Lame King

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
613 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Oedipus the Lame King
Oedipus –Definitely Surprising Sophocles’ masterpiece “Oedipus the King” is a satisfying Tragedy. A relationship between Sophocles’ masterpiece and oxymorons or moronic phrases is apparent, but to what extent are the two relatable to one another? Definitely the comparability is surprising. Oxymorons are used throughout the play, but the connection is more than innate comprehension. Both are contradictive and provoke intrigue and curiosity.
Oxymorons are contradictive; the terms by which they are formed deny one another. When taken out of context such as “paid volunteer”, they often make little sense. “Oedipus The King” is also arguably contradictive. Sophocles applies Socratic philosophy from Socrates; the life that is unexamined is not worth living. Oedipus is determined to know the truth of his origins; it is obvious that he cannot live with the agony of not knowing. He feels that he must examine his life (the truth of his origins), or his life will be filled with the misery of mystery therefor – “not worth living.” He expresses this by saying
Let it burst! Whatever will, whatever must! I must know my birth, no matter how common it may be- I must see my origins face-to-face, She perhaps, she with her women’s pride may well be mortified by my birth. But I, I count myself the son of Chance, the great goddess, giver of all good things - I’ll never see myself disgraced. She is my mother! And the moons have marked me out, my blood brothers, one moon on the wane, the next moon great with power. That is my blood, my nature - I will never betray it, never fail to search and learn my birth (602).
However, the more he examines his life the worse it becomes; many would say even eventually not worth living. It is easily agreeable that in Oedipus’s situation he would have been better off not knowing. Both oxymorons and Sophocles’ “Oedipus the King” are intriguing. Sophocles brilliantly ignites curiosity. Sparknotes.com says, “Even though the conclusion is given away



Cited: Sophocles. Oedipus the King The Norton Anthology of World Literature Eds. Peter Simon et al. 1 vols. New York: Norton, 2009. 573-614. Print. SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on The Oedipus Plays.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2002. Web. 29 Nov. 2011.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    'Witness' - Peter Weir

    • 1707 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The 1985 film witness, directed by Peter Weir is a crime/drama that develops the theme of conflict on a social, cultural and personal level. These areas of conflict are highlighted through the use of film techniques such as; camera shots, camera angles, lighting and costume. The film outlines the contrast between mainstream American society and the Amish community in regional Pennsylvania. While American society is seen as a violent and arrogant group of people, whereas the Amish are seen to be a peaceful, religious group of people. In this film the Amish perceive the mainstream American society to be called the ‘English’. The reason for this is the Amish originated in England so they believe that anyone else outside their culture is called the ‘English’, who if come into contact with Amish culture, will bring fear, violence and terror.…

    • 1707 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Oedipus the King, Sophocles presents us with a world in which certain actions and outcomes…

    • 556 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Knox, Bernard M.W. "The Oedipus Legend" Readings On Sophocles 56.2 (Sep. 2008): 85-88. Gale. Niceville High School Lib., Niceville, FL. 14 Sept. 2008 <http://find.galenet.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>. In Bernard’s critical essay, he examines the multiple elements that make up the Oedipus legend (such as novelty, myths, and plot) throughout the whole story and provides a summary of the story as well. Novelty was the major attraction of audiences for Greek tragedies. This is why the story of Oedipus is so strange and rather unusual to attract a larger crowd. According to Knox, another element of Oedipus was that of the myths. Uses of gods such as Apollo were intertwined with Greek tragedies in order to influence the audience to recognize that their will isn’t the most powerful thing in existence. When the story first begins, the background is not instantly given. In fact, the majority of the background story isn’t given until later in the middle. Irony, a major theme in Oedipus, is witnessed in multiple segments of the story. One of those examples is when the blind sight seer has more sight than the fully capable eyes of Oedipus. The dramatic irony comes into play when the audience knows what the truth behind Oedipus’ story is, while the characters are still uninformed. The ignorance of Oedipus’ parentage is what causes the dramatic outbreak. (197)…

    • 828 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the study of Greek plays, one tries to recreate for an experience, to recapture something of what is meant to those for whom it was written. We know more about the life of Sophocles than we know do about the lives of any other Greek playwright, but this still is not a lot. Sophocles’ work has been said to be the pinnacle of Greek tragedy. Oedipus the King is something like the literary Mona Lisa of ancient Greece. It presents a nightmare vision of a world turned upside down; a decent man, Oedipus, becomes the king of Thebes, whilst in the process unknowingly fulfilling a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. As scholars, we are bound to relate this story through history, to ask what the writer really meant, how…

    • 869 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus blinds himself in shame, accepting full responsibility for poising the city and willingly takes the punishment of exile. In the end, Oedipus’ arrogance led to his downfall. He lost his wife, his eyesight and his kingship. He uncovered the riddles of his life and found out that he was the boy who was the subject of the prophecy. His intelligence, egotism and arrogance led to this finding which caused him losing all that he had. The resolution of his life puts Oedipus above any other tragic hero. He unravels his life in a way that pushes the limits of agony a human can take and there he finds incomparable greatness of…

    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This instantly places him right on top and boosts him up to fulfill the Kings position. His intuitive instincts and drive to put together his life signified him as a man always on a hunt. These qualities where huge attributes to his life however, he also had many negative traits which would end him. He was a man with a huge temper which leads right to his downfall. Since his temper is what ultimately killed his father, it was obvious that it would not stop there. His lack of emotion and sensitivity to these killing sprees was a sign of a broken man unwilling to wear his heart of his sleeve. A man of pride. This follows even more problems for Oedipus as time continues. He refuses to listen to Teiresias, the blind seer of Thebes. He is informed about his future and is taking back by all that makes sense to him now. He is left alone to figure out what to do next. Instead of handling the situation calmly and effectively, he goes out on an rampage and seeks to kill his wife/mother for not telling him to the truth. Once he arrives, he instantly finds her hung by her own hair. This forces him to completely lose his right state of mind and punishes himself by gauging his…

    • 471 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    According to McManus (1999), “In a perfect tragedy, character will support plot, i.e., personal motivations will be intricately connect parts of the cause-and-effect chain of actions producing pity and fear in the audience” (Paragraph 5). The pity and fear in Oedipus is apparent throughout the story. Peter Struck (2009) states, “Oedipus dynamic and multi-faced character emotionally bonds the audience; his tragic flaw forces the audience to fear for him, without losing any respect; and his horrific punishment elicits a great sense of pity from the audience”(Paragraph 5). This pity helps reinforce the idea of a tragic hero, because Oedipus is not responsible for his flaws. Pity is displayed through multiple actions. One way pity is displayed is through Oedipus’ pleas to the god’s for forgiveness. Pity is also displayed as Oedipus punishes himself as well as receives punishment from Creon. According to Struck (2009), “In effect, Oedipus is dead, for he receives no benefits for the living; at the same time, he is not dead by definition, and so his suffering cannot end” (Paragraph 4). Despite atoning for his wrongdoings, Oedipus continues to suffer when the play ends. He suffers in the fact that he is blind and everything he once had and knew is no longer true for him. Oedipus blinds himself in order to pay for the sins that he committed against his family. This shows that Oedipus is not a coward and is able…

    • 1506 Words
    • 7 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

    Cited: Sophocles. (or Miler, Arthur.) “Oedipus”. The Bedford Introduction to Drama. 5th ed.. Ed. Lee. A. Jacobus. Bedford/St. Martins. New York. 43-64…

    • 776 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The entire story of Oedipus is built around a central ironic theme. The king's world is one full of ironies, most of which are cruel. His life begins in exile, because his father fears a prophecy, one in which his son would kill him and marry his wife. It is this…

    • 597 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus the King

    • 502 Words
    • 3 Pages

    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.…

    • 502 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the Greek play, "King Oedipus" written by Sophocles, certain characteristics, which determine the traits of a tragic hero, reveal themselves as the play unfolds. These traits enable readers to enjoy a more enhanced reading of the play and also serve to evoke a particular response from the reader.…

    • 1097 Words
    • 5 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
  • Powerful Essays

    Dodds, E. R. "On Misunderstanding the Oedipus Rex." Twentieth Century Interpretations of Oedipus Rex. Ed. Michael J. O 'Brien. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1968. 17-29.…

    • 1827 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oedipus the King

    • 965 Words
    • 4 Pages

    When Oedipus is completely blind to the truth, he is safe from fulfilling his terrible destiny. It is when he begins to see the truth that he starts to approach his fate. "...a drunken man maundering in his cups / Cries out that I am not my father's son! / ...the suspicion / Remained always aching in my mind," Here, on page 42, Oedipus, in a very minor way, starts to see the truth. By becoming slightly aware of the truth, Oedipus's situation only got worse as his knowledge only escalated with every curious inquiry. Because of what the drunkard said, Oedipus learned about the oracle ("[Oedipus] should lie with [his] own mother... / ...and that he should be his father's murderer" (42) ) and fled for safety from what he thought was his fate. However, he was doing the exact opposite; while fleeing from Corinth, he met his real father, King Laїos, and killed him. He then made his way to Thebes where he married his real mother, Iocaste.…

    • 965 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays