The Punishment of Oedipus the King At the end of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex‚ Oedipus‚ king of Thebes‚ ends up banished forever from his kingdom. Additionally‚ Oedipus physically puts out his own eyes‚ for several reasons which will be discussed later. The question is: Did Oedipus deserve his punishments? There are many factors that must be considered in answering this‚ including how Oedipus himself felt about his situation. His blinding was as much symbolic as it was physical pain
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In both Antigone and Oedipus the King the city plays an important part with the majority of the action in both plays taking place in public in front of a chorus of Theban citizens. Personal conflict/crises take place in public‚ and when personal events take place off stage‚ they are relied to the chorus (and the audience) through messengers. The city also helps to move the plot of the plays along‚ as well providing dramatic tension. In addition the city helps to give us greater understanding of
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Oedipus‚ the play‚ is a story about the King of Thebes who journeys from thinking he knows who he is‚ to finding out who he truly is. It is about knowing oneself. In the Greek civilization‚ "people came to know themselves…through experience"‚ (The Ancient World‚ 3). In this paper it will explain how Oedipus thought of himself‚ when his hubris was really showing through and then when Oedipus finds out who he really is. As stated before‚ Oedipus was the King of Thebes‚ and to a certain degree‚ he
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believe is right like Rosa Parks. Certain characteristics set them apart from the rest. Antigone is a tragic hero in the Greek play called Antigone. A tragic hero is character who is dignified and superior and whose downfall is caused by a tragic flaw. They usually think that they are in the right mind when the rest of society thinks that they are mad. A tragic flaw is a weakness or error that the tragic hero has. Antigone believes in her heart far stronger than that of the leader’s rule.
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Though Oedipus’ decisions are often driven by self-interest‚ he ultimately is devoted to the people of Thebes and values their well being more than his own. His commitment to his citizens can be seen in various instances. The first is during a series of unfortunate events that torments the city‚ the root of it being a plague. Seeking help from their king‚ the Thebans turn to Oedipus for help. In hopes of eliminating the plague‚ he attempts to fulfill Apollo’s commands for the murderer of Laios to
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Sophocles‚ Oedipus has volunteered to find out who killed the previous king‚ King Laius. If he succeeds in finding the “stranger” who committed the crime Oedipus will be able to lift the curse of the plague off the people of ancient Thebes. However‚ in a turn of events Oedipus not only finds out he is the “stranger” who murdered King Laius but also the tragedy surrounding his birth. This discovery leads to an ethical dilemma of “Is the truth always worth finding?”. Since in the beginning Oedipus has cursed
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"The blind man sees and the seeing man is blind." To what extent is this true in Oedipus the King? "To be wise is to suffer." Throughout this play we see that after Oedipus suffers and loses his eyesight it is only then he is able to seek the truth. When we are first introduced to Oedipus‚ he is a strong leader who is thoroughly respected by the people of Thebes. "O greatest of men." Oedipus was the saviour of Thebes 15 years before he solved the riddle of the Sphinx which freed the city
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downfall of Macbeth. Macbeth develops and changes greatly‚ from a loyal‚ trustworthy person to a corrupted and murderous man throughout the course of the play. Many factors affected the shaping of the character of Macbeth‚ including the witches’ prophecies and foil character‚ Banquo. This character
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Through analysis on the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles‚ I found that my understanding was deepened by my knowledge of major themes shown through Sophocles’ use of symbolism‚ paradox‚ and setting. This led to a deeper understanding regarding existentialism and man’s pursuit for knowledge itself. During a discussion on symbolism‚ Oedipus’ fate was linked to a quote by Randy Pausch: “We cannot change the cards we are dealt‚ only how we play the hand.” One of the themes Sophocles makes prevalent throughout
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“Not knowing information that causes [one] pain and leaves [one] worse off is more pleasant than knowing that information” (Paul Hudson). Oedipus Rex‚ a classic Greek tragedy by Sophocles‚ tells of King Oedipus and the consequences of a curious mind. Throughout the play‚ Oedipus gains more knowledge of his heritage‚ causing trouble for himself and his peers. Rather than pursuing justification‚ remaining unaware of sufferings and tragedies allows one to live more peacefully. Blissful incognizance
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