Major Works Data Sheet Oedipus the King Title: ________________________________ Sophicles Author: ______________________________ Date of Publication: ____________________ Around 450 BC Tragic Drama/Theater Genre: _______________________________ Historical information about the setting The work was written around 450 BC‚ a time of high Greek culture where literature and drama were placed at the forefront of society. Sophocles was a key player in this movement‚ and his plays were performed
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In most societies‚ there is one question that can provide clarity to people when a situation goes awry; guilty or innocent? When reading the play‚ Oedipus the King‚ written by the playwright Sophocles‚ there were many instances that could be used to declare Oedipus guilty or innocent. Oedipus is very much guilty because he should not have thought he had higher authority than the gods and he should not have insisted on continuing to look for the answers to all his questions. Sophocles did a fantastic
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in Athens The story of Oedipus Tyrannus‚ otherwise known as Oedipus the King or Oedipus Rex‚ is an Athenian tragedy written by Sophocles; it tells the story of Oedipus‚ the king of Thebes who is plagued by a self-fulfilled prophecy in which he kills his father Laius and marries his own mother‚ Jocasta. Not only is it widely recognized as Sophocles’ greatest work‚ the story of Oedipus has lent its name to what is recognized in the psychological realm today as the Oedipus complex‚ in which a young
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Oedipus the King The people believed at the time of Sophocles that an individual achieves his destiny as a result of his own fate. This is true in the case of Oedipus the king‚ whose anger; pride and blindness towards the truth bring his tragic downfall. At the start of the play‚ Oedipus is depicted as a confident ruler‚ who saved Thebes from the curse of Sphinx‚ furthermore‚ he becomes the king overnight. He declares his name gladly just as it were itself a recuperating charm: “Here I am myself—
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Why? Why does this have to happen to me? I‚ Oedipus‚ King of Thebes‚ did nothing to deserve this cruelty. I.. I who saved Thebes from the Sphynx’s evil riddles; I… who led the country… and now this? Such a wicked life I have. Now‚ Jocasta‚ my beloved wife; no‚ my MOTHER‚ gave her last breath when faced to this truth. Her body now lies here in her chambers and all I can do is lament. What an incestuous act we have done. My mother… and I… our children… Oh gods. OH GODS! Please forgive me! I never
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completely different fields will be put side by side to compare their own tragic flaws. On one hand‚ Sophocles’ Oedipus is proud‚ arrogant and persistent; while on the other hand‚ Eliot’s Prufrock is self conscious‚ insecure‚ and indecisive. While the two characters are complete polar opposites‚ they also share a devastating similarity: they are paranoid and in fear of their own fate. Oedipus’ personality is clearly conveyed as having excessive pride and determination throughout the play. He first
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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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Oedipus in Modern Times The dramatic story of Oedipus is one that was acted for years before Sophocles even wrote The Tree Theban Plays‚ and play of fate and pride still endures today. Critics and historians attribute Oedipus the King’s long life to its timeless examination of fatal human flaws as well as to its poignant portrayal of the human condition. Even though our society is drastically different from that of classical Greece‚ Oedipus’s tale of woe is still taught and performed in modern
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Oedipus has three nobilities that make him to be very noble; by his birth to Jocasta and Laios he is a prince thus an heir to the Thebes throne‚ by adoption to Polybus and Merope he is a prince and the heir to the throne of Corinth and by election he becomes the king of Thebes. Oedipus example is used by Aristotle as an example of what a hero should be. He said that a hero should be someone like Oedipus or other men of such greatness‚ who are highly prosperous and renowned (Eden‚ 2014). It is seen
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Is Too Much Pride Bad for Your Health? In literature‚ the tragic heroes Oedipus and Othello allow the pride they have to cause their own demise by putting too much emphasis on the lives they have created for themselves. Oedipus‚ who blinds himself after finding out he has killed his birth father and married his birth mother‚ refuses to believe he has truly fulfilled his fate because he is so proud of what he has accomplished since he left Corinth. Othello demonstrates his pride by believing that
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