Professor James Place October 15‚ 2012 Pham 1 In the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles (rpt. in James P. Place‚ Literature: A reader for Freshman Composition II‚ 1st ed. [Boston: Pearson‚ 2011] 122-168)‚ the oracles had prophesied that Oedipus would kill his father and beget children by his mother. Oedipus does not want to do the things that Apollo predicted; he is no puppet‚ but indeed the controller of his own fate. Oedipus was unwilling to have his fate come true; he was frightened that he
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Aristotle said “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles is the best Greek play ever written. The audiences might agree with Aristotle depending upon their understanding of the “healthy confusion” of both pleasure and perplexity portrayed. “Oedipus Rex” is one immense riddle that lifts the audience’s minds’ to a higher understanding of the human life. Greek culture would call this: Catharsis‚ which is purification of the mind. Thematic ideas in the play are derived from the axial age‚ which concentrated on logos
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the downfall of a tragic hero within a piece of literature. In the play Oedipus Rex‚ Oedipus is a tragic hero with a hamartia that leads to his inevitable downfall. He possesses three traits that have been debated on to be his hamartia: his hubris (excessive pride)‚ his heinous temperament‚ and his consummate determination. Of these three traits Oedipus possesses‚ I’ve believe that his hamartia is his profligate pride. Oedipus was a proud man. After all‚ who wouldn’t be proud of defeating a Sphinx
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OEDIPUS THE KING An Abridged and Adapted Version of Sophocles’ Play* by Nick Bartel‚ 1999 (Intended for use as Readers’ Theater in the Junior - Senior High School Classroom) Characters: Oedipus‚ King of Thebes Jocasta‚ His Wife Creon‚ His Brother-in-Law Teiresias‚ an Old Blind Prophet A Priest First Messenger Second Messenger A Herdsman A Chorus of Old Men of Thebes (three or more chorus members)[Non-Speaking Parts] Servants of Oedipus (2) Children and young priests who pray;
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tragedies. Alternatively‚ in Oedipus the King‚ there is no apparent reason why the Oracle involves Oedipus and leads him on a trail of misfortunes. Some say it is to illustrate that the Gods had superiority over the mortals; others might argue that Oedipus somehow offended the Gods‚ and this was their “payback” on him. This leads to the ongoing argument about Oedipus living a life of fate‚ or in due course dooming himself. Even though the Oracle warned Oedipus of his inevitable fate
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September 24‚ 2012 King Oedipus- Essay "What walks on four legs at dawn‚ two legs at noon‚ and three legs at nightfall." This was the riddle posed by the Sphinx who at the time was destroying the city of Thebes. The riddle was solved by none other than Oedipus who was made king for ridding the city of the Sphinx. Ironically though‚ Oedipus in his life comes to embody the riddle of the Sphinx and its soulution. Firstly‚ the Sphinx is percieved as a curse on Thebes and Oedipus also becomes a curse by
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Oedipus Rex – Key Quotes OPENING SCENE – TONE‚ LOCATION AND EXPOSITION The action takes place in Thebes in front of the royal palace OEDIPUS: the city fills with incense‚ chants‚ and cries of pain? PRIEST: For our city‚ as you yourself can see‚ is badly shaken—she cannot raise her head above the depths of so much surging death. Disease infects fruit blossoms in our land‚ disease infects our herds of grazing cattle‚ makes women in labour lose their children.
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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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characters or to the audience. The tragedy ’Oedipus Rex’ is filled with dramatic suspense which is largely due to the effective use of dramatic irony by Sophocles. Except for Teiresias‚ all the characters in the play such as Oedipus‚ Iokastȇ‚ Creon‚ the messenger and the chorus know nothing about the proceedings of the story‚ so their speeches contain dramatic irony. Most dramatic ironies are found in the speeches of Oedipus. Almost every word uttered by Oedipus from the exposition of the play to the
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cause-and-effect chain. The plague in Thebes prompts Oedipus to send Creon to consult the oracle of Delphi; the oracle¡¦s reply that the murderer of Laius must be banished from Thebes prompts Oedipus pronounce a solemn curse on the murderer and to send for Teiresias. Teriesias states that Oedipus is the murderer‚ but since the king knows himself to be innocent (or thinks he knows)‚ he accuses Creon of plotting with Teiresias against him. The quarrel of Oedipus and Creon brings Jocasta from the house; seeking
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