One of the main underlying themes in Oedipus Rex is blindness. Not just physical blindness‚ but intellectual blindness as well. The blindness issue is an effective contrasting method for Oedipus at different points in the play. Simply saying "blindness"‚ however‚ is a little ambiguous. It can be broken down into two components: Oedipus’s ability to "see" (ignorance or lack thereof)‚ and his
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Oedipus: A Tragic Hero Oedipus Rex‚ or Oedipus the King is Sophocles ’s first play of "The Theban Cycle." It tells the story of a king that tries to escape his fate‚ but by doing so he only brings about his downfall. Oedipus is a classic example of the Aristotelian definition of a tragic hero. Aristotle defines a tragic hero as a basically good and noble person who causes his own downfall due to a flaw in his character. Oedipus is a man of noble blood; his parents‚ who raised him as a child
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Terry Sin Final Draft Period 7 The Adventures of Oedipus and Fate Is it sin to follow fate or is it sin to go against it? In the play‚ “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles‚ Oedipus is the king of Thebes who tries to lift the curse of Thebes. To lift the curse‚ he must rid of the murderer of Laios‚ the previous king of Thebes. However‚ a prophecy bounded Oedipus to an unfortunate event: he would murder Laios‚ his father. Oedipus followed his fate unknowingly and was blamed for his crime. He isn’t
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absorbed in his own hubris‚ he will lose track of values that are much more important to him‚ including his own prophesized fate. In Oedipus Rex‚ Oedipus’s “blindness” towards the decisions he made and his past added to his inevitable downfall. One of the many aspects that Oedipus failed to perceive were the clues of his own past that he refused to analyze. Oedipus learned that Lauis was traveling with four men and was killed by one‚ yet he never connected the fact that he knew he killed a man of
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The most common theory for the actions of Oedipus in his story is the Oedipus complex‚ theorized by Freud. In the story Oedipus‚ it was his fate to marry his mother and have children with her‚ and kill his father. The Oedipus complex says that this must happen at a young age. However‚ this complex doesn’t apply to Oedipus‚ because of the different circumstances in which these actions occurred. Freud’s theory on the Oedipus complex is that it is the childhood desire to sleep with the mother and kill
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Oedipus’ Gratification Famous author C.S. Lewis once said: “A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and of course‚ as long as you’re looking down‚ you can’t see something that is above you.” This quote correctly authenticates Oedipus’ tragic flaw in the Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. Beyond other factors‚ Oedipus’ pride through out the story blinds him from seeing many things that eventually lead us to believe his prevalent tragic flaw of all was his pride. First‚ Oedipus
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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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Analysis “Oedipus the King”… Hunter‚ Plowman‚ and Sailor-Helmsman Throughout the play “Oedipus Rex”‚ the main character Oedipus has a number of different character traits throughout the play. His out-look on the stories situation evolves as he begins to learn the truth about who he really is. Oedipus takes on the characteristics of a hunter as well as becoming the hunted; he is a sower yet also the seed‚ and a sailor-helmsman of the city. Each of these images has their own significance. Oedipus first
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Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex that “if [Oedipus] was to avoid heinous pollutions‚ he must make for himself two unreadable rules; never to kill an older man; and never to marry an older woman.” This is a highly unfair assessment of Oedipus’ character‚ and expects too much of any human. Oedipus’ innocence is shown in the fact that he was ignorant of his true origins‚ he was only human‚ and he was subject to fate. According to Polybus and Merope‚ Oedipus was their son. One cannot blame Oedipus for his misguided
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that is associated with impending doom. One such example is found in the tale of Oedipus Rex‚ the tragic hero of Thebes who is destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus learns that in attempting to run away from the prophecy‚ he fulfills it instead. After blinding himself in shame‚ Oedipus bemoans to his friends that “my measure of ills fills my measure of woe; Author was none‚ but I” (Sophocles 47). Oedipus laments the fact that he was the one who authored his fate as he tried to run
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