Unraveling the Riddle of Oedipus Study Guide PITTSBURGH PUBLIC THEATER’S STUDY GUIDE Oedipus the King by Sophocles Translated by William Butler Yeats September 28 – October 29‚ 2006 TABLE OF CONTENTS SOPHOCLES Sophocles’ Life 3 Works by Sophocles 4 THOUGHTS FROM THE DIRECTOR 5 OEDIPUS THE KING Synopsis 6 Characters 7 Glossary 8 The Translator 9 Themes 10 The Riddle of the Sphinx 11 ANCIENT GREECE Daily Life 12 Why Ancient
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Antigone‚ from the play Antigone‚ is like her father Oedipus‚ from the play Oedipus Rex‚ through the two classical values‚ justice and courage. Antigone showed justice by doing what she believed was right. Her brothers body‚ he was killed in war‚ was cast from the city with no rights and without a proper burial‚ and no one was allowed to bury it. Antigone‚ seeing this as an injustice decided to make it right by burying her brother anyway at the expense of herself. This shows justice because to do
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point in the story. "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles is one such story. In the story Oedipus has such a misconception where he thinks he has a good life‚ but really his life is morally wrong. This contributes to the theme or themes of the play when they serve as the defining climax of the story. When the misconception is stopped Oedipus sees that you cannot escape or change your past‚ but you can still do great things even if you have been evil or immoral in your life. When Oedipus was born it was prophesied
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awaken to find out the truth. In Oedipus the King‚ A Doll’s House‚ and Fences‚ Oedipus‚ Nora and Corey experience an awakening from secondary characters through their interactions. Oedipus‚ the main character in Oedipus the King by Sophocles awakens when he realizes the truth has been in front of him the whole time. There is a plague destroying the city of Thebes‚ Oedipus learns that the killer of Laius needs to be prosecuted so Thebes can be restored. Oedipus wants to find out who murderer of
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Causing our own grief In Oedipus Rex‚ written by Sophocles‚ some of the characters cause their own problems. The idea applies not only to the story but to real life as well. In fact‚ “The greatest griefs are those we cause ourselves.” The significance of this quotation is that people bring on their own sadness by their own doings. Other people do not cause the grief. In Oedipus Rex‚ Oedipus causes his own grief by trying to escape the fate of the oracle’s prophecy. He cannot blame his grief on
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Oedipus Symbolism Many stories from ancient times as well as present times use symbolism to prove a point or to help with the understanding of the story. Symbolisms are used in stories and plays of all kinds to help get a point across or to help clarify the meaning of the story‚ and the play‚ Oedipus the King‚ is no different. There are many things throughout the play that are symbolic and very important to the understanding of the play. Two of the major symbolic things in the play are blindness
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intentions were irrelevant if the result was chaos or disaster." The gods expect justice to follow their own set of rules‚ and those who refuse to comply‚ must suffer the consequences. A fine example of this can be seen in the Greek tragedy King Oedipus by Sophocles‚ translated by E.F. Watling. The tragedy explores three different ways that justice can be handed down to the people of Thebes. Some receive poetic justice‚ others receive a form of civil justice‚ and the rest are served with rough justice
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William Shakespeare’s play Othello is one of his four most great tragedies. This play is “widely known as being one of the most moving and most painful with the fall of proud‚ dignified man‚ the murder of a graceful‚ loving woman‚ and the unreasoning hatred of a "motiveless" villain”. Othello is an esteemed general respected and honoured for his position despite the fact he is a moor. After promoting the Florentine Cassio‚ his “friend” Iago despises Othello’s decision as he believes it should’ve
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another feels there must be punishment for the action. Sophocles’ “Oedipus the King” is considered by many scholars to be the most significant masterpiece of Greek drama. Through this play‚ Sophocles was able to develop and establish dramatic irony‚ a theatrical device that allows the audience to understand the hidden meanings of the words and actions of the characters‚ though the characters themselves remain oblivious. “Oedipus the King” is not a play about sex or murder; it is a play about the
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distinguished by both Othello as well as Oedipus. Oedipus is brought to nobility through birth and by deed. Oedipus is the son of King Laius and Jocasta‚ who becomes his wife as well‚ the King and Queen of Thebes. From the prophecy‚ it is claimed that King Laius will be murdered by his own son. To prevent this from happening‚ Oedipus is left for dead in “The mountains where Cithaeron is” ( ). But he is rescued by a shepherd and raised by “Polybius… King of Corinth/ and Merope” ( ). Oedipus is both noble
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