Study Guide Pgs. 1-28 Oedipus the King by Sophocles Translated by Bernard Knox Characters: * Oedipus- King of Thebes; saved the Thebans from the sphinx by solving the riddle. Son of Lauis and Jocasta‚ his name means “swollen footed”. * Priest of Zeus- asks for Oedipus’s help on this plague in Thebes. * Creon- brother of Jocasta and he was sent by Oedipus to the oracle of Apollo to figure out a way to stop this plague. * Chorus- the citizens of Thebes * Tiresias- blind prophet
Premium Oedipus Sophocles Oedipus the King
Composition August 8‚ 2011 What makes Oedipus the King of Tragedy? How did Oedipus bring about his own destruction? Or is he the victim of a greater force such as fate or the gods? How does pride affect his actions? How do you feel as you watch him fall? Fate is a theme that is often occurring in Greek plays and tragedies in particular. From the beginning of Oedipus‚ the King‚ we know that Oedipus is destined to kill his father and marry with his mother. Oedipus discovers that his past is very different
Premium Oedipus Oedipus the King Sophocles
"We Wear the Mask" by Paul Laurence Dunbar was first published in 1896‚ a time when African-Americans‚ like Paul Laurence Dunbar‚ were treated with distain and had very few rights. The tone of the poem is a combination of anger‚ despair‚ and sadness. He skillfully uses the metaphor of wearing a mask to express the widespread oppression of African-Americans. This poem contains a lot of figurative language and other literary techniques. The poem starts with Dunbar using the word "we" to speak for
Free Poetry
Oedipus endured many different experiences on his search for the truth that he was not aware even lingered. Each one of these experiences had a polarity of sorts paired along with it in some way. Oedipus’ intellect throughout the play showed both his great strength and his ultimate downfall. Throughout the play of Oedipus the King by Sophocles‚ there was evidence of great polarities in his search for truth ranging from fame and shame‚ and sight and blindness‚ to ignorance and knowledge. The most
Premium Truth Oedipus Sphinx
Oedipus’ hot temper was a major factor in his undoing. On many occasions‚ his quick bursts of fury backfired on him. For instance‚ when Tiresias keeps refusing to reveal the identity of the killer to Oedipus‚ Oedipus becomes aggravated. “‘You won’t talk? Nothing moves you? Out with it once and for all!’” (Fagles 276). The king’s prodding got under Tiresias’ skin‚ and Tiresias releases the truth. Oedipus is quick to deny the prophecy‚ but if not for Oedipus’ hasty temper the awful truth wouldn’t have
Premium Hamlet Oedipus Sophocles
is defined as a literary character that makes an error of judgment or has a total flaw‚ that combined with fate and external forces‚ brings on a tragedy. This pertains to Oedipus‚ as his brash decisions and unwillingness to accept the truth‚ along with his doomed fate‚ leads to his demise. The first thing that makes Oedipus a tragic hero is that he makes some large errors of judgment. This occurs when he decides to announce the punishment for the murderer of the late King Laius in front of all
Premium Oedipus Sophocles Truth
The Tragic Fate Oedipus suffered that could have been avoided in Oedipus Rex The Oedipus Rex by Sophocles written around 429 B.C depicts the unfortunate fate that Oedipus endured since the day he was born. The time period that the story of the tragedy of Oedipus affected the events that happened in Oedipus’s life. The novel is about Oedipus facing his fate‚ and how fate engulfs his life and his surroundings. “Today you will be born. Into ruin.” This quote reveals how fate became a part of his life
Premium Sophocles Tragedy Oedipus
must be smiling at Oedipus Blindness In the play written by Sophocles “Oedipus the King‚” is depicted as one who is blind to his own ego‚ pride stubbornness‚ anger and lack of knowledge. First written in Greek mythology this play is about a King of Thebes whose ego overshadowed his ability to focus on his the necessary things to stabilize his kingdom; his anger and pride eventually led to his down fall. Having solved the riddle of the Sphinx‚ (an evil creature) King Oedipus was able to succeed
Premium Oedipus Oedipus the King Greek mythology
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
Premium Oedipus Oedipus the King Truth
Oedipus the King Oedipus is written as a play‚ there is no narrator‚ Sophocles explains the story line and then runs the story into playwright. I like this point of view because it can sometimes be more clear to the reader. There are many points of view in this play. That is there are many different individuals addressed this playwright. Thus there are many different points of view. I think that Oedipus generally speaks in place of a narrator‚ because he is the main character. I believe he expresses
Premium Oedipus Oedipus the King Sophocles