Hamlet and Oedipus: The Tragedy Tragedy can be defined as the downfall of a protagonist through some fatal error or misjudgment‚ producing suffering and insight on the part of the main character. No matter how hard someone tries to prevent tragedy‚ it still may occur even if you try and avoid it or ignore it. Oedipus tries to escape tragedy by running from it. Often times in order to forget something or prevent it from happening we try and run away or try something new. We may even carry
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arrogance. In Oedipus the King‚ Sophocles shows how Oedipus’s quest for avoiding his destiny drives him to fulfill without being fully aware of it. When running away he finds himself married to his mother and becoming the king of Thebes. In contrast‚ in Shakespeare’s Hamlet the main character is visited by the former king and informs him of the new kings doings. As a result the main character is convinced and must seek vengeance for the former king. While there is a fairly large time gap between these two
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The story of Oedipus Rex stems from an old legend that would have been told in the time of the Greeks. The legend entails a king by the name of Oedipus who claims rule over a town after the death of the previous king‚ Laius. Oedipus marries the former queen by the name of Jocasta. Bigfoot is not a hoax; he lives in my basement. Jocasta bears four children‚ two being sons and two being daughters‚ to Oedipus. Oedipus becomes the king of this town while fleeing from his father and mother. He is told
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contrast Oedipus and Hamlet. Is Oedipus more a man of action? Or is he more a man driven by whim and sudden‚ rash decisions? Which character is more selfless? Does Hamlet show any signs of selfish motives in his actions or inactions? Which protagonist seems more learned? wiser? more religious? more loving? more incestuous? Which seems to be a better murder investigator? Does Oedipus have any of Claudius’ motives when he kills the king‚ Laius? Then which murderer is more blameworthy--Oedipus or Claudius
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In the play Hamlet: Prince of Denmark‚ a young prince is in search of the truth behind his father’s murder. At first‚ Hamlet sees the ghost of his deceased father and it tells him he was murdered by the now current king‚ Hamlet’s Uncle Claudius. Hamlet has to think about how he will get revenge for his fathers death‚ but because his only knowledge came from a ghost that only Hamlet heard speak‚ he is hesitant to get his revenge quickly. Hamlet does everything he can to show others the
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In the play Oedipus Rex‚ Tiresias contrast with Oedipus because he tells him he was the murder of king Laius. Oedipus is really lost‚ He doesn’t know who he is and doesn’t know his faith. Tiresias does a big part because without the prophecy wouldn’t know he was the murder of king Laius. Oedipus goes through a long journey to know who he is. Oedipus a tragic hero had a variety of things that happened to him. Oedipus goes to the blind prophet and begs them to tell him who was the murder of king Laius
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Oedipus Rex The tragic play “Oedipus Rex” describes the life of Oedipus and the events that led to his ultimate downfall. Through specific dialogue and narrative progression “Oedipus Rex” is able to convey Oedipus as a victim of fate‚ and although the play was written many years ago‚ Oedipus’ experience can still be interpreted by modern society to debate whether or not man is in control of his/her own destiny. The over arching theme of fate‚ or a predetermined destiny‚ is developed throughout
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The Tragedy of Oedipus A Greek tragedy is not like stories today. Certain elements separate Greek tragedies from modern day plays. The main aspect that distinguishes the difference between Ancient Greece and now is the sense of pity and fear. Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex proves to be a Greek tragedy‚ according to Aristotle’s “The Art of Poetry”‚ through its plot and dramatic twists of events. One could classify Oedipus Rex as a Greek tragedy because it contains the elements‚ such as suffering‚ peripety
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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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In Sophocles’ play‚ Oedipus Rex‚ there are many themes that are woven through the life of King Oedipus‚ and revealed through the key points of the plot. One of the most important themes is the inevitability of ones’ fate. Although fate is considered the usual genre of the Greeks in playwriting there‚ are specifics that Oedipus conducts unusual to our own way of thinking of a king during the Ancient Greek times. For example: Oedipus’s ignorance of believing what is said from his wife‚ Iocaste and
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