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
Premium Ancient Greece Oedipus Aeschylus
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
Premium Tragedy Sophocles Poetics
Literature to the Renaissance April 25‚ 2012 Sophocles King of Catharsis What is Catharsis? Aristotle describes catharsis as the purging of the emotions of pity and fear that are aroused in the viewer of a tragedy. Debate continues about what Aristotle actually means by catharsis‚ but the concept is linked to the positive social function of tragedy (english.hawaii.edu). A good example of a Catharsis play is Oedipus the King by Sophocles. Pity and fear are the dominating feelings produced by the
Premium Tragedy Sophocles Poetics
with Aristotle’s view of tragedy‚ Oedipus the King meets the strict and detailed standard of Aristotle’s idea. The handling of the elements of plot is masterly‚ and even a modern audience has little difficulty in seeing this. In Oedipus the King‚ Sophocles presents us with a world in which fate is inevitable‚ pride can be dangerous or effective‚ good intentions are irrelevant‚ and sight and blindness may serve a similar purpose. Aristotle points out that a tragedy must contain a protagonist that falls
Premium Sophocles Tragedy Oedipus
history of human beings‚ and the empires that we’ve built and destroyed. Humans that would be especially important to study in this case would be the leaders of these aforementioned empires‚ and exactly how their mistakes caused their downfalls. In Sophocles’ play‚ Antigone‚ a king by the name of Creon acts on his emotions to decide the fate of one of his own flesh and blood‚ and in the end‚ he’s severely punished for his impotence‚ which brings about his downfall. Creon is a king that goes against the
Premium Oedipus Creon Antigone
only base on the drama presented by the English 145 but also to the things I read. Oedipus Rex is one‚ such tragic thought of Sophocles yet one that also deserves higher understanding. At first I didn’t really expect things to end like that. One thing that was impressed in me is that the sinfulness of the entire human race. Why did I say so? Because even on Sophocles time‚ i.e.‚ c. 496–406 BC‚ things like parricide and incest had existed. That’s for me. I saw in the story‚ it reminds me of
Premium Original sin Adam and Eve Garden of Eden
Sophocles was one of the three great Greek tragic plays rights who wrote during the “golden age” (Pg126-127). A Greek tragedy was used as part of a religious festival every year in Athens. A literary character who makes a judgement error that inevitably leads to his/her own destructor. Creon error in judgement leads to his downfall by being dumped from start of being kings‚ and bears no respond sibitity for his flaws. Sophocles uses Creon action to show an effect of his fate. The people say Creon
Premium Oedipus Sophocles Education
calmly tries to urge him to reject Tiresias’s terrifying prophecies as false. Jocasta solves the riddle of Oedipus’s identity before Oedipus does‚ and she expresses her love for her son and husband in her desire to protect him from this knowledge (Sophocles‚ 1999). Othello Desdemona is young‚ sexual‚ and recently married. She is the daughter of the Venetian senator Brabanzio. Desdemona and Othello are secretly married before the play begins. While in many ways stereotypically pure and meek‚ Desdemona
Premium Samuel Beckett Marriage Oedipus the King
Sophocles "Oedipus the King" is a tragic play which discusses the tragic discovery of Oedipus that he has killed his father and married his mother. The story of Oedipus was well known to the athenian ’s. Oedipus is the embodiement of the perfect Athenian. He is self-confident‚ intelligent‚ and strong willed. Ironically these are the very traits which bring about his tragic discovery. Oedipus gained the rule of Thebes by answering the riddle of Sphinx. Sophocles used the riddle of the sphinx
Premium Oedipus Sophocles Sphinx
Alex Formichella Ms. Pinches English 9 February 1‚ 2013 If she was a he Antigone‚ a tragedy written by Sophocles is a story about a girl named Antigone‚ who was sentenced to death by the ruthless king Creon‚ her uncle after burying her dead brother Polyneices‚ which was declared against the law after him and his brother fought‚ killed by the other’s sword. Back then women were not treated as equals like in today’s society‚ they were sometimes forced into marriage‚ had to stay home and could
Premium Sophocles Oedipus Oedipus at Colonus