King sophocles oedipus

Document Type:Essay

Subject Area:History

Document 1

This play emerged as the best play to be ever produced by Sophocles. The play mainly follows the story of king Oedipus who belonged to Thembes. In the play, king Oedipus is considered to have murdered his own dad and nuptial his mother. Over the past spans, it has come to be viewed as the Greek tragedy and indeed as the summit of Sophocles’ accomplishments. In this essay, the criteria for a tragedy are well illustrated according to Aristotle. In addition, Oedipus does not know that Jocasta was her mother and he even marries her. According to Revermann (30), Oedipus is not aware that Polybus and Merope are not his natural parents. This examples are a clear indication of how ignorance brings about tragedy.

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the actions of Oedipus killing his own father put more emphasis of how ignorance is major factor that has greatly underwrote to the refrain of tragedy in the play. Tragic acts have also underwrote to the refrain of tragedy in the play “Oedipus the king”. This happens immediately after the messenger has told Oedipus that he will be the king of Corinth which was considered as good news. This result to Oedipus killing his own father after learning the truth. In another example in the play, the shepherd is beckoned to give proof about the demise of Laius but at the long run, he ends up tightfitting that Oedipus was the baby that he rescued from the grave. Considering the two examples, it is clear that reversal of action can bring about tragedy.

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Recognition (of ignorance) is also another criterion that makes tragedy. Oedipus regrets and at certain point he acknowledges that he is a hated and a revolving creature. He curses himself as the chorus laments how even a great man can be felled by fate. At some point, Oedipus asks for a sword so that he can kill himself. Oedipus violently blinds himself with two long gold pins from her dress. in addition, he is resigned to his fate and urges Creon to banish him, thus purifying the city of Thembes. Oedipus even reminds people how he stopped the sphink with no help from the birds. Part 2 According to Aristotle, a tragic hero is a type of personality in a tragedy and in most cases it is usually the protagonist.

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Heroic traits earn the tragic heroes the sympathy of the audience. However, the heroes will always make mistakes that ultimately lead to their own downfall. In Oedipus the king, Oedipus is a tragic hero. In order to be heroic, one has to be subject to human error. However, the flaws style the character applicable, someone the audience can recognize. The tragic flaws make the tragedy to be more powerful since it appears as if the tragedy is interior to the character, not just some outside force. Grene (34) suggest that tragic hero flaws are not just a typical they have adding to their heroic potentials, but one that emanates from their heroic potentials. In the play Sophocles’ Oedipus, the King, Jocasta possesses this quality of a tragic hero.

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