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Themes and structure of king oedipus
Analysis of king oedipus
Analysis of the characters of the tragedy oedipus the king
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Dr. Cannon Anna Daddazio
English 11 December 2014
What is an Individual?
The Chorus’ speech on line 1311-1350.
The Chorus’s speech is rather long and is not directed towards anyone in particular. At the start of the play, the Chorus starts in full support of Oedipus. They held him in high esteem saw him as the great king who came to save Thebes. At this point in the play, we just found out that Oedipus’ prophecy had come true. Therefore the Chorus has started questioning its views of Oedipus. It did this by first stating all the reasons for why the Chorus was so infatuated with Oedipus before. It only saw the perfect and admirable side to him and fell head over heals into full support of him. It stated,
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“we crowned you with honors, Oedipus, towering over all— mighty king of the seven gates of Thebes” (line 1329). But on line 1331, there is a great turn in the speech. The Chorus starts processing what Oedipus has done. It started by saying, how all the joys in his life had diminished into nothing because of his terrible actions. It explained Oedipus’ mistakes by turning the images of the “plow” (line 1337) and “harbor” (line 1334), which formally represented the success of his ability to manage the city, into representing his failure. The Chorus uses these words to emphasize the horrible taboo that Oedipus and his father shared a lover. The Chorus is mortified by his actions and completely loses all admiration it had for the king. It finishes its speech by saying, “I tell you the truth, you gave me life/my breath leapt up in you/ and now you bring down night upon my eyes” (line 1348). This line shows how quickly and drastically the Chorus’ views can sway. It first saw Oedipus as everything, and now he is nothing. The Chorus’ Speech on line 954-997. This speech is also long and not directed towards anyone in particular. The Chorus’ purpose is to comment on the play’s actions and to foreshadow future events; this is exactly what it is doing in this speech. The Chorus has great faith in the gods and believes that Tiresias’ prophesies will come true. It feels the need to believe this to show that there is order on earth and in the heavens amidst the chaos cased by the plague in Thebes. The speech starts with the Chorus describing the majestic heavens and gods. This opening paragraph emphasizes the Chorus’ faith and trust towards the gods. “Great laws tower above us, reared on high/born for the brilliant vault of heaven—/Olympian Sky their only father,/nothing mortal, no man gave them birth” (line 957). This line explains how the Chorus believes that the gods are mightier than anyone on earth and underlines how devoted the Chorus is to the accuracy of the prophesies. The Chorus is frustrated by Jocasta’s casual attitude toward the prophecy and is upset that she convinced Oedipus that he has nothing to worry about. The line, “But if any man comes striding, high and mighty/in all he says and does,/no fear of justice, no reverence/ for the temples of the gods—let a rough doom tear him down,/repay his pride, breakneck, ruinous pride!” (line 972) shows that hubris people who show no reverence for the gods will be torn down. The Chorus reminds the audience that neither Oedipus nor Jocasta should feel calm about their fate and that their prophecies are inevitable. Like in the previous speech, even though the Chorus disagrees with Oedipus and Jocasta’s cavalier attitudes toward the prophecy, it still sees Oedipus as its paragon of hope and waits to make its speech until Jocasta and Oedipus have left the room. The Chorus reacts to events as they happen in the play in a predictable way. The Chorus is used to comment on the impact of each character’s actions to the well being and stability of Thebes, making the chorus act like a mediator. These passages show a clear contrast between the role of the individual and the citizen in society. How does Sophocles imagine the individual vs. the citizen? The Chorus, representing all of the citizens, longs for stability and calmness.
It reacts to the actions and thoughts of individuals based on moral judgments and social laws set by men but informed by the gods. Sophocles believes that if the individual does not live within the societal norms, as all citizens should, he or she will be punished and shunned. In this play, the individual does not think about the consequences of his actions and breaks social taboos that isolate him from the rest of the citizenry. The Chorus was troubled and frustrated when Oedipus made impetuous decisions that created friction and disorder in Thebes. For example, the Chorus was strongly against Oedipus’ attempt to banish Creon from the city. When Oedipus accused Creon of trying to overthrow him, Creon and the Chorus try to get him to understand that he is being delusional. The Chorus felt helpless and terrified at the thought of Thebes losing such an individual. On the contrary, Oedipus only thought about himself and made the impulsive decision to possibly banish Creon from Thebes. He did not even think of the consequences of his actions and how they would affect the rest of the citizens. The Chorus has to practically mediate between the irrational and egocentric actions of the individuals. Sophocles writes about the Chorus as a unit because it is representing society and the people who follow social norms and abide by the rules. On the other hand, individuals are given names to separate them from society. They act outside of societal norms and break social taboos and that create disorder. This reflects a Japanese proverb: “出る釘は打たれる”, which means “the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.” In other words, this reflects how much Japan values conformity and try to restrain or avoid people who are unconventional and attract attention. Similarly, the Chorus acts as the hammer and the individuals act as the
nail.
take the boy out and kill him when he was still a child. The kind old shepard
Just as Newsweek, a form of media today informs the public about whether TV is good or bad for children, the chorus informs the audience about the play, Antigone. In the play, the chorus narrates the play and tells the audience what's happening. "These two only, brothers in blood, face to face in matchless rage, mirroring each the other's death, clashed in long combat" (Sophocles 314). The chorus gives background information such as this to better understand the plot of the play. The chorus is like a reporter on the news or a writer of this article. The chorus in Antigone interacts with the characters by asking questions just as a journalist would do in an article or interview. "But now at last our new King is coming: Creon of Thebes, Menoikeus son. In this auspicious dawn of his reign what are the new complexities that shifting Fate has woven for him? What is his counsel? Why has he summoned the old men to hear him?...
The idea that the people speak with a unified voice is seen whenever they speak. Never does one individual stray from this one voice. This is seen in the Strophes and Antistrophes, the choir speaks as a whole. At the start of the, the choir shows unquestioning faith in Oedipus. They believe that he is godly, that since he ended the Sphinx’s reign of terror, that he would stop the plague. They believed this without question, they had no doubts that Oedipus would find a cure. They even came to Oedipus with “olive boughs all wreathed in woe,'; the same way one would go to a altar when they wanted something urgently. This shows their faith in Oedipus.
An allusion is being used in the play to explain that Oedipus has just sinned by saying “I tell you, you have sinned/ And do not know it-against your own earth/ And in your grave. This is an allusion to the bible. This relates to the bible because the sin is acting as a god. If you are wrong to the gods then the wrath Tuataras will come down on you. Oedipus has just sinned and sooner or later the wrath will comes down on him. He knows he has just made the wrong decision, but does not want to admit it. He states this because his ego is bigger than the Gods, so he will eventually have to suffer for
Similarly, the only way to beat a child on the verge of a temper tantrum at “Chutes and Ladders” is to forfeit. These similarities suggest that the world is an unwinnable game that can only be won by refusing to play. However, Sophocles’ message regarding life and the world requires a more in depth view of the forfeit. Each time a character refused to play, it is a voluntary action. Therefore, Sophocles suggests that in order to survive in the world, a person must be in charge of their own actions. Sophocles demonstrates the danger of succumbing to involuntary actions through Thebes’ subservience that correlates with its ignorance. As a result of the city’s societal conditions of ignorance and subservience, the reader views the the city as weak. Sophocles’ message about voluntary and deliberate actions aligns with his belief in democracy. Corresponding to the major motifs of the play, a democracy’s basis is deliberate actions by individuals who are neither subservient nor ignorant. Oedipus Rex is both a warning against tyrannies, like prophecies, that completely dictate lives and an advocate for democracies with which life is finally
In the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, Oedipus is depicted as a morally ambiguous character; neither purely evil or purely good. Oedipus runs from his fate initially to prevent himself from pursuing what he believed was his fate; however, he is lead straight towards his real fate. He kills his biological father as he is headed to Thebes, where he takes the throne. Once he has taken the throne, he begins to try and save his city from the plague by looking for the murder of king Laius. However, what he does not know is that the prophet has told him who has slew the king; therefore, he presents his ignorance as a leader. Not only does his ignorance create the flawed character inside himself, but it also causes him to run from his fate. The significance of Oedipus being a morally ambiguous character is that he cannot run from his fate
... is a "Dread horror for men to see!" (p.29). The sight of Oedipus is blinding to others. Oedipus cannot see the reaction of the chorus, but he knows they are awestruck by the hideous sight of him. Oedipus requests to be cast out to where no man will have to see him. Thus, Creon fulfills his request and expels Oedipus from Thebes, but not before his children, Antigone and Ismene must bear the blinding sight of their father and brother.
The group of characters named as Chorus in both Sophocles' Antigone and Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound witness the rebellion of the titular characters against their respective authorities. In both plays, the Choruses (heretofore distinguished as Chorus A for Antigone and Chorus P for Prometheus Bound) recognize the ruling powers as both dangerous and tyrannical and are sympathetic to the plights of Antigone and Prometheus. However, the similarities between the two groups end at this point. While the actions of Chorus A are understandable given that their maturity has made them keenly aware of their own mortality, they appear mundane and self-serving in comparison to the noble selflessness of the youthful Chorus P.
In Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, the audience is able to gain a deeper understanding of Oedipus’ downfall due to the context provided by the chorus. Through its own wavering faith in the Gods, the chorus is able to explain and add meaning to Oedipus the King that would not otherwise be evident. Further, the chorus’ explanation allows Sophocles to expose his goal in writing the play, giving the reader a unique perspective into the true cause of Oedipus’ downfall. Therefore, it is strictly the chorus that enables the reader to realize that the true cause of the plague is not a murderer but a crisis in faith.
This essay will illustrate the types of characters depicted in Sophocles’ tragic drama, Oedipus Rex, whether static or dynamic, flat or round, and whether protrayed through the showing or telling technique.
Here is a story where Oedipus the King, who has accomplished great things in his life, discovers that the gods were only playing with him. He has everything a man of that time could want; he is king of Thebes, he has a wonderful wife and children, and great fame through out the lands. He has lived a good life, but in the end everything is taken from him.
In the list of characters at the beginning of the play, the Chorus is stated to be a chorus of Corinthian Women. This draws the first link between them and Medea. The Chorus follows Medea on her journey through this play. They act as narrators on important occurrences in the play; however, they also act as a device Euripedes uses to influence the opinion of the audience. He does this by presenting to the audience a moral voice in the Chorus. The audience can relate to them, because the Chorus is in a neutral position in the play. They are definitely an integral part of the play, but their role is not so much to influence the actual plot of the play, but more to echo what has happened in the plot and the thoughts of the protagonists, and to suggest moral solutions the audience. The Chorus uses language which almost makes it seem that they are speaking from the perspective of the audience, and in doing this they are guiding the audience responses to what Euripedes wants it to be:
What is the Role of the Chorus in Oedipus the King? In answering this question, I will look at the question in two ways. Firstly, I will look at the role of the chorus objectively, examining the basic role of the chorus in the play, and looking at the role of the Chorus as Sophocles would have intended the role of the Chorus to be understood. However, I will then look at how I think the Greek audience would have perceived the role of the Chorus and then how the role of the Chorus is perceived today in the 20th century and examine the key differences in the two different sets of perceptions. Finally, I will look at the importance of the role of the Chorus to a 20th century audience and a Greek audience.
Greek Drama had three main categories The Comedy, Satyr Plays, and The Tragedy. The most popular of the three is The Tragedy, its themes are often such as loss of love, complex relationships between men and the gods, and corruption of power. These dramas taught the people of the city the difference between good and bad behavior and the ramifications of going against the gods. According to Aristotle, the perfect tragedy consisted of the downfall of the hero through a great misunderstanding, causing suffering and awareness for the protagonist meanwhile making the audience feel pity and fear. The prominent writer who Aristotle based his perfect tragedy theory was Sophocles, his drama Oedipus the King had all the elements of a perfect tragedy.
“Oedipus the King” by Sophocles is a tragedy of a man who unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother. Aristotles’ ideas of tragedy are tragic hero, hamartia, peripeteia, anagnorisis, and catharsis these ideas well demonstrated throughout Sophocles tragic drama of “Oedipus the King”.