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Characterization in king oedipus by sophocles
Characterization in king oedipus by sophocles
The siddhartha essay
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Anonymously quoted, someone once related, “In the end is my beginning.” This contradictory statement throws a lot of light on the literary world as that one realm, is always filled with realistic blasphemies and extreme normality. So in the light of this quotation, studying two certain literary works is extremely helpful as it makes us comprehend and understand the works better, which in this case is Oedipus by Sophocles, and Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. Both these works explore the areas of death, suffering and ending in their own way and relate it to the plot perfectly. Hence, it is correct to state that in the end, there actually is a beginning. The ending, usually, is seen as a complete annihilation of anything connecting to or pertaining to human understanding. Hence, it is a very important viewpoint while looking at the two particular works of Oedipus and Siddhartha. Both the works share a different idea of the end being the beginning and that is what I am looking to unfold. Oedipus Rex, having lived his life in all the glory Thebes could give to a person of his stature. Born to King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes, Oedipus was condemned before he was born. He was prophesied to kill his father and mate with his mother. Just after birth, a Shepard was ordered to take Oedipus with him far away into nothingness and slay him so that Apollo’s prophecy wouldn’t come true. So, in loyalty of his liege, the Shepard took the baby with him when he took his herd of sheep to graze in the fields. Feeling pity for the child, he couldn’t kill him and gave him to a fellow Shepard in order to spare his life. This man took Oedipus with him to Corinth and gave him new parents. But soon, Oedipus heard the prophesy made by Apollo and fearing ... ... middle of paper ... ...around blasphemous and ridiculous interpretations of Siddhartha concerning life and the soul. The idea of the end in this also goes against itself and symbolises a beginning, for Siddhartha and for his soul. Toward the end, he realizes how miserably his expectations from life and from the path to nirvana have failed, and so he mentally experiences a new beginning. The end of the story talks of the new dawn in the form of his inner self and change in emotion. He is a new person from within and having suffered a life cycle, he is now prepared to begin in the end. So as seen, the two stories indeed refer to the end as another beginning and resurrect the soul to a new light. Though the idea of the ending in both the works defer according to the writers style and setting, both highlight one factor that holds true for both the characters, “in the end, is my beginning.”
In Herman Hesse's Siddhartha, Unity is a reflecting theme of this novel and in life. Unity is first introduced by means of the river and by the mystical word "Om." Siddhartha's quest for knowledge began when he left his father and sought the teachings of the Samanas. By becoming a Samana Siddhartha had to give up all of his possessions and learn to survive with practically nothing. He quickly picked up all of the Samanas' tricks like meditating, abandonment of the Self, fasting, and holding of the breath. By abandoning the Self, Siddhartha left himself and took on many other forms and became many other things. At first, this excited Siddhartha and he craved more. He took on the shape and life of everything, but he would always return to himself. After he began to notice this endless cycle he realized how dissatisfied it really made him. He had learned all the noble tools the samanas had taught for attaining the innermost Being that is no longer Self, yet even after mastering all of the arts he never progressed further than his cycle of abandoning his Self and returning to it.
Throughout the novel, Endo jumps from one character to the next revealing intimate moments of each characters past to the reader in an attempt to explain the cause of the individual’s journey to India. Each character’s story is different however all the stories share a broken link in their lives that only God, in one of his many faces, can fill. Although he is presented later within the novel, Numada, a short story writer, displays one of the several manners in which an individual can find God, through nature. Through the numerous events of his interactions with animals and nature, Numada was presented with a path of revelation that led him to God.
This theme of death giving meaning to life is prevalent throughout the Odyssey. Hell is death, heaven is now, in life, in the field of time and action.
In this way the novel ends on the course of despair that it began in
In the final chapters, Siddhartha proves that achieving or over-coming obstacles do lead to better Unity. Prior to making a leap forward in reaching his goal, Siddhartha finds himself in despair. He speaks to Vasudeva, the ferryman. The ferryman smiles and says very little, allowing the River to speak for him. Siddhartha listens as the River reveals its first true, complete message.
...ing. The end is where we start from. We die with the dying: See, they depart, and bring us with them. We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time” (326).
end. This essay will further show how both stories shared similar endings, while at the same time
The story Oedipus Rex is a ghastly, heartrending story of three people who are being controlled by fate. Jocasta, Laius, and Oedipus try their hardest to avoid their fate that will ultimately destroy them. In the end Laius dies by the hand of his own son, Jocasta kills herself because she can’t bear the embarrassment that she slept with her son, and Oedipus becomes blind because of a curse and is left to wander his days waiting for death. Their destiny won and they are left dealing with the consequences.
As the tragedy comes to a close, the truth is revealed to Oedipus concerning his lineage and unnatural actions. Although the truth had been spoken to him about these matters previously, Oedipus had chosen not to believe and understandably so. True revelation comes to Oedipus through the same slave that had been ordered to kill him as a baby.
Siddhartha, written by Herman Hesse, is a novel about a man's progression towards his goal to center his life with a combination of peace and balance. Many of the displayed philosophies can be applied to today's world. Through my reading, I noticed many similarities between my life and Siddhartha's. First, Siddhartha felt a need for independence, that to truly be happy with his success, he must attain his achievements in his own way, and not others. Even though, he feels he must acquire this by himself, he tries to be as removed from his human side as possible. Only later does he learn that individuality and freedom from necessity must be united to procure his objectives and free him from his imperfections. Second, Siddhartha discovers that things and riches do not bring happiness. They are only temporary. No matter the extent of wealth a person has this never satisfies the insatiable need for possessions. Lastly, Siddhartha found that balance is the key to peace and happiness. Although a simplistic teaching, it is very complex to learn and apply. In my life, I can relate to his path and lessons, because I feel the same struggles and battles with attaining serenity.
In conclusion, death is a tragic event that applies everywhere, whether it's in the stories or reality, but for some people it could also be a relief which all depends on how one perceives it. Each author has their own forms of writing and ways of expressing their ideas, but it all led to the same ending. Death seems like a natural process because it happens every day, even if you don't actually witness it. Nobody is immortal, so eventually you'll end up dying sooner or later. The only difference is the way you die, but what difference does that make? When that day arrives, you will only be a body without any feeling or emotion just lying there. Who knows if death is really the end of life?
When Oedipus was born he was taken to an Oracle, this was custom for the rich. The Oracle was to tell his fate. The Oracle said that when Oedipus grows up he will marry his mother and he would also kill his father, "... Why, Loxias declared that I should one day marry my own mother, And with my own hands shed my father's bool. Wherefore Corinth I have kept away far, for long years; and prosperd; none the less it is most sweet to see one's parents' face..."(p36 ln1-6). When his parents herd this they gave Oedipus to a man and he was to get rid of the baby by leaving it in the forest, but an servant of Polybus, the king of Corinth, finds the baby and brings him to the king. The king falls in love with the baby and takes him in as one of his own.
Oedipus’ mother and wife, Jocasta, went through her share of trials. When she was wife to Oedipus’ father, King Laius, Jocasta conceived a baby boy whom she was forced to give up to death. After receiving a prophecy that his son would kill him and take his throne, King Laius convinces Jocasta that their son is a great threat. He then orders that the baby boy be...
A classical point of departure in defining Death, seems to be Life itself. Death is perceived either as a cessation of Life - or as a "transit zone", on the way to a continuation of Life by other means.