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Analysis of Oedipus the king by Sophocles
Characterisation in the sophocles king oedipus
Analysis of Oedipus the king by Sophocles
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Social Expectations in Oedipus the King
It is made clear that the citizens of Thebes were religious and had a deep reliance on the gods. "You cannot equal the gods..."p161. It was expected socially, that the citizens of Thebes recognized the gods power, and so for Jocasta to refer to the prophecies as "hollow" would not have been generally accepted behaviour.
The priest is an elderly and religious man, something we realise is well respected in Thebes as Oedipus who is king, speaks with the priest on an equal level. The elderly were considered to be wise and therefore socially it would be expected that even the king should be polite to them. "Speak up, old man. Your years, your dignity..." p. 159
Oedipus is rude to Teiresias who is also a wise and religious man. "You're a nuisance here..."p185. Oedipus is not living up to his social expectations here, signifying he is fast approaching his downfall.
Oedipus is seen to have double standards with regards to the idea of murder. He is aware that he has killed someone, yet to hear that King Laius was killed, he seems appalled, "...so daring, so wild, he'd kill a king?"p166. It is depicted as being morally less acceptable to kill someone of "royal blood".
The king was someone who the people of Thebes turned to when they needed help, "find us strength, rescue!" p. 161. Oedipus had set himself high social expectations after helping free Thebes "from the sphinx". Oedipus was admired as being "best of men" p. 161, and therefore socially the citizens would have expected him to help them when they needed it. Oedipus was kinder to the citizens and more open with them than was generally expected from a king, "my children" p. 162. He spoke to them directly and not through a messenger, showing the closeness between the people and their king, "Here I am myself..." p. 159.
Oedipus and Creon put all their efforts in to finding the killer of Laius. They take it on as their moral obligation as it has gone so far without justice being made, "But you, loyal men of Thebes who approve my actions, may our champion, Justice, may all the gods be with us.
As Oedipus becomes king, his selfishness only grows, as does his denial. As the king, he gained the burden of Thebes whenever a problem arose. To find a way to rid his city of the plague, he sent Kreon so that he would have some answers and be able to place the blame on something or someone.
“Oedipus: I solemnly forbid the people of this country, where power and throne are mine, ever to receive that man or speak to him, no matter who he is, or let him join in sacrifice, lustration, or in prayer. I decree that he be driven from every house, being, as he is, corruption itself to us: the Delphic Voice of Zeus has pronounced this revelation. Thus I associate myself with the oracle and take the side ...
as a son. Whereas in the 1957 film he is in a box full of water, and
Oedipus is shown to be a well-liked and trusted king among all his townspeople. Solving the riddle of the Sphinx and saving Thebes brought him great fame and popularity. When time came to save the town from Laios’ killer, Oedipus relied much on his intellect. He searched for information about the night of the murder from Creon and Teiresias, but as he learned more details, Oedipus realized not only that he was the killer but also that he married his mother. Throughout his inquiry he believed he was doing good for his people as well as himself, but eventually it brought him shame. Oedipus was humiliated and disgusted and stated, “…kill me; or hurl me into the sea, away from men’s eyes for ever(p882, 183).'; Oedipus’ wanted to be isolated from the people of Thebes because all his respect and fame was destroyed by his fate.
At the time the book Of Mice and Men is set many people in America and other countries had a very pessimistic outlook on life. The book reflects this view in its character opinions and scene settings. From 1929 to 1939 there were failed businesses, harsh poverty and many people were in long term unemployment. Many people made the migration to California looking for work. Most travelled alone, however, in the case of Lennie and George t...
Of Mice and Men is a novel written by John Steinbeck. It is set in California during the great depression. The story follows two ranch hands who travel together and are very poor. Throughout the novel we witness many different philosophical references. Many different types of characters from this novel are reused in today’s society. Steinbeck also writes eloquently about the many different emotions, aspirations, and dreams of man.
From the opening dialogue we sense the character of Oedipus. When confronted by his subjects praying for relief of the plague he reacts kingly and graciously, saying, “I am king, I had to come....How can I help?...Ask me anything. Anything at all.” He obviously cares for the people in his kingdom, but he goes on to say how he pities “these poor shattered people of [his].” The pity he feels is rooted not only in his love and sympathy, but his arrogance as well. Perhaps this attitude is duly deserved, for Oedipus had solved the Sphinx’s riddle, an apparently heroic feat, and was seen to be “greater than any man”, but the leader that he had become still possessed the hubristic tendencies which doomed him from the time he fled Corinth.
Of Mice and Men is a colorful piece of American literature that depicts the lives of multiple individuals in the Great Depression over the course of a few days. The author, John Steinbeck, approaches several themes and topics throughout the novel and really makes the reader think and ponder over the issues being discussed. One key theme that is always present in Of Mice and Men is the idea of loneliness. In the novel loneliness can be found in the relationships characters have with others, sexism, and racism. Even the town that the novel takes place in is Soledad, which is Spanish for loneliness. Of Mice and Men accurately shows the hardships that loneliness can inflict on people in the Great Depression and even today and is a topic that a myriad of readers can connect with and sympathies for.
The setting of Of Mice and Men—Salinas, California in the 1930s—conveys that the characters in the novel are representations of the migrant workers in that time period. To escape the arid farmlands, the itinerant workers went in search for work in the land of promise, California. However, they faced limited opportunities and poorly paid lives, which gave way to the seducing American dream. All the workers hoped for was a piece of their own land similar to that of George and Lennie's. Ultimately, as the ideal dream, it conforms to the American dream of liberty and pursuit of happiness.
Fantasy writing is a popular form of entertainment that is almost always favorable to reality. The characters in these stories are kind, and all conflicts are usually resolved by the end of the tale. Unfortunately This is not how our reality functions. In John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men, the characters in the story must learn this the hard way. Steinbeck’s portrayal of everyday life and activities for the farmhands adds to the air of realism, as well as the realistic currency values of the time. On a more negative tone, the discrimination against Crooks, and the ruined dream are, unfortunately, more realistic than we’d like to believe. Considering these four elements, Steinbeck’s novella is an excellent example of life in the 1930’s.
Oedipus is guilty because, despite knowing the prophecy that he will commit parricide and incest, he yet kills an elderly gentleman and sleeps with an elderly women. The choice was his, and this accounts for his guilt.
In the play Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, two themes appear; one that humans have little control of their lives because fate always catches up with them and the theme that when someone makes a mistake, they will have to pay for it.
Oedipus took great pride in saving people and being seen a hero. He wanted the death of Laius to be avenged and he had to be the one to find the murderer and punish him. "I'll fight for him, I'll leave no means untried, to cach the one who did it with his hand..." (Literature, Oedipus the King, Ln. 270-271, page 1081) He did not want to let the people of Thebes down, and he wanted to show that he would be a true hero once again.
At the beginning of Oedipus the King, Oedipus’s wisdom and actions as a king are very effective. To his subjects he is respected and very well accepted. His intelligence is known to his people as a hero as a result of his correct answer to the riddle of the sphinx. Oedipus’s subject’s affection is shown by the chorus’s account, “People of Thebes, my countrymen, look on Oedipus. He solved the famous riddle with his brilliance, he rose to power, a man beyond all power. Who could behold his greatness without envy? (Oedipus the King, 1678–1682). His intelligence also corresponded with his swift nature. Oedipus was always looking towards the future which could be a product of his many prophecies which seemed to always haunt his nature. During the tenure when Oedipus was successful, his quick actions were useful. He was always trying to stay one step ahead, for example, he tries to save the city against the plague by sending Creon to the oracle of Delphi for a solution to the problem. After Oedipus’s reputation and successful lifestyle began to fall, his quick actions began to damage his status rather than assist it. His immediate perceptions began ...
Sophocles demonstrates in the play Oedipus the King that a human being, not a God, ultimately determines destiny. That is, people get what they deserve. In this play, one poorly-made judgment results in tragic and inescapable density. Oedipus fights and kills Laius without knowing Laius is his father. Then, Oedipus's pitiless murdering causes several subsequent tragedies such as the incestuous marriage of Oedipus gets into the flight with Laius. However, Oedipus's characteristics after Laius's death imply that Oedipus could avoid the fight as well as the murder of his father, but did not. Ultimately, Oedipus gets what he deserves due to his own characteristics that lead him to murder Laius: impatience, delusion, and arrogance.