Literary Motif in Oedipus Rex
M. H. Abrams defines a literary motif as a “conspicuous element, such as a type of incident, device, reference, or formula, which occurs frequently in works of literature” (169). It is the purpose of this essay to expose the main literary motif present in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex.
Richard Lattimore in “Oedipus Tyrannus” makes the revelation concerning the most apparent motif in the tragedy:
. . . the drama belongs to the general story pattern of the lost one found. The lost one may be a lost husband, wife, brother, sister, or any close “philos,” thought dead far away but discovered to be present, unknown. A particularly popular variant has been the one that makes the lost one the lost baby or the foundling: the type to which Oedipus belongs (41).
This motif of the foundling is usually accompanied by certain features:
1. The child is noble
2. The child is unwanted and is put away
3. The child is rescued, and sometimes nursed by animals
4. The child grows up in the wilds
5. The child is finally recognized
6. The child is restored to its proper station (41)
Oedipus Rex, through a series of encounters, reveals one by one, most of the episodes included in the above elaboration of the motif. But rather than building up to a climax of good fortunes for the protagonist, there is a reversal toward catastrophe. In Oedipus Tyrannus: Tragic Heroism and the Limits of Knowledge, Charles Segal explains the decline of the protagonist:
The first three tests are, respectively, Oedipus’ meetings with Creon, Teiresias, and then Creon again. In each case he is pursuing the killer as someone whom he ass...
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...ises his brother-in-law for continuing to be masterly even in his blinded state: “Crave not mastery in all, /For the mastery that raised thee was thy bane and wrought thy fall.”
WORKS CITED
Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms, 7th ed. New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1999.
Benardete, Seth. “Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus.” In Sophocles: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Thomas Woodard. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.
Lattimore, Richard. “Oedipus Tyrannus.” In Twentieth Century Interpretations of Oedipus Rex, edited by Michael J. O’Brien. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968.
Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Transl. by F. Storr. no pag.
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/browse-mixed new?tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&part=0&id=SopOedi
This creates a twist in the plot, making readers discover the true meaning and thinking back to all they had read. Oedipus is told that he has fulfilled his fate and discovering his true identity in the middle of the play, and Mrs. Hutchinson discovers her fate in the middle of the short story as well. This encompasses the full knowledge of the detriments to come. Overall, both dramatizing pieces encompass unknown suspicions that are already evident within communities but not apparent to the readers, yet they are gradually revealed. This creates a captivating plot and accomplishes the goals of the writers – to compel readers to uncover the brutal yet enthralling
Current theories link the cause of diabetes, singly or in combination, to genetic, autoimmune, viral, and environmental factors (obesity, stress). Regardless of its cause, diabetes is primarily a disorder of glucose metabolism related to absent or insufficient insulin supplies and/or poor utilization of the insulin that is available. The two most common types of diabetes are classified as type I or type II diabetes mellitus. Gestational diabetes and secondary diabetes are other classifications of diabetes commonly seen in clinical practice
In Colonus, the blind see and the seeing are blinded. Perfect irony. A prime example of the blind seeing is Oedipus, the “tragic hero.” Though physically blinded, he discerns things that others ignore. By relying on the aid of Antigone, he learns compassion and humility. “Friend, my daughter’s eyes serve for my own.” (83) While some men are able to view the outside world, their own pride blinds them to the reality of what they are seeing. But through the horrible blindness that Oedipus endures, he is finally able to let go of his arrogance and rely on others, an image that recalls Tiresias and his wisdom. “Stranger: ‘What service can a blind man render him?’ Oedipus: ‘All I say will be clear-sighted indeed.’” (86). But all humans endure an intangible blindness, to a greater or lesser degree.
The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate that the events in Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, are the result of the hero’s self determination and restless attempt to escape a terrifying destiny predicted for him by the oracle of Apollo at Delphi. My intention is to prove that although the Fates play a crucial part in the story, it is Oedipus'choices and wrong doing that ultimately lead to his downfall.
...Sophoclean Rulers: Oedipus.” In Twentieth Century Interpretations of Oedipus Rex, edited by Michael J. O’Brien. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968.
Diabetes refers to a set of several different diseases. It is a serious health problem throughout the world and fourth leading cause of death by disease in the country. All types of diabetes result in too much sugar, or glucos in the blood. To understand why this happens it would helpful if we understand how the body usually works. When we eat, our body breaks down the food into simpler forms such as glucose. The glucose goes into the bloodstream, where it then travels to all the cells in your body. The cells use the glucose for energy. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps move the glucose from bloodstream to the cells. The pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus further explains the concept on how this disease works. Pancreas plays an important role of the metabolism of glucose by means of secreting the hormones insulin and glucagon. These hormones where then secreted by Islets of Langerhans directly to the blood. Inadequate secretion of insulin results on impaired metabolism of glucose, carbohydrates, proteins and fats which then result to hyperglycemia and glycosuria. Hyperglycemia is the most frequently observed sign of diabetes and is considered the etiologic source of diabetic complications both in the body and in the eye. On the other hand, glucagon is the hormone that opposes the act of insulin. It is secreted when blood glucose levels fall.
Boston: Pearson, 2013. 1396-1506. Print. The. Sophocles. “Oedipus the King” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing.
There are two primary types of diabetes, type 1, for which the onset is date is generally in children, it is known as juvenile diabetes. In Type 1 diabetes the body does not manufacture insulin (American Diabetes Association, n.d.). The second type of diabetes is Type 2, for which the onset is generally in adults. A third type of diabetes is gestational diabetes, occurring in women while pregnant generally around the 24th week, in most cases women will be relieved the diabetic symptoms after birth.
Besides these, early cataract formation, decreased vision, repeated fungal and bacterial infections, kidney damage, heart disease, muscle weakness and abnormal/decreased sensations, etc., are other common complications of uncontrolled Diabetes.
Diabetes is one of the main causes of illness and death worldwide. Nearly 25.8 million people of the U.S population have diabetes (Mathur). In the world, about 18.8 billion people of all races, children and adults of all ages, are diagnosed with this disease (Mathur). Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition associated with abnormally high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Glucose is an important source of energy for the cells that makes up the muscle tissue in the body. It is the brain’s main source of fuel (Christian). There are three main types of diabetes: which are Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is when the body does not produce any insulin at all. Type 2 is when the body does not produce enough insulin or when the insulin is not working correctly. Gestational diabetes develops during pregnancy (Christian). If a person has diabetes no matter what type it means that there is too much glucose in the blood, and this could cause serious health problems (Christian).
Upon reading the play, there is an apparent class structure found throughout. In Oedipus Tyrannus, two mai...
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.
Within the Dhammapada, the Buddha describes the bhikkhu as one who has wisdom and meditation. “There is no meditative absorption for one who lacks insight; there is no insight for one who is not meditating. In whom there is meditative absorpti...
Works Cited:.. Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1991.
Owen, E. T. "Drama in Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus." 20th Centruy Interpretations of Oedipus Rex. Ed. Micheal O'Brien. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-Hall, 1968. 33-35. Print.