Oedipus Rex And Antigone Analysis

When reading two of the three Sophocles it became extremely clear to me that with power comes great responsibility. Leaders become obsessed with their leadership position, take advantage, and are willing to do anything to maintain the great power. Men specifically are the dominant superior role and women as considered inferior during the time these plays take place. Rulers are men; they make the laws and everyone has to follow them. This is all demonstrated throughout the course of the plays, Oedipus Rex and Antigone. Each play tells a different story about a tragic hero and his or her downfall. In the play, Oedipus Rex, the main character, Oedipus, goes through life completely unaware that he actually fulfilled his prophecy and is the curse

Sophocles wanted to ensure that a specific picture is portrayed. One major example of imagery in Oedipus Rex is directly following Jocasta’s suicide. Oedipus is traumatized by the fact that he is the curse on Thebes and his wife and mother is now dead. The prophecy of Oedipus killing his father and marrying his mother came true and he could not bare to see the world around him. “Dark horror of darkness my darkness, drowning, swirling around me crashing wave on wave -- unspeakable, irresistible headwind, fatal harbor,”(Sophocles 1451-1454). As the reader, this put a graphic image of sight being brutally taken away from someone. Emotion and righteousness took over Oedipus and he wanted to feel the pain of no sight because he believed he did not deserve to see. In Antigone imagery was prevalent specifically during the death of Antigone and Haemon. “..and then, doomed, desperate with himself, suddenly leaning his full weight on the blade, he buried it in his body, halfway to the hilt. And his senses, pouring his arms around her, he embraced the girl and breathing hard…”(Sophocles 1363-1367). The imagery showed the love and care he showed for Antigone, as he was willing to die along side her. I felt as if I was there witnessing the deadly scene myself. Sophocles clearly demonstrate the proper usage of imagery throughout each play that draws the reader

Throughout Oedipus Rex, Oedipus is determined to find who the Sphinx says is the curse of Thebes and must die. But, when Craes’ sends the prophet Tiresias that tells him that he, himself, the great Oedipus is the curse of Thebes he is outraged. “You, plotting to kill me, kill the king -- I see it all, the marauding thief himself scheming to steal my crown and power,”(Sophocles 596-598). Oedipus believed that he could never be the curse to the land and thought it was insulting and treacherous to go against the king. This is evident in Antigone when King of Thebes, Craes, is in shock that Antigone ever dared to defy the law of the king. Infact, Craes wants her put to death despite that she did it because of the laws of the gods and respect for her family. Craes believes that death is her only calling because she purposely defied a law he made. “I’m not the man, not now: she is the man if this victory goes to her and she goes free,”(Sophocles 542-543). He was so stubborn and needed to show his dominance that we was willing to kill his son’s fiancee. Both Kings were only concerned about their reputation, not the information and reason behind the defendant's argument. Ironically both Kings of Thebes eventually have a broken and poor reputation because of their abuse of