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Character analysis essay on king oedipus
Elements of tragedy in Oedipus Rex
Elements of tragedy in Oedipus Rex
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Oedipus the King is a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles that discusses the themes of the limits of free will vs. Fate, ego vs self-assurance. Oedipus, the protagonist, whose actions and fate determines his life and ultimately lead to his downfall, but the question is either it was fate or his actions remains to be answered. His actions in the play show that it could be free will, not fate that leads to the murder of his father and marriage to his mother. On the opposite side of this, is the fact that through all of Oedipus attempts to dodge his fate, he fulfills what he had been told was his destiny, proving fate to be true. Oedipus fate occurs but man always makes his own decisions. Integrity is consisting of fate and thru the working of …show more content…
It may be accurate that Oedipus would have been so honored with himself if he wouldn’t lose everything. Oedipus wife probably wouldn’t commit suicide. He may have still had his authority position, his kids, and his vision. To an extent Oedipus causes the action that happened in his life. Although it is also true that Oedipus need not to be attack for his misery he encountered. It was not his fault that he was given away by his parents and left to die by his real father Laius. It was not his fault he fled Corinth to escape from killing Polybius who he thought was his real father. It was also not his fault that a plaque came over his people and empire. Everything that took place was by accident. Oedipus didn’t mean to cause any harm to anyone. His actions bring trouble and suffering to himself, his mother, his wife, his sibling and to his people. This indeed was a tragic …show more content…
The story of Oedipus has so many themes which is able to explore throughout the story. The article also states the thoughts on Oedipus Rex .They find it the complex of Oedipus and how blind he was to his behavior. Growing up with his adoptive parents, he had never known he father and couldn’t compete against him. Pushed by fate Oedipus killed his father for his mother’s attention. But in the end he got controlled by his fate. He pushed through the devastation and stayed true to his noble personality, choosing to exile himself. Mhummier, Chiara. “Vision and Knowledge in Greek Tragedy.” HELIOS, Vol. 40 no. 1-2 (2013). Texas Tech University Press. Print. “
This evidence points at debate. In this debate the unknowability of reality and the incommunicability of knowledge between subjects are crucial. Knowledge as originating in the senses is questioned, and a definition of ‘real knowledge’ and ‘real being’ is sought. The motif of the reliability of seeing and vision in tragedy has to be understood within this cultural milieu… the issue of vision and knowledge emerge in Greek drama in the second half of the fifth century. MacInnes, Deborah. Prophecy and Persuasion: Tiresias in Greek Tragedy . Doctoral Dissertation, Department of Classical Studies, Duke University, 1995. Print.
Oedipus' downfall was partially his own fault, although it was not entirely deserved. Oedipus made the choices in his life that brought him into contact with his parents. He also choose to kill a man in a fit of rage. He had control over all of these factors, but it can be argued. that he was destined from the beginning to commit these deeds no matter how Oedipus tried to prevent them from happening....
Oedipus’ downfall was caused by his lack of knowledge, hasty decisions, and false justice. Bernard Knox says this clearly “these attributes of divinity – knowledge, certainty, justice - are all qualities Oedipus thought he possessed – and that is why he was the perfect example if the inadequacy of human knowledge, certainty, and justice”. Oedipus was meant do the crimes he committed based on the actions of his parents, but he did not have certainty of knowledge and made the rest of his life miserable. Oedipus caused his own downfall by lacking the qualities of knowledge, certainty, and
Oedipus thinks his human powers can match anything put in front of him. He forces other characters to tell him things, which again creates his tragic ending. (O790) Oedipus by not knowing his identity seems to create his own tragedy. Throughout the entire play, he is blind to everything people are telling him. (O320) He continues to badger Teiresias to answer things that Oedipus does not believe is true. If he only stopped, asking questions his fate might have been different. (O385) Because of these answers, he begins to suspect that people are plotting against him. He feels that he is above such lowly deeds. His own conceit and blind confidence in himself helps him continue towards a tragic ending. (O452-460) While Teiresias was predicting the future of Oedipus, he should have been smart enough to listen. He should have started to change his ways before he ended up destroying himself. Oedipus' guilt was beginning to play tricks on his mind. At the beginning of the play, Oedipus was on the top of the mortal world. Now he is finding out the truth about his past and his world starts to crumble around him.
Oedipus Rex (the King), written by Sophocles, is the tragic play depicting the disastrous existence to which Oedipus, an Athenian, is 'fated' to endure. With a little help from the gods and the 'fated' actions and decisions of Oedipus, an almost unthinkable misfortune unfolds. Athenian perfection can consist of intelligence, self-confidence, and a strong will. Oedipus, the embodiment of such perfection, and his tragedy are common place to Athenians. Ironically, the very same exact characteristics that bring about the ominous discovery of Oedipus' fate: to kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus' 'fated' decisions entangle everyone whom is of any significance to him within a quagmire of spiraling tragedy. Sophocles uses the riddle of the Sphinx as a metaphor for the three phases of Oedipus' entangled life, the three phases of human life, and to describe how every life-changing action or decision can influence other lives.
The Greek tragedy Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, was written to show the common people of Greece how powerful the gods are and that your fate is pre-determined and nothing you do can change that. He does this by showing how people in this story try to escape their fate and how it is no use because in the end, what the oracles predict comes true. In the story there are many occasions in which people try to escape their fate.
No one can be held fully responsible for actions committed under some kind of external constraint, and for the case of Oedipus, such constraint might be exerted by god. But it does not mean that Oedipus suffers not because of his guilt, but of his goodness, because Oedipus is responsible for those actions which are not performed under constraint. Oedipus has choices, but every time he chooses the wrong one even he knew that the one he chose will turn out to be bad. He still chooses this road to certain extend, is because of his arrogant pride. I think the events of the play are Oedipus fault. Oedipus makes important mistakes or errors in judgment that lead to this ending. His pride, blindness, and foolishness all play a part in the tragedy that befalls him.
Oedipus is the main character in the play Oedipus the King. Oedipus is thought of as a tragic figure because he was doomed from birth. Tiresias, an old blind prophet, told Oedipus' parents about Oedipus' fate. He told them that Oedipus would kill his father and sleep with his mother. So, his parents decided to have him killed, only it did not happen that way. He was passed off by two shepherds and finally to the King and Queen of Corinth, Polybus and Merope to raise him as their own. Oedipus finds his way back to Thebes and on the way kills his father, but Oedipus did not know that one of the men he killed was his real father. This is the beginning of the prophecy coming true. In short Oedipus obtains the throne, Marries his mother and has kids with her. Oedipus' fate has come together without him even realizing what is going on. Eventually he is told what has happened and asks to be banished by his uncle/brother-in-law Creon. The tragedy in Oedipus' life began with his birth and the realization by his parents that his whole life was doomed.
...ipus to save his birth place, Thebes, from the tyranny of the Sphinx, kill his father, and ultimately to marry his mother. Oedipus deeply regrets killing his father, even though he didn’t know that the traveler was his Laius, and that he married his mother, even though he did not know that Jocasta was his mother. It was fate that caused these events to happen to Oedipus. Oedipus had the courage to atone for actions that he wasn’t responsible for by banishing himself and striking himself blind. Sometimes tragic figures become tragic figures through no fault of their own.
Oedipus' destruction was brought about by a combination of fate and free will. He was a victim of fate for it was foretold at his birth that he would marry his mother and murder his father. This prophecy, as warned by the oracle of Apollo at Delphi was unconditional and inevitably would come to pass, no matter what he may have done to avoid it. His past actions were determined by fate, but what he did in Thebes, he did so of his own will.
Even though Oedipus the King makes his own choices, some of those choices lead up to the most tragic events in his life. After Oedipus learns what his fate is, he runs and tries to change it, but by doing this, he only brings himself closer to the truth. Some may say that Oedipus got everything that he deserved, and fate had nothing to with his outcome. Others may say that Oedipus created his own outcome by being an arrogant person and controlled his life and that fate had nothing to do with it.
He lost everything that gave him worth all because of his pride. It had such a deep root in his heart, it grew later to the actions that destroyed his life. His fate was already very hard to accept for any person, but it was his prideful actions that cut deeper into every event. The Lord has already planned to bring down all pride gained from glory, and to humble those who are greatly known(Isaiah 23:9). Oedipus was no exception.
In the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, Oedipus, appointed king of Thebes due to saving the city, finds himself struggling with his fate in numerous ways. Not only does this affect himself as a person, but his conflict ends up contributing to the work as a whole as well. His struggles with fate takes part when Oedipus is not only cursed by the Gods to murder his own father, but furthermore sleep with his mother which also lead to her death, and eventually be banished from his own kingdom. All of these inevitable issues contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole. Oedipus’s destiny is rather unfortunate, and one of the key events of his un-avoidable future is to murder his father.
Oedipus is mainly seen as tragic because his downfall was not committed out of malicious intent. He did not know that he killed his own father, King Laius. This can be seen through the irony when Oedipus curses “the one who did it,” or in other words, the individual who murdered the late king (Episode 1. l. 251). Oedipus unknowingly curses himself, showing his lack of knowledge and truth of the incident concerning the death of King Laius.
Predestined Fate of Oedipus In ancient Greek society they believed that ones life is predestined and that ones fate is sealed. What is meant to occur will happen, no matter what that person does. In "Oedipus Rex", Oedipus' fate is doomed from his birth because of the actions of his ancestors. Unlike Oedipus, most people today don't believe in a predestined fate. People can be all they want to be, regardless of their background or the circumstances of their lives.
The concept of tragic hero is very important in the construction of tragedy. It is the main cause of pity and fear. The tragic hero is a character between the two extremes; he is neither virtuous nor evil. At the same time, this character is better than the ordinary men or audience, he has some good qualities. Moreover, as a tragic hero, he is moving from happiness to misery by his downfall at the end. In fact, this downfall is caused by an error or a flaw in his character not by a vice or depravity. Another feature in the tragic hero is that he has good reputation and he is a man of prosperity. It can be said that Oedipus is a tragic hero because he has all the previous mentioned characteristics and the whole play is a classical application of this concept.