Oedipus The King Research Paper

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Recommended: Themes in King Oedipus

“Oedipus the King” is a dramatic play written by a Greek tragedian by the name of Sophocles. Aristotle, which is known as a great philosopher, basically wrote the rules on what a tragedy play should be like. Aristotle observes the protagonist, the hero of chief character of a tragedy is a person of “high estate,” apparently, a queen or king” (Gioia and Kennedy, p. 858). Within these types of plays there is usually a hidden identity, or someone who is not as they appear to be. Usually it is a tragic hero, who is at one time upstanding and respected, which is as mentioned before, royalty. In this play Oedipus the King it shows us the perfect example of an Aristotelian Tragedy. This play exemplifies Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero and it happens in such a perverse and unimaginable …show more content…

It is an ancient play first performed approximately 429 B.C. and first published in 1885. This play has a cast of some wonderful characters. The main character is Oedipus Tyrannus, whose life was doomed before his birth. The name origin of Oedipus means swollen foot or clubfoot. This name was given to Oedipus when he was born. It was known by prophecy that this baby Oedipus would grow up to murder his father. Because of this the little baby was taken to the wilderness to die with the ankles pinned together, which is where the name Oedipus is born. The little babies fate was something other than death. Oedipus the baby was given to the to the sheep herder who worked for the house of Laius. Laius would adopt this baby Oedipus as his own. Queen Jocasta who is the queen of Thebes was also the wife and mother of Oedipus the king. Creon is Oedipus brother-in-law and is next in command. Tiresias is blind and is the personal adviser and prophet to the king of Thebes. There is the Messenger which is the man who came to the palace to announce the death of queen. The Shepherd is the next

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