Shakespeare's Tragic Mistake

Love can guide people to make crazy decisions, and therefore it can possibly lead to ones fate. Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare is a tragedy in which two lovers took their lives to settle an ancient feud. In contrast, Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, is where the protagonist is blind to the truth, and therefore gouged his eyes out to deal with his flaw. Although both tragedies are somewhat similar, the difference between them is much greater. Oedipus the King better fits Aristotle’s definition of a tragedy because it demonstrates that the protagonist: endured uncommon suffering, that the tragic hero recognized the consequences of their actions, and that the audience experienced catharsis from the play.

In contrast to Romeo and Juliet, in Oedipus the King, the protagonist endured uncommon suffering. In Romeo and Juliet, it is argued that the protagonists endured uncommon suffering; however they are just teenagers with a typical love struggle, and even more usual, disapproving families. Romeo even said, “O brawling love! O loving hate! O anything of nothing first created” (Shakespeare 1.1.154-155). What’s significant about this is that Romeo used paradoxes to describe his feelings, and that signals that Romeo is confused about his feelings for love, which is not uncommon in teenagers. This weakened Romeo and Juliet because confusion, young love struggles, and disapproving families are not unusual in life. In Oedipus the King, however it is a different situation. While Oedipus learns more about himself, a messenger tells him this, “It is plain that all of your fears are empty, Polybus was no kin to you in blood” (Sophocles, 8). This is significant because Oedipus learned that he was raised by an adoptive fathe...

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...did not want to go through the same consequences Oedipus went through. This shows that ignorance to the truth can affect ones self and others. The play is strengthened as a tragedy because the audience does not want to be like Oedipus and let their actions determine their destruction.

Two lovers took their own lives to avoid the consequences, and in contrast while a man gouged his eyes out to deal with his flaw. Although Romeo and Juliet and Oedipus the King were great tragedies, Oedipus the King contains more of the tragic figures described in Aristotle’s definition. First, the protagonist endured uncommon suffering. Second, the tragic hero recognized the consequences of their actions and took responsibility for them. Third and lastly, the audience experienced catharsis. Ignorance and impulsiveness can cause one to stumble and it can ultimately lead to their fate.