Suffering In Oedipus The King Essay

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The play, Oedipus the King, fulfills each of the 6 elements of tragedy according to the Aristotelian Dramaturgy. The play has a complex plot in which the protagonist has a reversal in his situation, a scene of recognition, and a scene of suffering. There are also characters in Oedipus the King that perform imitative actions to reinforce the plot. For example, the plot of the play includes a scene of suffering. For this scene of suffering to be manifested, the character, Oedipus, must first imitate the action of blinding himself. Thought is also fulfilled in the play. The thought can represent both the psychology of the characters and the themes. Some important themes in Oedipus the King include sight, which is ironically used in the play to …show more content…

One cultural element present in the play is the manifestation of a male-dominated society. Shakuntala’s presence in the play only exists through the “male gaze”. She is only recognized when king Dusyanta notices her: “her lips are fresh red buds, her arms are tendrils, impatient youth is poised to blossom in her limbs” (page 93). Ergo, his gaze defines her fate, especially towards the end when he recognizes her and the play resolves in a happy ending. Therefore, although women acted in Indian Sanskrit Dramas, the roles ascribed to them were heavily dependent on their male counterparts. This dependence on the male character(s) is reflective of a male-dominated society, in which women are viewed as low class. Another cultural element depicted in Shakuntala is illustration of Karma. Karma refers to an individual’s work and the consequences for that work. Shakuntala is a “good” character because she is benevolent, compassionate, and respectful. For example, when the king fails to recognize her, she magically disappears in the light without retaliating. In the end, her Karma resolves in a happy ending when King Dusyanta’s recognizes her and their love for each

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