The Heart of Tragedy Based on Oedipus Rex

During the Ancient Greek period, Aristotle, a great philosopher, wrote a book called the Poetics to describe what makes a great tragic play. Using the Oedipus Rex by Sophocles as the basis for his book, Aristotle goes into great detail about plot, character, and much more, breaking up the components of a tragedy. Since Oedipus Rex had a huge part in the creation of Aristotle’s book, it fulfills many of the Greek philosopher’s requirements for a tragic play.

According to Aristotle, plot is one of the most important components of a tragedy. It must have a clear beginning, middle, and a cascade of events leading to the ending. The incentive moment in Oedipus Rex is when Creon comes back from visiting the oracle at Delphi with news on how to rid Thebes of the plague which starts the search for the murderer of the previous king. The climax of the play takes place when Oedipus realizes he is reason for the plague and he now has to punish himself. The denouement takes place when Oedipus is begging Creon to put him into exile.

Character is also important in the Poetics. An important aspect o...