Discuss the ways in which the character of Oedipus in...

Discuss the ways in which the character of Oedipus in Oedipus the King conforms to the conventions of the tragic hero. In your discussion refer to how the issues explored in the play have a wider significance than the tragedy of Oedipus as an individual. Assessment 9: Short Essay – Drama Discuss the ways in which the character of Oedipus in Oedipus the King conforms to the conventions of the tragic hero. In your discussion refer to how the issues explored in the play have a wider significance than the tragedy of Oedipus as an individual. Oedipus the King is one of the Three Theban Plays written by Sophocles in around 400 B.C. It is a prime example of tragedy, and through the use of a tragic hero, conforms to the typical†¦show more content†¦At the same time, a tragic hero must evoke both pity and fear, and Aristotle claims that the best way to do this is if he is imperfect. A character with a mixture of good and evil comes across as more compelling than a character that is merely good. The fact that these qualities are so accepted means that they continue to connect with audiences of every generation. At the beginning of Oedipus the King, Oedipus is held in very high esteem after saving Thebes from the curse of the Sphinx and becoming king virtually overnight. Oedipus is a man of swift action and great insight. He is always anticipating his subjects’ needs and it is clear that he possesses many qualities which make him an excellent leader. For example, when the priest hints that he should send to Delphi for help with the plague, he has already done so; when the chorus suggests sending for Tiresias, the prophet has already been summoned and in on the way. Later in the play, however, we see that Oedipus’ habit of acting quickly can also have negative implications. When he tells the story of killing the band of travelers who he met at the crossroads, Oedipus shows that he has the capacity to behave rashly. In his search for the truth, Oedipus shows himself to be a thinker, a man good at unraveling mysteries. This is the same characteristic that brought him to Thebes; heShow MoreRelatedOedipus the King by Sophocles1393 Words   |  6 Pages Sophocles’ play, Oedipus the King, has risen many questions concerning the main character and whether or not he acts on free will or if his future is predestined by the gods. I am going to test the theory that although Oedipus believes he is acting on his own free will, he is in fact a victim of the gods. I will analyze several different sources that discuss fate and human agency in Oedipus the King and then proceed to build my original argument on the archaic debate. There has been a great dealRead MoreOld Tragedy Versus New Tragedy1386 Words   |  6 Pagesevents that have a negative effect on the characters until a major disaster occurs. Aristotle believes â€Å"the objective of tragedy is in bringing the audience (or the reader) to a certain state, alternately designated as either katharsis or pleasure† (academia.edu, n.d.). One or more characters can be involved in a tragic story. There are usually five stages that go into fully developing the tragedy within a story. The first stage is the exposition which explains how accomplished the person isRead MoreTheme Of Dramatic Irony In Oedipus1400 Words   |  6 Pagesasserting the reader that the prophecy had indeed come true before Oedipus even knows it further proves that fate controls the lives of mortals. Teiresias uses irony to proclaim to Oedipus â€Å"that with those you love best you live in foulest shame unconsciously and do not see where you are in calamity (633).Teiresias used dramatic irony by telling Oedipus how his life contains a path of shame yet he does not believe him. 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Oedipus pursues to find the true answers to his identity and destiny, while at the same time trying to avoid fulfilling his destiny. Oedipus the King was introduced around 429 B.C.E. in Athens. This was Sophocles most celebrated play. It is recognized by many titles, such as its Latin title Oedipus Rex and Oedipus Tyrannus. SophoclesRead MoreOedipus the King: A Victim of Fate Essay956 Words   |  4 PagesOedipus the King would not have been successful throughout centuries as a tragic play, if Oedipus were clearly responsible for his own tragedy. The plays ongoing success was do to Oedipus innocence which immediately makes one think he can not be fully responsible and to blame. I do not believe Sophocles would have wrote the story, or I do not think people would have ever read it or studied it had it simply been a story of a criminals retribution. Sophocles himself believed Oedipus to be the innocentRead More The Role of Teiresias in Sophocles Oedipus Rex Essay1410 Words   |  6 PagesSophoclesOedipus Rex (the King) Teiresias uses his psychic abilities to foreshadow the anguish and destruction that Oedipus will encounter after he learns the truths of his life. Teiresias is also responsible for further developing the theme of blindness by using his own physical blindness to reveal to Oedipus his mental blindness. Lastly, Teiresias is ultimately responsible for imposing dramatic irony because of his great knowledge of the truth of Oedipus. In the play, Oedipus Rex, by SophoclesRead More Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King - Driven by Fate1105 Words   |  5 Pagesof Fate in Oedipus Rex Before we approach this complex question inductively, we are at first obliged to contemplate what definitions and assumptions are being made. This essay, perhaps more so than others, requires a more extensive look at this aspect of the question, because of the sheer variety of possible responses. However, I now have reduced them to three possibilities. Firstly, we could make the assumption that perhaps as destiny controls all fates, then Oedipus character was createdRead MoreParallels of Fate in Crash and Oedipus the King Essay1046 Words   |  5 Pagesapart of our everyday lives have been going on since the ancient greeks to today. The movie Crash parallels to the play, Oedipus the King, in that both of the characters experience some form of fate in their lives. Henceforth, this essay will discuss the medias portrayal of fate and how it is indeed, a part of our everyday lives. In the novel, Oedipus The King, Oedipus father, Laius, met with the Oracle of Delphi who foretells him that his son will inevitably kill him and marry his wifeRead MoreAutonomy in Hamlet and Oedipus952 Words   |  4 PagesFor their injustices, Oedipus must be exiled from Thebes: Socrates must drink hemlock and die. Discuss the extent to which Oedipus’ and Socrates’ final moments are determined by past acts of autonomy. Socrates is a character who is seen as person who dies for his ideals. He sees himself as a public servant who has lived his life helping the people of the city with his practice of philosophy and by living his life within the boundaries of the laws and justices of society. Socrates sees this

Nothing More Than Human free essay sample

Thump! The sound of first shovelful of dirt landing on the coffin abruptly jolts me out of the thoughts. I had been so successful in blocking out the wails of the other mourners and the terrible drone of the priest that it came as a surprise when I was yanked out of the safe haven of my mind. The sounds of sorrow surround me, but having cried for hours upon hours and days upon days, I feel no inclination to let my own tears out. Lethargically, I look around only to meet my mother’s gaze. I quickly pull away, unwilling to bear the pain of seeing the agony reflected in her eyes, far stronger than mine could ever be. After all the woman in that coffin is her mother, not mine. My father is not here. He is in the hospital with an IV keeping him company. He is still recovering from the car accident which took one of my beloved grandmother’s lives and almost succeeded in taking the other’s life as well. We will write a custom essay sample on Nothing More Than Human or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The other is still in her hospital bed, lost in hazy fog of drugs and brain injuries. My father is suffering from nothing more than a shattered arm. I hate him for it. Until I remember his shattered heart. The guilt etched upon his haggard face. Then my anger flees and heartache sets in. The thumps of earth continue. Echoing unnaturally in the stillness that is occasionally punctuated by a soft whimper or a strangled sob. My mind trudges slowly through my memories of my grandmother as if unwilling to let me once again subject it to this torture of dredging up these now-distressing remembrances. My mind wanders. What were her last words? Nobody knows but the wind knows. They were lost among the screams and sirens. What were my last words to her? I cannot remember. It had been days since we last spoke. My brother’s desperate grip fills me with anguish. I almost cry out from the agony but bite my lip to suffocate my scream. A protest rises to my lips but I choke on the words and mercilessly forced them down my throat, aborting them before they could ever be born. Through the haze of sharp pain, a clear thought emerges. My brother and I are never more in tune than we are in silence. His eyes express what his lips cannot and my trembling hand betrays more than my tears ever could. Then the thumps stop. So does my counting. It took 361 shovelfuls of earth to bury my grandmother and I remember each one. One by one, they became nails that were driven into my heart. It took 361 loads of packed dirt to make her hallowed home in this ground which will hold her forevermore. I recall every shovelful, every moment. Now it is finished. My brother’s grip tightens further and my breath hitches, but whether it is from the pain of it or the pain of seeing my grandmother packed away in a box and blacked with dirt, I am not sure. A little of both, I think. I can sense my brother’s impending breakdown and knowing he does not wish to have witnesses to his tears, I lead him away. We half-stumble, half-wobble towards a nearby car, far enough to be unseen and close enough to see. The moment we are behind it, he slumps against the side and slides down till he hits the floor. I kneel next to him, ignoring the rough gravel biting into my bare knees and the stinging pinpricks of glass that embed themselves into my defenseless legs and stretch out my hand. When I lay it gently upon his shoulder, it seems to trigger his outburst as he begins to weeps and bury in face into his callused hands. â€Å"Boys don’t cry.† he half-wails, half-weeps. Biting my lip, I futilely try to contain my own tears as they t hreaten to escape and tilt my brother’s face up to gaze into his eyes. â€Å"No,† I whisper, â€Å"but men do.†