Essays On Oedipus The King

Essay about Oedipus The King
Oedipus the King by Sophocles is more than just a plain tragedy. This play is a suspense thriller,
where every character involved with Oedipus learned that fate is determined only by the gods. In
this specific play, Apollo was deciding god that predicted the fate of every person in the city of
Thebes. This book represents a symbol of the lives of many, showing that you can not run away
from fate because it decision that will forever remain. It was written in the honor of, the god of
theater, Dionysos. Also, for the annual festival where playwrights competed for prizes. It was a
major public occasion, with immense attendance expected. This theatric happening was written in
the turning point of the war that saved Greece from a huge...show more content...
The one trait of Oedipus that did not change in the course of the play, was his strength and
courage in the face of disaster. Every step he took to solve the mystery of Laius' murder brings
him closer to being revealed, yet he never stops searching for the truth. But his courage and
strength help him endure the pain and suffering that come with knowledge of what he has done.
Tiresias is a wise, old man who has supernatural powers to interpret the past and predict the future.
The fact that Tiresias is blind makes his imaginary abilities even more mysterious. This may also
lead Oedipus to deny Tiresias' ability to "see" the truth. At first Tiresias refuses to
answer Oedipus' questions about the prophecy. He appears as a character that was always a
messenger for the gods. Therefore, when Oedipus insulted Tiresias, in the first scene, and accused
him of being a false prophet. Oedipus, however, did not realize that he was also attacking the gods
while he was attacking Tiresias. Although his appearance in the play was short, Tiresias sets the
tone of the moral and religious beliefs of the gods. He was interrogated by Oedipus, yet, withheld
the important information in which he was not to reveal. Creon is Oedipus' brother–in–law and a
trusted assistant of the king. He is also third in command of Thebes as a political leader. The Chorus
mentions that he is an honest man who is reliable, trustworthy, and sensible. When Creon has
returned from the oracles at Delphi
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Oedipus The King Essay
Greek tragedy is characterized by the emotional discharging brought about by the suffering of a
heroic figure. In Oedipus The King, by Sophocles, the agony of pain attacking the protagonist is a
result of his tragic flaw. Sophocles often uses a characters hamartia to alter or influence the future
or outcome of the hero, in this case, Oedipus. Oedipus' hubris traps him into fulfilling the vision
and intensifies his punishment. Oedipus' pride is an inherited characteristic. Even before his glory
and power as King of Thebes, he allowed his conceit to affect his judgment and rule his actions.
Unknowingly, Oedipus fulfills Apollo's oracle, which is a vision, when he encounters a group of
men at a crossroad. The driver offends Oedipus...show more content...
Although he has enough idolization to the gods not to assume himself to be an equal with them, it
is clear through his words that Oedipus perceives himself to be of a greater importance than the
lesser people that surround him. He is conceited to think that he can shape his own destiny and the
gods punish him for this arrogance. Once Oedipus is made aware of the importance of the situation
in Thebes he assumes to be the savior. In addressing his people, Oedipus regards them as his
children – his pride in his abilities enables him to take on the task of leader. His faith in himself
results in a lack of discretion on his part. Although Creon hints at bad news, Oedipus eagerly
insists that Creon announce the oracle's words publicly, so that he will be thought of as an open,
honest leader, and he did not pick up on Creon's hesitation. Oedipus later assumes the role of a
mortal god, "Let me grant your prayers". He is now arrogant, believing that he has divine power
to solve a city's problems. Oedipus again proves to be confident of his abilities, "if I'd been present
then, there would have been no mystery". When Oedipus makes his proclamation and no one
confesses to the murder of Laius, he loses patience, hostily condemning the murderer, and cursing
him to a terrible death. "Now my curse on the murderer... let that man drag out his life in agony, step
by painful step" Ironically, his curse is a foreshadowing of his own impending doom. In

Essay on Oedipus the King by Sophocles
The play, Oedipus the King by Sophocles presents a grim hamartia caused from a terrible deed of
long ago. Oedipus the protagonist is the powerful King of Thebes and held of high estate by the
people of Thebes. As the terrible deed of Oedipus's becomes apparent to both Oedipus and the
City of Thebes his tragic flaw is slowly realized. The play will show "tragic power resides in human
failing, hamartia, constantly underpinning any sense of the inevitable" (Walton). The play will show
the author's view of a tragic hero as seen in the play Oedipus the King does exemplifies Aristotle's
definition of a tragic hero.
The beginning of Oedipus the King the city of Thebes is under a terrible plague with many
hardships. Its people and priest have...show more content...
Being the wise king Oedipus see no trouble in hunting down the killers of Laios. He vows, "Then
once more I must bring what is dark to light" (Oedipus, Prologue, 135) because finding the killer
may also protect himself. The priest and people depart along with the promise from the Oedipus to
rid them of the plague.
Oedipus attempts to gather information from the people of Thebes regarding Laios' murderer by
issuing a proclamation. His proclamation will result in no harm to anyone if information is brought
forward. Oedipus also prays the murderers "life be consumed in evil and wretchedness" (Oedipus,
Scene 1, 30) and even applies the curse to him.
The Choragos recommends the blind prophet Teiresias be summoned by Oedipus to identify
Laios' murderer. Oedipus also makes reference to Creon also requesting for Teiresias at least two
times and wondering why he has yet arrived. Choragos recounts the old report of king Laios being
killed by highwaymen and just may "if the killer can feel a particle of dread, your curse will bring
him out of hiding" (Oedipus, Scene 1, 75)
Teiresias the blind prophet arrives led by his Page as Choragos explains Teiresias will be able to
determine the criminal Oedipus seeks. Now that Teiresias has arrived he refuses to tell Oedipus
what he has seen in his vision "No; I will never tell you what I know" (Oedipus, Scene 1, 110).
Oedipus now angry response with "you planned it, you had it done, you all but

Essay about Oedipus the King
According to Webster's Dictionary, fate is defined as "A power that supposedly predetermines
what is to happen" (257). In the play "Oedipus Rex" each character is touched by fate directly or
indirectly. The author of the play Sophocles pens the story of a man who was destine from birth to
be both martyr and hero, he could never be one without the other.
Another view of "Oedipus Rex" is that some critics view him as a "tyrant" and not a hero because
he did not come into power by natural succession, but through more sinister means, which are
revealed later in the play. Also renowned authors such as Sigmund Freud in his paper "On Dreams"
believe that Sophocles meant to portray Oedipus as a tyrant ."... Oedipus frequent outburst of...show
more content...
He is uncomfortable with the idea to the point of rage and paranoia, that he himself might be the
cause of all that befalls the city, because in years past he had been its savior.
An example of this is when the blind soothsayer Teiresias tells him that he is the reason for the
misfortune brought upon the country and that he is also the murderer he seeks for the death of
King Laios. "I say that you are the murderer whom you seek"(Sophocles The Oedipus Cycle,
Translated by D. Fitts and R. Fitzgerald). Oedipus instantly becomes enraged at the accusation even
though he forced the information from the reluctant soothsayer in his pursuit for justice. "Now twice
you have spat out infamy. You'll pay for it!"(D. Fitts and R. Fitzgerald 20).
The reaction to the soothsayer's news would support the earlier theory that perhaps Oedipus was
more tyrant than hero. After the truth is revealed to him he denies it believing that Creon is most
trusted friend and bother–in–law is plotting with the soothsayer to gain control of the kingdom. His
own pride and arrogance blinds him to things and events that have been in evidence for many
years, these like the nature of his birth and the prophecy of him murdering his father and sleeping
with his mother. It is later revealed that all his life in some form or fashion Oedipus as been

Essay on Oedipus the King: The Hubris of Oedipus
"Oedipus the King" written by Sophocles, is a powerful Greek tragedy story. The protagonist,
Oedipus is a heroic mythical king who had it all. 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." Sophocles' performed this play at the annual festival of Dionysus––a religious festival,
which celebrated Dionysus, the god of intoxication, death, and fertility. Sophocles was one of the
dramatists that reigned supreme at these festivals. Most of the...show more content...
A dramatic conflict occurs when Oedipus gets into a fight with a group of men where three roads
meet; one of those men is his father King Laius. He kills all the men except for one who flees
from the scene and then notifies the Thebians of the tragic news. Oblivious to Oedipus, the first
half of his fate (that he was trying so hard to avoid) is fulfilled. Usually crossroads signify a
decision point. If Oedipus made the choice of being civil toward the strangers and not letting his
temper get the best of him, he could have avoided his fate. Oedipus ends up in Thebes were he is
granted the honor of being the King––he solves the Sphinx's riddle which results in the city being
free from captivity. In addition, Oedipus marries his predecessor's wife, Queen Jocasta––the women
who gave birth to him. Once again Oedipus has crossed paths with his fate and is still blind to it.
Hubris is Oedipus's tragic flaw. He is now overly full of himself because: he rescued the city of
Thebes from the Sphinx, people admire him, the citizens worship him as if he were an idol, the
citizens think of him as their hero, and the Thebans have such a high esteem for him, that they
made him King. One instance that proves he is filled with overbearing pride is when he proclaims,
"I, Oedipus, a name that all men know." (8) This statement also brings about irony. It is ironic
because his name will be remembered and well–known everywhere––as a polluter, the

Research Paper On Oedipus The King
Oedipus was a great king to his city. He was devoted to helping find a cure from the people, he
was a family man and he always stuck to the rules. All these great qualities about Oedipus, and yet
he was still very flawed. Oedipus was very stubborn and hard headed, he mostly never listened to
anyones opinion and believed he was always right. He was also prideful and had a temper. All of
these qualities get the best of him as the play goes on. When Teiresias, the blind prophet comes to
tell him his fate, Oedipus is appalled and does not believe a word, "The truth is strong, but not your
truth. You have no truth. You're blind. Blind in your eyes. Blind in your ears. Blind in your mind" (
Sophocles 40). The King does not react well when the phropect

Essay on Oedipus the King: A Classic Tragedy
Oedipus the King, a Classic Tragedy Aristotle, in his work The Poetics, tries to delineate the idea
of a tragedy. Throughout his work Aristotle says that the hero, or at least the protagonist in a
tragedy must be substantially good, almost godlike. This hero must bring upon themselves their
downfall, due to their fatal flaw. If the hero is not at a high point, an audience will not care about
them, and won't notice their fall. One must fall a long way in social class in order for it to be
noticed by the outside man. Oedipus perfectly exemplifies a tragedy, in relation to modern society,
effectively showing how too much pride can often lead to downfall or doom. Oedipus is a
magnificent man. He is also the perfect example of a tragic...show more content...
A catharsis is often a cleansing or healing of the mind and a teaching about the human condition.
As the audience watches the events unfold throughout the play they feel a sense of fear or pity. All
of these feelings are purified/cleansed when the protagonist falls into suffering. As a broken man,
one who now only seeks to make right from what his pride blinded him from seeing, Oedipus asks
for forgiveness. The people of Thebes need to see the suffering and what has become of Oedipus.
After self–inflicting blindness upon himself Oedipus says, "Apollo who contrived my ruin, who
worked my fall. But no–one blinded my eyes But myself, in my own grief" (Sophocles
ll.1289–1292). It may have been originally Apollo's curse that led Oedipus to this tragic end, but it
was his stubborn pride that carried the curse to completion. The reader and Oedipus both experience
a realization and cleansing when Oedipus confronts his subjects knowing that his pride and
stubbornness are what have caused his suffering. Oedipus' own pride has become second to the
hopes that his children and those around him have a bright future. His only wish is that his children
lead successful lives even though they are the product of an incestual relationship. The fatal flaw is
another necessary step for a tragedy to succeed. The protagonist has to move down from their high
position because of a mistake that they make. In Aristotle's The

In our world today, fate and free will remains the biggest mystery of all; is everything we do
controlled or do we have the freedom of choice? In the story "Oedipus the King" by Sophocles, the
author uses the idea of fate and free will to explain the struggle of Oedipus's life. Fate and free will
is explained as; fate is controlled by an outside supernatural force, and there is no way of controlling
it. Free will is when each of us is responsible and controls all aspects of our own life. The author of "
Oedipus the King" uses ironic devices to convey a tragic attitude toward the struggle of fate and free
will.
The city of Thebes has been cursed by a plague caused by an unclean being that murdered Laius.
While in despair, Oedipus cursed...show more content...
So the irony is Oedipus had no idea that the person who killed Laius would be himself. After hearing
this Oedipus is outraged and says it is all a plan for Creon to over throw him. These examples of
irony are also examples of fate and free will. It is fate that Oedipus killed the king, his father, but it
is free will that he is cursing and accusing himself.
There was an oracle told to Oedipus when he was younger that he would kill his father and wed his
mother. Jocasta tells Oedipus that prophets are not correct all the time. She went on to tell him that
she once bore a child to Laius, and Apollo told them that this child would grow up to kill his father
and marry his mother. At that point Oedipus was scared because of the oracle told to him when he
was younger. It is ironic that Oedipus could have this much guilt placed on him in this short amount
of time. He replied to her, "As I listen, my queen, my thoughts went reaching out and touched on
memories that make me shudder..."(lines, 759–760). Oedipus has just reacted to what Jocasta, his
wife/mother, has told him. He is terrified because he believes that he may have been the one who
killed Laius. Oedipus goes on to ask Jocasta multiple questions about who, what when and where
this all happened. After every answered question Oedipus reacted with more and more grief. Every
question showed more and more evidence that Oedipus had been the murderer of Laius. When the
messenger

Essay On ' Oedipus The King '
How Not to Become Oedipus the King I have always been one to want to understand they why
behind any fact. It seems to be somewhere between curiosity and skepticism. I tell myself its not
simply a lack of trust but a desire to better understand the world around me but either way it does
lead me to ask questions and look for holes in ideas that are presented to me. I would would like
have the time and the wherewithal to take break things down to the level that Descartes does in
his Discourse on the Method. But rarely have I ever had the time to do this. What I have enjoyed
from childhood is finding out facts about the world around me. We watched PBS and Novas as a
standard affair growing up. I 'm not entirely sure where this came from. Neither of my parents had
an education that was heavy in the sciences. They did both wind up with a careers that had a
technical slant with my father starting out as a surveyor for the Department of Transportation and
my mother working for NASA, in payroll, during the late 1960 's. So maybe with that background
and some aptitude and interest myself, I very much enjoyed the natural sciences, math and later
computers. I think that early on this idea that there was a why behind almost everything and there
were people out there actively trying to find it out was of great interest. I am sure that growing up I
took whatever was given to me as fact. But as I got into high school, I started to see notice differing
opinions on what was

Analysis Essay: Oedipus the King
Casual Analysis Essay: Oedipus the King Sophocles' play Oedipus the King has endured for over
two thousand years. The play's lasting appeal may be attributed to the fact it encompasses all the
classical elements of tragedy as put forth by Aristotle in Poetics nearly a century before it was
written. According to Aristotle, tragedy needs to be an imitation of life according to the law of
probability or necessity. Tragedy is serious, complete, and has magnitude. It must have a beginning,
middle, and end and be spoken in language that is fit for noble characters. Furthermore it must be
acted, as opposed to epic poetry, which is narrated. Tragedy shows rather than tells. Finally it must
result in the purging of pity and fear, or a catharsis. Tragedy is based in the fundamental order of the
universe, it creates a cause–and–effect chain that clearly reveals what may happen at any time or
place because that is the way the world operates. Tragedy arouses not only pity but also fear, because
the audience can envision themselves within this cause–and–effect chain. Tragedy as a whole is
composed of six elements: plot, character, language, thought, spectacle and melody. Melody and
language are the media by which the effect of imitation of action is carried out, spectacle is the
manner or way the tragedy is carried out, and plot, character and thought are the means that initiate
the action. Oedipus the King possesses all of these elements. Aristotle asserts the plot is the most

Essay On Oedipus The King
Greta Oulman Windish English II 3 December 2017 Oedipus: An Apparent "Hero" Did you ever
think that a man who killed his father and married his mother would ever be considered a hero?
NOBODY DID. (Except the Greeks...) The story of our tragic "hero," Oedipus, depicts him in the
midst of his life, just learning about his adoption and, years later, the birth of his four kids (with his
mother) that – apparently – inspired so many people. Oedipus' Story Oedipus' story is about how he
became an apparent "hero". In the beginning, Oedipus' father, King Laius, and mother, Queen
Jocasta of Thebes wanted to know if they would someday have kids. Laius went to the Oracle of
Delphi and asked the burning question. The Oracle replied that their first...show more content...
She asked him the same riddle as she did everybody else: "What walks on four feet in the morning,
two in the afternoon, and three at night?" Oedipus thought long and hard until he finally answered
with "Man, who crawls on all fours as a baby, he walks on two legs as an adult, and needs a walking
stick when old." The Sphinx – never bested at her own game – was so angry at Oedipus, she fell off
the rock she was sitting on and killed herself. He was then greeted by Creon, the uncle he didn't
know he had. Creon said that whoever killed the Sphinx would become king. Oedipus met Jocasta
and they were married, unknowingly completely fulfilling the prophecy. The new king had
fathered four kids with his mother: Eteocles, Polynices, Antigone and Ismene. Years later, a
plagued smothered the land. Oedipus sent Creon to the Oracle to find out why. The Oracle told
Creon it was because Laius' killer (his first son) hadn't been caught. Oedipus ordered a search for
everyone to help find the killer. A messenger came in (at that exact moment) to tell the king that he,
in fact killed the previous king. Creon and Oedipus argued, and Jocasta added that her first son was
dead. Then, another messenger came in and said that King Polybus was dead. Oedipus was relieved
and said he would not attend the funeral anyway, just to prevent the second part of the prophecy
from possibly coming true. The messenger then said Oedipus was

The Ancient Greeks had a precise definition of what they believe makes a perfect ruler. According
to the Greeks, the ideal Athenian ruler has five main characteristics. The ruler should takes care
of his/her people like a parent cares for a child. The ruler respects the elderly. The ruler suffers or
fights along with his people in a time of crisis. The ruler should be decisive. The ruler should be
wise, generous, hospitable, and pious. Sophocles, the author of Oedipus the King, portrays
Oedipus, King of Thebes, as an ideal ruler. However, as the story progresses, the characteristics he
shows begin to contradict it. Oedipus shows that he is an ideal ruler in the beginning of Oedipus the
King. He shows many of the ideal characteristics within the first three pages of the...show more
content...
Oedipus begins talking to a crowd of Theban citizens. "Children, children! Scions of the ancient
Cadmean line!" (23) Right away, he shows he cares about his people like a parent cares for a child
by referring to them as children. Next, he shows that he respects the elderly by telling politely
telling an old priest to speak and referring to him as Elder. "Speak, Elder, you are senior here" (23).
In the next quote, he shows that seeing his people (like a parent to a child) suffer makes him suffer
as well. "You all are sick–yet sick, not one so sick as I. Your pain is single, each to each–it does not
breed" (25). Oedipus also shows here he is decisive by showing what he has already done to help the
situation. "But one in bitter tears and one perplexed in though, found wandering. Who clutched the
only remedy that came: To send the son of Menoeceus, Creon–my own Jocasta's brother–to the place
Apollo haunts at Pythia; to learn what act or covenant of mine could still redeem the state" (25).
Oedipus shows that he has made a decisive action that might help Thebes from its plague. After
Creon arrives, he reveals that the plague will be removed when Laius's murderer is found and

Oedipus the King: A Hero Essay
Throught Oedipus Rex, Oedipus displays his heroism many times. From the Prologue of the play to
the moment in which he leaves Thebes, Oedipus' heroics are extremely apparent; however, at the
same time, the decisions which make Oedipus a hero ultimately become the decisions which bring
him to shame and exile.
From before Oedipus was born, he was doomed to kill his father and marry his mother, a very
cursed fate. Throughout his life, the readers learn that Oedipus tries his hardest to avoid this
dreadful proclamation; however, the gods were against him before he was even in his mother's
womb, so Oedipus and the readers quickly learn that there would be no way for him to avoid...show
more content...
Oedipus is a very honest and persistent man. From the instant in which he questions Teiresias about
the murder, we see that he is very persistent in trying to find the answer. Even when Teiresias begs
Oedipus to stop questioning him, Oedipus forces the truth–teller to speak the truth. He goes as far as
to threaten to kill Teiresias to give him the news which would accuse Oedipus as the murderer that
he seeks.
Oedipus, of course, does not believe this news, and still tries to get to the bottom of this murder
mystery. Each person that he questions unravels another piece of information which would
eventually confirm Teiresias' accusation that Oedipus was the murderer.
No matter how many people advised Oedipus to quit the search and forget about it, Oedipus
remained determined to solve the question. Teiresias, the shephard, the messenger, and his own wife
advise him not to continue his investigation. When Jocaste pleads with him to stop the search,
Oedipus he demands that she let him continue. These show signs of a true hero. Oedipus put the
benefit of his own land before he did. If Oedipus had any thoughts that he could be the murderer, it
didn't matter to him. He would not give up until he fufiled his promise to find the murderer.
When the shephard who found Oedipus confirmed that Oedipus had killed his father, and indeed
married his mother,

Essay on Oedipus the King: A Tragic Hero
A tragic hero, as defined by Aristotle, is a man who is great but also terribly flawed, who
experiences misfortunes while still remaining admirable to the audience at the end of the play. One
of Aristotle's favorite works, Oedipus the King, a play by Sophocles, is a play that above all others,
defines the meaning of what a true tragic hero really is. In the play, Oedipus the King, the story
unfolds after Oedipus unintentionally kills his own father and goes on to marry his mother. The
events of the play are tragic, but it is the way that Oedipus handles the tragedies that make him a
tragic hero.
From the very beginning of the play, we can already see that Oedipus is a great but flawed man. He
proves to us...show more content...
However, in spite of all of his positive qualities, he is a man that is prone to arrogance and
impulsive behaviors. At the opening of the play, when he addresses the city about the plague, he
tells them not to worry for "Here I am myself...the world knows my fame: I am Oedipus" (7–8),
implying that he can solve any problem simply because of who he is. Oedipus also shows his
arrogance by comparing himself to the gods. After hearing the chorus' cries to the gods for help he
tells the city of Thebes to "Let [him] grant [their] prayers...listen to [him]"(245–246). Oedipus
displays his quick temper after the prophet Tireseas declines to tell him who Laius's murderer is; he
hastily becomes infuriated at the prophet, telling him he is "scum of the earth . . . [a man who]
would enrage a heart of stone" (381).
The heart of the story unravels when Oedipus apparently begins to suffer a reversal of fortunes. At
the beginning of the play, Oedipus is referred to by the priest as the "king of the land, [the city of
Thebes'] greatest power" (16). Through all of Thebes he is thought of as a hero, a man who saved
the city from the Sphinx and in his bravery has promised to find the killer of King Laius in order to
save the city from doom and death. However, at the climax of the story Oedipus learns that he has
been "cursed in [his] birth, cursed in marriage / and cursed in

Critical Analysis Of Oedipus The King
Critical Analysis: Oedipus the King "Oedipus the King" is a tragic play showing a shift from the
belief of fate to freedom of choice. Therefore, Oedipus the king is a great example of those who
run from fate ends up fulfilling their fate After reading this type of tragic play "Oedipus the King"
written by Sophocles you can see that the author did a very outstanding form of presenting a tragedy
that has the characteristics of mimesis and a tragic hero. Specifically, the writer written the play
that would leave many readers to be able to relate to and have a character whom characteristics are
noble and basically good. A purpose of tragedy is "catharsis". In other words, the main reason for a
tragedy in a play is to purge an individual of...show more content...
In the end, however, Oedipus' hubris ways led to his tragic reality. He lost his wife. He lost his
eyesight. He lost his children. He lost his kingship. With all his confidence and his persistence, he
uncovered the riddles of his life and found out that he was the boy born of Laius and Jocasta who
was the subject of the prophecy. His intelligence, pride and confidence led to this discovery,
which resulted in him losing everything that he had which in the end he fulfilled his fate. The
most crucial point in the play "Oedipus the king" was the fact that Oedipus was completely
unaware that he killed his own father. He had a mission to find out who was his father's killer.
Effectively the more Oedipus was motivated and with his excessive confidence in knowing the
truth of who killed his father, the play began to unravel and starts to fit together like the pieces of
a puzzle that Oedipus was known for figuring out. The more he pushed in finding who his father
killer was the more he was towards his reality of terror. The place where three roads meet was the
place where Laius was killed and the place where Oedipus, himself had killed a man. He thought
his father was a man named Polypus, the king of Corinth yet a man had shouted out at a banquet
that he was not his father's son. He was given a apprehension of "a future great with pain, terror,
disaster...You are fated to couple with your mother, you will bring a breed of children

Oedipus The King Fate Essay
COLLAPSE
I believe fate is an unavoidable and often an unfortunate outcome. Fate is the belief that all events
are determined by the divine will or by some force greater than man, that every event must take
place as it does because it has been predetermined. Not a bible word or teaching. The Greeks
believed that fate should be accepted because it ultimately cannot be avoided.
In the Greek tragedy, Oedipus the King, the irony of fate brings the downfall of Oedipus. Fate, in
this story affects three specific characters. The gods have already decreed Oedipus and Jocasta's fate
even before they know it. Their fate was in fact decreed the day they were born, and trying to avoid
seems to have been pointless.
Oedipus unsuccessfully tries to change his fate. An oracle has confirmed that his destiny is to
marry his mother and kill his father. That's why they tie his legs with a strong roof and order a
shepherd to keep him on the pick of the mountain so that the beasts of the mountain eat him. He
does everything he can to change that fate, but because of his parents' actions in ordering him
killed as an infant; his knowledge of the people who've raised him as parents is incorrect. All in all,
he had no say in his fate and was incapable of changing anything. Thus, we have our tragedy....show
more content...
He does not keep it on the pick of mountain. Actually, the destiny of Oedipus saves him from
certain death. The shepherd gives Oedipus to another shepherd who is the member of another
kingdom. He takes it and shows him to his king. The king has no child so he becomes very happy to
get Oedipus. He and his wife take great care as their child. Gradually Oedipus becomes grower day
by

Oedipus the King Essay
Sophocles' Oedipus the King In the play 'Oedipus Rex' the main character, Oedipus, has to deal
with his predetermined fate and his own nature. He is cursed from the beginning of his life when
a soothsayer tells of his fate upon his birth. It is predicted that he will kill his father, and marry
his mother, and raise a family. Oedipus was born to Laios and Iocaste who were the king and
queen of Thebes. Upon his birth, his parents were shocked at a soothsayer?s prediction of
Oedipus?s fate. It was originally said that he would kill his father, marry his mother, and raise a
family. Naturally his parents couldn't have this, so they rid themselves of Oedipus by apparently
killing him. They gave him to a shepard and told him...show more content...
Oedipus would carry on and eventually end up in Thebes where he was originally born. Oedipus
would go on to marry his mother Iocaste, and be looked at as a hero to the community. This
would in fact fulfill the second part of Oedipus?s fate. Oedipus would carry on his life in Thebes
and have a family with his new wife, Iocaste, who is also his mother. Throughout all of this
Oedipus never had the slightest clue he was angering the gods by committing the crimes of
patricide, regicide, and incest. The gods placed a plague on the city of Thebes and said that only
the plague would be lifted if the killer of the king Laios were brought to justice. At the time still
no one knew that Oedipus had killed the king or that he was the son of his wife. Oedipus would
carry on a vigorous search for the killer of Laios, although he would be very successful because
the person he was looking for was himself. In the end Oedipus would finally find out it was
himself he was looking for. When his wife committed suicide, after realizing it was actually
Oedipus who she had married, the soothsayer was trying to explain whom the killer of Laios
actually was. Oedipus never had control over his fate because it was all predetermined in the
telling of the soothsayer at the beginning of his life. Oedipus had no clue that it was his father he
was killing when he killed Laios, nor did he have any knowledge

While reading the plot of Oedipus the King and learning of Oedipus causing the death of both of
his parents, you would consider that a pretty tragic event. But, if you ask Aristotle he may not fully
agree with you. In Poetics, Aristotle goes into detail on what creates a true tragedy and what does
not. In many ways, the work of literature, Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles is a good tragedy,
but there are just a few things that limit it from being a complete tragic work.
The two most important characteristics of a tragedy are plot and character. The plot must be a
reasonable length, preferably a work that can be read in one sitting. The importance of this is that
the reader can remember and experience the whole emotion of the...show more content...
Due to the fact that the reversal of the situation and recognition happened simultaneously,
Oedipus the King fits Aristotle's first criteria of what a complete tragedy consists of. If a work of
literature has reversal and recognition, they will then create another important part of plot which
is pity and fear. In a tragedy, pity and fear should create a Katharsis which is a cleansing of
emotion. Aristotle feels that a tragedy should be an intense emotion of pity and fear so after
reading you will feel cleansed of that emotion like you would after a good cry. Aristotle defines
the creation of pity as "aroused by unmerited misfortune." What he is saying is that the pity is
created when something happens that the character doesn't deserve. In the case of Oedipus, this
is somewhat present and somewhat is not present. Oedipus kills his father which he did not know
at the time, but that action of murder spiraled the whole Oracle into becoming a reality. At the
same time, you can feel bad for Oedipus because he saved the city of Thebes from the Sphinx and
was trying his best to get them out of the famine. The second feeling, fear, is defined as "the
misfortune of a man like ourselves." Fear is the result of a tragic flaw. Tragic flaw says that the
downfall must not occur because of something really evil but because of a common error any of us
can make. Aristotle would definitely not consider this tragic flaw to be true in the case

Essay on Oedipus the King: A Plot Driven Tragedy
According to Aristotle, the driving force behind tragic works lies not in the development of
characters but in the formulation of a specific plot structure. Aristotle believed that the purpose of all
art is to imitate life and that human beings live their lives through events and actions. He argues that
characters serve to advance the events of the plotline and that the characters themselves are not
central. Aristotle's opinions on tragedy were largely constructed around Sophocles' Oedipus the
King, which Aristotle called "the perfect tragedy." Considered by many to be one of the
greatest plays of all time, Oedipus the King tells how Oedipus, the king of Thebes, comes to realize
that he unknowingly killed his father and married...show more content...
To keep this from happening, Oedipus left home forever. On the way to Thebes at a three–way
crossroad he became engaged in dispute and ended up killing a man whom he now fears may have
been Laius. There was said to be one survivor of the attack for whom Oedipus sends to question.
A messenger then approaches with news that Oedipus's fa ther, Polybus, has died of natural
causes. Oedipus rejoices and concedes that perhaps prophecies are, in fact, unreliable. However,
he still fears going to Corinth because of the half of the prophecy that states he will sleep with his
mother. The messenger tells Oedipus that he does not need to fear this, as Polybus and his wife,
Merope, are not Oedipus's true parents. The messenger recounts that long ago he was approached
by a shepherd who gave him a baby boy with his ankles pinned together. He brought the baby to
Polybus and Merope, who raised him as their own son. Oedipus demands that the other shepherd be
brought fourth to testify, but Jocasta, suspecting the terrible truth, begs her husband to stop this
search and to leave well enough alone. Oedipus refuses and Jocasta runs into the palace.
Oedipus questions the shepherd who, after being threatened with torture, admits that the child was
Laius's son and that Jocasta gave him the infant to be killed in order to avo id a prophecy. Oedipus
finally realizes who he is and who his parents are. He screams and

Summary of Oedipus The Kings by Sophocles
Oedipus is in a series of tragic events throughout this play. A couple of days after Oedipus was
born, he was left on a mountainside to die. The reason for this is because an oracle predicted that
he will grow up to be the murderer of his father the King. Oedipus did not die as he should have,
instead Oedipus was found and taken to the nearby city of Corinth. This is where Oedipus was
adopted as the son of the King and Queen. Many years later, Oedipus seeks counsel from the same
oracle that predicted his fate. The oracle does not tell him the identity of his true parents, instead
tells him that he would kill his father and marry his mother. To ovoid this prophecy, he ran away
from Corinth back...show more content...
A plague of infertility strikes Thebes; women no longer bear children and crops are not growing.
Oedipus, in his pride, says that he will end this deadly disease. Oedipus sends Creon to the oracle
in Delphi for guidance. When Creon returns, Oedipus learns that the murderer of King Laius must
be found and either be killed or exiled. In search for the Killers identity, Oedipus listens to the
advice of Creon and sends for the blind prophet. The prophet warns him not to go searching for
the killer of the king. The prophet is then provoked in exposing Oedipus as the killer. A messenger
arrives from Corinth with the news the King Polybus has died and the people of Corinth want
Oedipus as their king. Oedipus does not want to go because of the fact that his "mother" is still
alive and does not want the prophecy to come true. The messenger then reveals that Oedipus was
in fact adopted and is not the son of King and Queen of Corinth. Jocasta finally realizes the true
identity of Oedipus and tells him to stop the search for the killer of the King. She then goes into
the palace and hangs herself. Oedipus goes and seeks verification of the messenger's story from
the herdsman who was supposed to leave Oedipus for dead. Oedipus learns that the adopted son of
Polybus and Merope was actually the son of Laius and Jocasta. This is where he remembers that
place where the roads met, is where he killed his own father King Laius, with the consequence of
marring his own

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