Oedipus - 1821 Words

Brock Bilger ENGL 102 Research Paper October 14, 2011 Outline: I. The introduction and brief statement about the drama II. Discuses the theme of the paper and how it relates to the drama III. The Tragic hero definition and how that applies to the play IV. The big revaltion in the play that Oedipus sees V. Talk about Apollos power and the meaning of that and conclude to paper with that. The first criterion of a Greek tragedy is that the protagonist be a good person; doubly blessed with a good heart and noble intention. Sophocles reveals immediately at the start of the play that Oedipus is such a man. As is common in the Greek tragedy Oedipus is also an aristocrat. Born of the King and Queen of Thebes he is of†¦show more content†¦Which is displayed in a blindness that is transmitted throughout. Oedipus refuses to believe Tiresias because he is a blind man and he tells him, †You’ve lost your power, stone-blind, stone-deaf--senses, eyes blind as stone!’-’this fortune-teller peddling lies, eyes peeled for his own profit-seer blind in his craft!†(1235). But Tiresias not only foretells Oedipus’ fate but also predicts his physical blindness when he tells him, †I pity you, flinging at me the very insults each man here will fling at you so soon’ ... ‘This day will bring your birth and your destruction†(1235-1236). Even though Oedipus is told time and again. His unremitting blindness keeps him from seeing the whole truth and allows him to live a contented life as king. The revelation in this play comes shortly after Oedipus’ wife tells him, The heralds no sooner reported Laius dead than you appeared and they hailed you king of Thebesâ€Å" (1244). His response to this news tells volumes, â€Å"I think I’ve just called down a dreadful curse upon myself--I simply didn’t know† (1244). He then refers to Tiresias’ vision dualistically, â€Å" I have a terrible fear the blind seer can see† (1244). After Jocasta’s late-breaking news, Oedipus recounts the essentials of when he killed a man at a triple crossroad because the story correlates to the murder of Laius. He then begins to feel Apollo’s hand in this. â€Å"Wasn’t I born for torment? Look me in the eyes’ ... ‘Wouldn’t a man of judgment say ... someShow MoreRelatedThe Oedipus Complex ( Oedipus )1666 Words   |  7 Pagesmother and her son. Sigmund Freud himself came up with the Oedipus complex, which is when a boy h as an attachment to the mother, which in turns results in aggressive and envious feelings toward the father and these feelings are largely repressed. The Oedipus complex comes from Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus but has largely been associated with Hamlet as well, since he and his mother Gertrude, have an extremely complicated relationship (Oedipus Complex). Hamlet is the predecessor of modern psychologicalRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Oedipus Oedipus Rex 928 Words   |  4 Pagesbetween Oedipus’ irrevocable circumstances as well as his flawed character that makes Sophocles’ â€Å"Oedipus Rex† a quintessential example of Greek drama. His circumstances, which are set by the Gods, are profound and beyond anyone’s control; either he must be killed or there will be great consequences. His parent’s rejection of the oracle set by the gods, the degrees of separation from his origin, and his flawed sense of pride is the complexity of the plot as well as what makes Oedipus the complexRead MoreOedipus The King Of Oedipus868 Words   |  4 Pageschallenge that waits upon one. Confidence overpowers cockiness. The cocky trait is heavily represented in the story â€Å"Oedipus the King† (c. 430 B.C.) by Sophocles. In the story, Oedipus the king of Thebes has the cocky trait and it results in torture for life. Oedipus’s arrogant personality shows throughout the story as he tries to find the killer of the former king of Thebes, his father. Oedipus tends to deem himself as a god throughout the story which plays a big role in interaction with people around himRead MoreOedipus The King Of Oedipus1019 Words   |  5 Pageswhat makes Oedipus actions in his quarrel with Teiresias and also throughout the play so dramatically compelling, is the fact that the audience knows the outcome of the story. We know Oedipus fate even before he does, and there is no suspen se about the outcome itself, instead, the audience anxiously awaits Oedipus to reveal his fate unto himself in his desperate quest to rid his city of the terrible plague, or maybe even more so, to simply discover his own unfortunate tale. Oedipus is relentlessRead MoreOedipus The King : Oedipus1328 Words   |  6 PagesOedipus the King Oedipus had a lot of different character traits both good and bad. 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At one point Oedipus becomes extremely angry and accusesRead More The Character of Oedipus in Oedipus and The Infernal Machine893 Words   |  4 Pages The Character of Oedipus in Oedipus and The Infernal Machine   Ã‚   The stories of Oedipus, as told through Senecas Oedipus and Cocteaus The Infernal Machine, contain both similarites and differences. Both authors portray the character of Oedipus as being obstinate, ignorant, and inquisitive. Yet Seneca and Cocteau differ on their interpretation of the motives that propelled these characteristics of Oedipus. Seneca portrays Oedipus as a mature man who, in seeing the troubles of the plague thatRead More tragoed Oedipus as the Ideal Tragic Hero of Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex)1217 Words   |  5 PagesOedipus as the Ideal Tragic Hero of Oedipus the King In the introduction to Sophocles Oedipus the King, Sophocles defines a tragic hero as one who [behaves] admirably as a man, [but who] is nevertheless tripped up by forces beyond his control and understanding... (Sophocles 76).   In Oedipus the King, Oedipus is the tragic hero. The force that trips up the hero is fate, or, moira. It is Oedipuss actions that set the events into motion,   but it is ultimately his fate, and his attemptedRead MoreThe Characterization Of Oedipus Oedipus Rex 1303 Words   |  6 PagesIn Sophocles tragic play, Oedipus Rex, there is often feedback when discussing the characterization of Oedipus. Key issues in this play are pointed towards in realm of a tragedy, because Oedipus suffers a few character flaws such as anger, pride and arrogance. Within those flaws, he fails to reflect upon his actions; causing blindness and later, result his honor to be under minded and seen at the forefront of Thebes. What makes this play more on the fringe than other tragic plays are Oedipus’sRead MoreOedipus Essay767 Words   |  4 PagesSophocles Oedipus the King is a tragic play which discusses the tragic discovery of Oedipus that he has killed his father and married his mother. The story of Oedipus was well known to the athenian s. Oedipus is the embodiement of the perfect Athenian. He is self-confident, intelligent, and strong willed. Ironically these are the very traits which bring about his tragic discovery. Oedipus gained the rule of Thebes by answering the riddle of Sphinx. Sophocles used the riddle of the sphinx