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Comparing Oedipus Rex And The Kite Runner

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Oedipus Rex is a play that depicts the life of a king, Oedipus, who has the task of revealing the late kings murderer. Once he deciphers this mystery, Oedipus is shown his fate and relinquishes in guilt. What Oedipus finds out is that he had no idea who he really is and this ends up being the same for Amir. The Kite Runner is a story about a boy named Amir who lives in Afghanistan and his journey throughout life. He goes through life with unknown betrayals and the chance for redemption. Both Oedipus Rex and the Kite Runner have many instances of irony as well as moments of anagnorsis.
The play Oedipus Rex has many instances of irony. The first example of irony is when Oedipus says that he will find the murderer of Laius, the late king of Thebes. …show more content…

Once king Laius and his queen heard the fate of the king, they immediately abandoned their son for death. Queen Jocasta did not know her son was still alive until the royal shepherd, who was ordered to dispose of the child on Mt. Cithaeron, said he gave the child to the Corinthian’s. This, then, is followed by the anagnorisis where Oedipus finally realizes what he has done. “Alas, alas. It’s all come out so clearly. Light, let me see the last of you now, surrounded by those I ought to avoid—born from them, living with them, killing them” (Sophocles 1210). Oedipus realizes that he is the son of his wife and that he is the one who killed his father. This realization brought forth the theme of guilt and fate. Guilt comes into play when Oedipus pokes his eyes out so that he does not have to see what he had done to his children and because he does not think he deserves to see after what he had done. He feels guilty to have cursed his children and to have married his mother, kill his father, and put the curse on Thebes unknowingly. Fate comes into play because Oedipus realizes this was his fate. The ancient Greeks relied on the Gods to give them their fate and it was Oedipus’s fate to kill his father and marry his mother, as told by the Gods. The fate of Oedipus in the end involved sacrifice as does Amir’s …show more content…

Amir’s realization in the novel is when Rahim Khan revealed the secret that has been kept for many years. “I began to see where this was going. But I didn’t want to hear the rest of it… “Ali was sterile,” Rahim Khan said. “No he wasn’t. He and Sanaubar had Hassan, didn’t they? They had Hassan—““No they didn’t,” Rahim Khan said” (Hosseini 222). Amir was very angry after Rahim Khan implied that he and Hassan are half-brothers which brought forth the theme of betrayal in the novel. Rahim Khan, Baba, and Ali have been keeping this huge secret from Amir and Hassan all their lives, but if this were different many things would have changed throughout the book. For example, Hassan might not have gotten raped and Amir would not have this heavy burden on his back, but there is a way for him to get redemption. Redemption is the second theme that comes into play after the anagornisis. To leave behind, once and for all, the guilt Amir feels for not having helped Hassan, he must adopt his son Sohrab. He not only must adopt him, but save him from being raped by the same person who raped Hassan; Assef. This is where the theme of redemption is relevant because he finally has the chance to rescue someone who he cares

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