Destruction In Sophocles 'Oedipus The King'

The beginning of Oedipus the King the city of Thebes is under a terrible plague with many hardships. Its people and priest have

The city of Thebes is troubled by a terrible curse brought about by Antigone’s father- and brother-Oedipus who had been destined to slay his father, Laius, and wed his mother. The city became plagued because Laius’ murderer had not been punished and catharsis had not been reached; the curse lived on through the descendants of Oedipus. Consequently, the ongoing sea and storm imagery throughout the play mirrors the incessant plague and emphasises its powerful and turbulent nature. An example of this is the simile ‘like a surge from the open sea, when the darkness of the deep is driven on … windswept headlands roar and groan as the waves strike against them’ (page 45, line 552). The plosive alliteration of ‘darkness’, ‘deep’ and ‘driven’ not only demonstrates the impact of the curse, but also adds a rhythmic sense to the line which echoes the beating of waves. Moreover, it forces the reader to accentuate the words and therefore contemplate their meaning; ‘darkness’ and ‘deep’ appear mysterious and mirror the Ancient Greeks’ fears of dying at sea, and when associated with the curse, reflect the fear of the unknown horrors that surround the Oedipus

Jocasta and Emilia, important minor characters in their plays, both showcase the power of love as well as how destructive it can be. Emilia and Jocasta both unknowingly end their own lives, as well as others, and spread tragedy throughout the towns in which they lived. It is believed that in 425 B.C., Sophocles first produced Oedipus the King (Theater of Sophocles). In the play, Oedipus the King, Jocasta is the main character, Oedipus’, mother and wife. Jocasta’s love for Oedipus ultimately destroys him and results in her death. Sophocles helped shape the heroic ideal that is later embodied in medieval romance, which Shakespeare traditionally uses in Othello (Zerba). William Shakespeare wrote Othello in about 1604 (The

Odysseus is brought back to being a human because he has conflict with the suitors.

The city of Thebes has been cursed by a plague caused by an unclean being that murdered Laius. While in despair, Oedipus cursed

Throughout the epic, Odysseus’ connections have grown considerably weaker due to his pathological lying and overall denial. Being separated from his family and home for twenty years chipped away at Odysseus’ ability to create meaningful relationships with strangers and again with his family. The physical distance and time caused him to lose his identity throughout the journey. Only after Odysseus recognizes an object that held such a strong meaning being him and Penelope is he partially restored. Prior to this, his detachment regarded his life and survival above all, disregarding morals in the process. The bubble Odysseus had created was harmful to everyone around him. His crew mates, friends, and even mentors. The bed reminded Odysseus

plague of Thebes, a historical epidemic in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex." Emerging Infectious Diseases, 18(1): pp. 153-157. Web. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3310127/. [Accessed on 24 September 2012].

The life of Odysseus is filled with instances of horror and evil committed by the man himself. Odysseus has committed cold blooded murder too many times to count. Not only that, he has also tricked and slaughtered an entire city, including the noncombatants. Then, that murderous lunatic went on a voyage that killed every single one of his followers.

Odysseus was an amazing man, whose exploits were made legend by Homer. While he was sailing, he endured many temptations. One temptation he could not overcome was when he was on his journey home, And Odysseus and his men took refuge on an island which held the livestock of the sun god; meanwhile, there was a large hurricane that stranded them on the island with little food (pg.170, paragraph 6). This gave a chance for Homer to realize the problems Odysseus was put through to get to a very simple goal of returning to his home. The disobedience of the crew was an opportunity for how the rest of his comrades died and he ended up at the island of Ogygian.

Sophocles was well-known as a master of tragedy. Sophocles was born at Colonus, not far from Athens. Sophocles wrote over 100 different dramatic stories. “Oedipus the King” is one of his great stories that has a mix of heroics to it and yet, we feel sorry for Oedipus and his fate. We ask ourselves after reading “Oedipus the King” who was this man and why did he think he could run from his destiny of fate? Was Oedipus responsible for his final fate and could he have changed his fate? We are going to talk about Oedipus and how his life unfolds from his birth. Then you, the reader will decide if you feel empathy for Oedipus if this story was about a tragic hero.

Sophocles was conceived in Colunus, Greece. He passed on a mid 406 B.C. Sophocles is the child of Sophilus, an affluent part of a little group. He had a noticeably anxious life. Sophocles experienced childhood in the town of Colonus, just outside Athens, which was the setting of his disaster Oedipus at Colonus. Sophocles was a minister of Halon and helped present the faction of Asclepius, lord of medication, to Athens. He was regarded post mortem as a saint. His father, Sophillus, thought to have been an affluent aristocrat, sent his child to Athens for an instruction. Sophocles was the second of the 3 greatest Greek writers of tragedy (with Aeschylus and Euripides). He is known best for what he wrote about Oedipus, the mythological figure who proved central to Freud and the history of psychoanalysis. He lived through most of the 5th century, experiencing the Age of Pericles and the Peloponnesian War. He had a first marriage with Nicostrata, by whom he turned into the father of Iophon. Sometime down the road he had an association with a certain Theoris, a lady of Sicyon. He additionally had a child called Ariston. Other three children are specified by name, albeit nothing is thought about them. Some additionally said that in amazing maturity, Sophocles became hopelessly enamored with the mistress Archippe, whom he made beneficiary of his property. This is ruined by the way that Athenian laws were against excluding at age

Oedipus’ presence spread throughout Thebes when he became king, when he had children. The city can’t cure themselves of his damage, but they can remove him before anything else is done. In the same way that the city is both the flowers and the cattle, Oedipus is both the sickness and the

The tragedy “Antigone” by Sophocles illustrates the self destruction of a tragic hero. In this tragedy, Antigone the daughter of Oedipus is faced with the hardships of learning that her two brothers have been killed and only one can receive a proper burial. Despite the Kings order to leave one unburied Antigone decides to give her brother a proper burial and is then dealt the consequences of disobeying the King. The tragic hero of “Antigone” is Antigone because of her pride and defiance.

Over the extensive history of the theatre arts, most of the many plays and productions fall into unique categories in regards to structure. The two most simplest of the structural categories are climactic and episodic. A climactic structure, or alternatively known as an intensive structure, contains a play in which all components are restricted as the main conflict in the story commences late into the play and only a little time passes until the story occurs. Everything is restricted to a few components. There are not as many characters, scenery change and very limited amounts of action. climactic structures focuses heavily on the climax in contrast to other structures. One notable example of a climactic performance is Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. The story of Oedipus is that of tragedy and despair as Oedipus and his family are unable to escape the fate that Oedipus has had since birth. The exposition and starting action (in this case, the events that led up to him to being king of Thebes) occur before the play and is only ever talked about. The play only takes place in the castle and has only four primary characters. Ultimately, Oedipus Rex only takes place within a day and primarily focuses on the realization and aftermath of the story of Oedipus and his sins, or the climax. All these components that define a climactic structure of production are found in the aforementioned play by Sophocles, strengthening what a climactic structure is and the vast potential a climactic play

Teresias, a messenger of the foods, tells Oedipus he is the reason his state is in ruins. The people of the land are religious and live there lives according to what messengers and oracles tell them. For Oedipus religion is pushed aside and he believes more in himself. The city of the Thebes is also considered to be a scientifically advanced city and science rejects religion which is another great factor in the downfall of the city. These factors lead the state and the household of Oedipus into contamination which will only be cleansed by the gods and fate.