Oedipus Character Analysis

Within the play Oedipus Rex the main character Oedipus faces many life changing obstacles. Even though the new king of Thebes is facing so many problems the man still believes that he knows everything, especially everything about himself. Inscribed above the entrance to the temple at Delphi are the words: “Know Thyself”, which is something that Oedipus must do in order to help his people. Throughout the whole play the character Oedipus is shown as a classic example of a man whose central problem is that he does not know himself.

Those who believe they can triumph over fate deserve to be crushed by the overwhelming weight of reality that will come crashing down on them. Ordinarily confidence yields benefit in moderation, however, it proves damaging when used excessively. Oedipus the King was written by Sophocles thousands of years ago as a cautionary tale about hubris. As a king, Oedipus rules over the city of Thebes with an arrogant attitude and believes that he can defy the gods. Through the events of the novella, Oedipus lost everything after uncovering that he killed his father and had children with his mother. Conversely the real downfall of Oedipus came from his pride and failure to handle the situation carefully. Oedipus fills the archetype of tragic

At least once in their lifetime, everyone will hear something that they do not necessarily want to hear. A person’s natural instinct is to deny information they do not like or that contradicts their beliefs. In the Greek play, Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, the main character, Oedipus, is confronted with information that contradicts his beliefs. In the play, the three instances that Oedipus is confronted with information that contradicts his beliefs is when he is blamed for the murder of Laius, when he meets with Creon, and lastly when he was told the prophecy about marrying his mother and killing his father, and in all of these instances his attitude changes in a bad manner.

In his essay, “Introduction to Oedipus the King”, Bernard Knox supports free will by stating that Oedipus’ downfall was not caused by fate. According to Knox there is not a doubt that, “Oedipus is the free agent who, by his own self-willed action, discovers that his own predicted destiny has already been fulfilled” (86). He clearly states that Oedipus is responsible for his free actions during the play. He insists that Oedipus’s made the decisions to discover the truth about himself.

The theme of sight and blindness is undoubtedly important to notice while reading Oedipus the King. The number of times the words “see” or “blind” are in the play make it make it undeniably obvious that they are significant. The theme is developed throughout the dialogue, through characters such as Tiresias and Oedipus, and also directly in the irony of the play. It is important in a play about the truth because almost every character was “blind” to the truth. All of the characters, except one, can physically see, but mentally cannot see the truth.

victim of fate and his own psychology. His curiosity brings about his downfall. Ancient Greek plays weren't just portrayals of some obscure tale, but were insights into human nature. Oedipus, although a victim of circumstances, digs his own grave by curiously unravelling his past. Jocasta foresees his doom and begs him to stop, but to no avail. The curiosity of Oedipus forces him, almost like a drug, to explore the mystery regarding his birth. This curiosity is not something extraordinary in Oedipus - it is an intrinsic attribute of human nature.Knowledge is not always desired - whether it is Adam or Oedipus, their curiosity caused their eventual downfall. Oedipus was ill-fated since birth. He did not know that Laius was his biological father and therefore killed him. He arrived at Thebes, solved the riddle of the Sphinx, and married Jocasta without knowing that she in fact was his biological mother.He begot children and was living happily with his family when a sudden calamity struck Thebes. The calamity, though at first seemed public in nature, but later proved to be very personal for Oedipus. It drives home the fundamental truth about uncertainty of human life. That Laius was slayed by his own son, even after much precaution, proves the helplessness of humans in front of the designs of fate.Oedipus's mutilation of his eyes is also fated. It was committed by him in the heat of the moment and was certainly not a rational decision. It is evident to any modern reader that

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.

I believe this was a key passage as it is revealed to the readers just how cunning Creon really is, taking advantage of being powerful without having to live up to the people’s expectations.

Oedipus Rex, or Oedipus Tyrannus as it is in Latin, could be what we call today a Freudian work of literature. The Oedipus Trilogy was originally written by Sophocles and is meant to be told in a story-telling fashion. But this Grecian tragedy was revised and translated into English by Paul Roche and put into a novel form.

Through history, everyone is trying to rise to the top. However, the ones at the top are not always the most suitable. This becomes evident in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, where Oedipus becomes the ruler of Thebes after defeating the Sphinx. Throughout the story, Oedipus fails to meet the characteristics of a good leader, including: humbleness, selflessness and patience.

Recognised a dramatic masterpiece, the Sophocles’s fifth century drama, Oedipus Rex, evaluates the idea of sin, divine justice, identity through employment of dynamic characters alongside developing conflict of the novel. Centered around the story of King Oedipus and the city of Thebes, the drama’s swift plot and context is expanded through strong use of narrative techniques and figurative elements. Although the drama introduces a plethora of figurative devices to expand its intended themes, the use of dramatic, situational as well as verbal irony is arguably the most crucial toward the overall understanding of the literature. By emphasizing the central theme of fate and destiny and its respective components, irony forms a prominent and effective

Through the character of Oedipus, Sophocles shows the consequences of defying the divine order. Oedipus served Thebes as a great ruler, loved by his subjects; but, like most in the human race, he slipped through the cracks of perfection. Oedipus had many faults, but it was primarily the tragic flaw of hubris, arrogance from excessive pride, which doomed his existence, regardless of the character attributes that made him such a beloved king. He was doomed for downfall since his very beginning, because "to flee your fate is to rush to find it" (Oedipus Rex).

Lear and Oedipus both possess a high sense of nobility and goodness, which are very important characteristics to have in a king. In the first act, King Lear wants to divide his kingdom in three amongst his daughters. He says: “We have this hour a constant will to publish/ Our daughters' several dowers, that future strife/May be prevented now.” (Shakespeare, 1.1.46-48) He wants to provide for his daughters as well as avoid any future conflict that could happen between them. Although he meant well, this plan backfires. After Lear divides his kingdom, and thus losing his power, all the “good” characters stand by him even when he has nothing. Despite everything Lear has done to other characters, the Fool, Kent, and Cordelia do what they can to help him; even though Lear banishes Cordelia, she still wants to help him get out of the country, as she loves her father and she knows

There are many facets of personality of a minor character that authors may utilize to supply contrast to the main character of their work. Some of these contrasts are extremely noticeable and some are not. One such facet is with the use of a neutral character; to not only showcase the main character’s flaws, but so not to detract from the moral of the story. Creon, from the play “Oedipus the King” by Sophocles is used for both of these reasons. Sophocles wished to show that one cannot escape fate, yet did not want to cloud this issue with a possible coupe against his main character Oedipus. He also showed how, at times one character can act completely irrational, while one remains calm in the face of serious accusations.

Oedipus the King is a Greek tragedy play written by Sophocles, and it made its first debut