Oedipus The King: An Analysis

Boomerang Effect in “Oedipus the King” In “Oedipus the King,” an investigation to find out the murderer of the past king brings about revelations about the present monarch. King Oedipus swears to find his predecessor’s killer not knowing that he is guilty of the murder. After a plague threatens the stability of Thebes, the residents try to find a solution only to be told that the death of King Laius murder would bring things back to normal. As the King, Oedipus makes it his prerogative to investigate the murder.

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

In Sophocles play, Odeipus The King, there are many types of universal themes to humans in society. The main character, Oedipus reveals traits that humans have. No one wishes to kill their father or marry their mother. However metaphorically speaking, we can relate to his emotions and behavior. His actions and how he reacts to certain situations, defines him as a worthy person.

Do people believe in destiny? Nowadays, some people will laugh at the type of questions like it. However, destiny plays an significant role in the Greek mythology. Especially in Oedipus the king, this is a story about how human try to fight against the destiny and gods. Oedipus became the king of Thebes after answered the monster’s riddle correctly, he then married his mother Jocasta, which was the dead king’s widow. However, even though he escaped from the country where he grew up, but he could not avoid the terrible curse happened. Laius, the father of Oedipus, tired to avoid have any children, and later told his servant to abandon Oedipus in the mountains in order to stop the curse by the death of his child. What Laius did not think of was,

Throughout all of history, a common theme found in literature has been the idea of whether or not humans have the ability to determine their own futures or if each person has their life predetermined and nothing can be done to change that. The ancient Greeks were no different, and the play “Oedipus the King” by Sophocles has this idea intertwined throughout the entire plot. The play revolves around a king named Oedipus who rules over the land of Thebes. Oedipus deals with a prophecy about him that he does all he can to avoid, but in doing so he inadvertently causes his fate to become reality. The play “Oedipus the King” demonstrates the fate versus freewill conflict based on how Ancient Greek culture viewed prophecy, and Oedipus’s prophecy and his attempt to prevent it which was ultimately unsuccessful.

     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.

The tale of Oedipus and his prophecy has intrigued not only the citizens of Greece in the ancient times, but also people all over the world for several generations. Most notable about the play was its peculiar structure, causing the audience to think analytically about the outcomes of Oedipus’ actions and how it compares with Aristotle’s beliefs. Another way that the people have examined the drama is by looking at the paradoxes (such as the confrontation of Tiresias and Oedipus), symbols (such as the Sphinx), and morals that has affected their perceptions by the end of the play. Nonetheless, the most important aspect is how relevant the story is and how it has influenced modern ideas like that of Freud and other people of today.

Since the beginning of time, people of various cultures have striven for greatness. The basic model of heroism is one with generosity, strength, and courage. A few examples of modern day heroes and people of prestige are first responders, military members, and Nobel Peace Prize winners. Although one philosopher, Aristotle, has created a more advanced standard of excellence in his essay “The High-Minded Man”. He lays out the temperament and characteristics that are vital to achieving perfection. One can use Aristotle’s philosophy to determine the righteousness of another. One example is Oedipus, a character in the widely known Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex. He possesses a multitude of the key traits introduced by Aristotle. Oedipus is open with his emotions, brave (but not reckless), and values truth more than anything else. According to Aristotle, these morals qualify Oedipus as a high-minded man.

Charles could see Erik giving up as sharply as he felt it, the small spark that he’d come to label in his own mind as ‘life force’ dwindling to an ember and extinguishing. He was stepping forward before he could stop himself, blooding rushing in his ears against time as he spoke. “Dēsístite!“

Many plays have grand plots only to be matched by the grand settings these plays take place in. However, in many plays portraying every action relevant to the plot on-stage is simply impractical for the materials/time required for the play and for the story itself. Off-stage action are important to the play in Oedipus the King so that the story can be portrayed in a more efficient manner without constant scene changes and ridiculous amounts of props and backdrops, for the audience to better understand the limited perspective of the characters, and to maintain secrecy and confusion throughout the play.

The philosopher Aristotle was a highly intellectual man who loved to reason. One of his ideas was his structured analysis of the “tragic hero” of Greek drama. In his work, Poetics, he defines a tragic hero as “...The man who on the one hand is not pre-eminent in virtue and justice, and yet on the other hand does not fall into misfortune through vice or depravity, but falls because of some mistake; one among the number of the highly renowned and prosperous.”

"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

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

Out of all Greek Tragedies, “Oedipus Rex” or “Oedipus the King” is the most done production throughout history, especially nowadays. Sophocles wrote a clear and powerful play that the audience receives a clear message of power, knowledge. fate and free will. The protagonist, Oedipus, has freedom of choosing his fate, however his lust for truth and knowledge over clouds his mind to see things clearly from the beginning and that activates a snowball effect that he could not have predicted. Thus, Sophocles suggests that humans cannot be fully responsible for their actions. Also, those who seek knowledge it is useless to gain happiness.

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.