Oedipus The King 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

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.

From birth, Oedipus, the Tragic Hero of Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex has been destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Although by the opening act of the play, Oedipus has already earned the throne of Thebes for solving the riddle of the sphinx, the greek hero is unaware that he has already fulfilled the prophy. Meanwhile, the people of Thebes are dying of a plague that will only end when the murderer of Laius, the previous Theban King, is punished. Through retrospection, Oedipus believes that he might be responsible for Laius death and is told that the King and Queen of Corinth who raised him were not his biological parents. In this passage, Jocasta, having already discovered the truth that she is both Oedipus’ mother and wife, warns Oedipus to go no further in his path for self knowledge. But Oedipus ignores her warning and calls for the Shepherd, to learn more about his mysterious lineage. This passage suggests that Oedipus’ downfall is not the product of fate but of his own free will. Sophocles employs characterization, word choice, and irony to reveal how free will has led to tragedy.

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’ Oedipus the King encompasses the ideas of fate and fortune into the tragic story of the ignorant Oedipus. Scholar Bernard Knox says that Oedipus’ fall was caused by “attributes of divinity- knowledge, certainty, and justice.” Oedipus’ fall was caused by the absence of knowledge, uncertainty, and anger, which led him to show injustice. He had absence of knowledge because he did not know the truth, he had uncertainty because he acted without certainty, and he showed anger when Teiresias would not tell him the truth, which led him to display injustice to Creon.

In Sophocles’ play, “Oedipus the King”, he makes an assessment of knowledge and its effects on the human psyche. To him, knowledge can shape not only a person’s life, but their character, morals and ideals as well. The play emphasizes this through Oedipus, the main character, as someone whose life is impacted by his pursuit knowledge, which, in turn, transforms his character. Consequently, Sophocles’ assessment of knowledge, as a gift, burden, and an absolute truth, is ascertained through Oedipus’ differing characterizations throughout the play, from hero to a man in denial and his inevitable downfall. At first Oedipus’ intelligence is revered as a heroic trait.

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.

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.

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.

All is not well in Thebes. A mystery is in the process of being solved as the people of Thebes suffer. In Sophocles’ Greek tragedy, Oedipus Rex, Thebes is being punished by the gods for a crime committed far in the past. The city of Thebes is cursed with a plague until the murderer of Laius is discovered and banished from the land. As Creon and Oedipus work to save Thebes, their different qualities show who is a better fit to be king. Oedipus saved Thebes once from the sphinx; however, Oedipus’ qualities of being arrogant, intense, and stubborn cause him to foil with Creon's character traits of being selfless, calm, and forgiving. According to Merriam Webster, a leader is someone who leads or guides. Because Creon’s character traits

Within the drama Oedipus Rex, Iocastê becomes a central figure of the controversy surrounding the arising destruction of Thebes. The kingdom of Thebes has become the victim of a sickness causing the death of crops, animals and people. The King Oedipus has sent his brother-in-law to the Oracle of Delphi to discover the problem that is plaguing the kingdom. The Oracle reveals that in order for the plague to end, the murder of the previous king must be found and killed. In the hunt of finding the killer Oedipus’ wife, Iocastê, becomes increasingly anxious and secretive.

Sophocles was a tragedian writer in Greece, 497/ 496 BC, who aspired to create unique plays that contrasted against Greek society. In most literature, there is a clear division between the roles and characteristics of man and woman. While this play is a heroic archetype, Jocasta’s role in the play contrasts against Oedipus’s role, within the play “Oedipus Rex” to convey different emotions. The roles portrayed by the characters showcase that Sophocles specified each character to represent and illustrate a type of emotion and a specific trait that added to his play, while giving a profound plot with entertaining conflict. Sophocles’ tragedy “Oedipus Rex” demonstrates his uses of conscience/morality/religion vs. pride/power to illustrate

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