Oedipus The King Dana Gioia Analysis

Oedipus did not deserve anything that occurred to him. He was a good man that wanted good things for his family, for his people and for the persons that surrounded him. In the play Oedipus is looking for justice when in reality the person who caused everything without even knowing, was

In my opinion, Oedipus does not deserve what he got and is a victim of fate. This is because all his actions were unintentional. However, some of his actions were ignorant. Right from the beginning we see how Oedipus was envisioned to kill his father and marry his mother, thus his feet being pinned together and him

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.

When Oedipus blamed the curse on Creon and then banished him, Creon knew that something was very wrong. Teiresias was a faithful servant of Apollo, so the words he spoke must have been true and therefore the atrocious acts that he claimed Oedipus had committed must be also. Perhaps Oedipus knew this, but didn’t want the truth to be brought to light, Creon thought. Wanting to know more, Creon disguised himself as a wandering beggar and went to catch up with the prophet who had started home only a few hours earlier. Creon met Teiresias and his guide only after an hour of traveling and asked him, “Hail Teresias! Today you told the king that he himself is the pollution of Thebes because he has supposedly slept with his mother and murdered his father. Do you really know these things?”

People’s actions, feelings and behaviour towards others have a large effect on their fate. Some citizens in society have flaws that cause them to make bad decision in their lives and cause trouble for themselves, even if it may happen unknowingly. Acting without thinking of repercussions and behaving in difficult ways are all examples of how people can self-inflict their fate. One man that demonstrates these issues and causes major problems for himself is Oedipus from the story King Oedipus. Oedipus’ pride, impetuous behaviour and lack of insight ultimately determine his inevitable fate.

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.

Plays were of great importance in early Greek culture. Plays were the main source of entertainment, and one of the most prominent examples is Oedipus the King written by Sophocles. The drama is uplifted by the character development and excellent structure Sophocles has put forward. Interactions between characters and each character’s motivations generate brilliant themes throughout the play. Sophocles uses a technique called recognition, which illustrates a character’s turn from ignorance to the truth. The play is about the city of Thebes, which is racked by a plague and a crisis that is quickly wiping humans from the

However, I am torn between if he really did deserve it or not. Oedipus tried to overcome the gods prophecy that was bestowed upon him. He ran away from his, believed to be, parents and killed the king of Thebes, or he unknowingly killed his father. Therefore, it’s as if he deserved his fate. Afterall, nobody can be higher than the gods, as Oedipus thought he was. However, Oedipus might have been trying to evade the gods prophecy as a way to protect his parents. It is discussed that Oedipus left his ‘parents’ in order to save them from their fate, of him killing the father figure and breeding the mother. However, this action inevitably lands him in that exact

A king must possess select components of bravery, pride, and determination that coincide with one another in a manner to which others will perceive as commendable. However, the very qualities that make a king rise above his citizens may be the exact characteristics that lead to his downfall. This concept could be correlated to the acclaimed work of Sophocles, Oedipus Rex, whereby the epitome of a tragic hero is created in the main character, Oedipus. In essence, Sophocles has characterized Oedipus to be the embodiment of a respectable leader, possessing both extreme pride and relentless determination, which later proves to be the fatal flaw leading to his eventual, inescapable demise. This is due to how Sophocles codified this moral, or community standard, in his Theban Trilogy in order to lead the audience to understanding that the Greek Gods always punish arrogance or boastful actions.

Sophocles Oedipus the King is a tragic play which discusses the tragic discovery of Oedipus that he has killed his father and married his mother. The story of Oedipus was well-known to the Athenian's. Oedipus is the embodiment of the perfect Athenian. He is self-confident, intelligent, and strong willed. Ironically these are the very traits which bring about his tragic discovery. Oedipus gained the rule of Thebes by answering the riddle of Sphinx. Sophocles used the riddle of the sphinx as a metaphor for the 3 phases of Oedipus' life and to further characterized him as a tragic man. The Sphinx posed the following riddle to all who came to obtain the rule of Thebes: “What is it that walks on 4 feet and 2 feet and 3 feet and has only one voice, when it walks on most feet it is the weakest?” Oedipus correctly answered “Man” and became the king of Thebes. This riddle is a metaphor for the life of Oedipus. As a child man crawls on his hands and knees this is the four feet to which the Sphinx refers. Also, man is at his weakest as a small child. He depends solely on others for his nourishment and well-being. Oedipus was the child of Jocasta and King Laius who was taken to the mountain by a Shepard to be killed so the omen of the god Apollo that Laius' son would kill him and lay with Jocasta would not come true. Oedipus was the weakest of his life at this point.

"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 did not have a fair start in life. His father, Laius, heard prophecy that Oedipus would one day kill his father and sleep with his mother. In order to prevent this, Laius gave Oedipus to a shepherd to be killed. Fortunately, through a string of events, Oedipus's life was saved, and he even went on to become the honored king of Thebes. Despite this feat, Oedipus still managed to make several decisions that ultimately fulfilled the original prophecy told to Laius, and inevitably sealed Oedipus?s fate.

Intro: - What is it about someone that makes them worthy of our admiration? Why is it that most often people commended by some are despised by others? (Comes down to who we are and what we value as individuals)

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