Oedipus The King Justice And Injustice Essay

Oedipus Rex was not the abominable person that some people make him out to be. What happened to him was by the virtue of the gods of Ancient Greece, and he had no authority over his own life. The true antagonists in this play are the gods, tricking Oedipus into thinking he actually has control of his life, but really allowing Oedipus to spiral into a pit of depression and dolefulness because of his mild actions. Even at the start of the play,

The pursuit of justice is an endeavor that many find to be challenging and a quest itself, as one will come across various trials and complications that may stop them in their pursuit or may mislead them. As humans, we find moral correctness and righteousness a very appealing state to be in, as justice will act as a platform to satisfy the desire for this correctness. In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, we meet our miserable anti-hero, Oedipus, in his pursuit for truth and righting the wrong of the plague that is affecting his people of Thebes. As he makes efforts to solve this problem, he comes to find out that he is the source of the issue, thus exposing the tragic flaw of Oedipus and effectively making this play a very effective Greek tragedy. This pursuit of righteousness ends up being the downfall of Oedipus. In Sophocles’ Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex, Oedipus pursues justice through his realization of his past, his interactions with various characters in the play, and comes to understand more of justice in his situation through his reactions to adversity in this play, in order to portray a questionably successful pursuit of justice.

Oedipus’ pride, drawn from his own heroic qualities, is one factor of his ruining. A hero characteristically prizes above all else his honor and the excellence of his life. When his honor

Oedipus rex is ‘oedipus the king’ has a very unique way of expressing justice. In the play ‘ oedipus the king ‘ it tells of a man whom was told by the oracle that he would one day kill his father and sleep with his mother . oedipus tried escaping his fate by leaving his mother and father , and going to rule somewhere else . little did he know that these were not his parents and he was going to the kingdom where his parents actually lived .he kills the king of thebus not knowing that it was his actual father and sleeps with the queen whom also was his mother . oedipus at the moment was unaware that he killed his father but he later realized that he did and for oedipus rex the only way for justice was being blind so he blinded himself , thus

    Oedipus Rex (the King), written by Sophocles, is the tragic play depicting the disastrous existence to which Oedipus, an Athenian, is 'fated' to endure. With a little help from the gods and the 'fated' actions and decisions of Oedipus, an almost unthinkable misfortune unfolds. Athenian perfection can consist of intelligence, self-confidence, and a strong will. Oedipus, the embodiment of such perfection, and his tragedy are common place to Athenians. Ironically, the very same exact characteristics that bring about the ominous discovery of Oedipus' fate: to kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus' 'fated' decisions entangle everyone whom is of any significance to him

   Oedipus Rex and King Lear are, as their titles announce, both about kings. These two plays are similar in theme and in the questions they pose to the audience. The kings in each play both fall from the pinnacle of power to become the most loathed of all classes in society; Oedipus discovers that he is a murderer and committer of incest, and Lear becomes a mad beggar. Misjudgments occur in both plays, and the same questions about the gods, fate, and free will are posed. In spite of these similarities, however, the final effects of these two plays differ greatly.

In the story of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus is the protagonist and he demonstrates a very amazing character. When it comes to justice or injustice to Oedipus he seems to lean towards justice. The king of Thebes, Oedipus, portrays his justice in different manners.

The theme of injustice is also evident in Oedipus’ condescending treatment of Tiresias. Oedipus summons Tiresias to Oedipus’ palace to have him tell Oedipus the identity of Laius’ murderer. Tiresias answers by stating that Oedipus himself is the murderer. Enraged by the answer, Oedipus accuses Tiresias of making false accusations and starts to mock his blindness. Tiresias rebukes Oedipus by saying, “You are the king no doubt, but in one respect, at least, I am your equal: the right to reply. I claim that privilege too. I am not your slave” (183). By describing himself as Oedipus’ “equal,” which suggests sameness, Tiresias implies that he

Oedipus’ pride and a heightened sense of confidence is very conspicuous throughout the play Oedipus Rex. From the beginning of the play, Oedipus accepts the idea that he can avoid the prophecy given to him by the gods. Oedipus is also seen interrogating Creon and attempting to banish him with Tiresias towards the end of the play because they are saying facts corresponding to the prophecy. He tries to become like a god himself by thinking he could control his own fate. Although Oedipus’ pride can be justified by his accomplishments of being king; the tragedy of Oedipus is the pure result of his overwhelming pride because he killed his father, mocked Tiresias, and blinded himself.

Oedipus The Rex was a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles first performed in 429 Bc. Oedipus was the king of Thebes and his first goal of the story was to find out who murdered Lauis. Oedipus summons an oracle who he demands to tell him who the killer is. The oracle replies that he does not wish to tell the king anything, outraged the king demands an answer. The oracle tells Oedipus that he will kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus is outraged naturally at his apparent future and mocks the oracle for being blind, then the oracle says he is blind. Throughout the play we see that Oedipus is a great guy well loved by the people of Thebes. He is very intelligent, a natural leader but unfortunately is fatally flawed. His hamartia is that he can not simply let things go in life which ultimately leads to his own ruin and others he loves. His ruin in life comes when he has the sudden realization of what he has done. He does fulfill his prophesy of killing his father and having sexual relations with his mother without even being aware of the situation. No great person would ever want to ruin their

Throughout Oedipus Rex, there are several instances in which the power of fate is demonstrated. This, through the use of Sophocles prose and craft, is able to fully demonstrate the raw capability fate can yield upon one person’s life. What began as a common societal belief that manifested itself into the arts became a pivotal impact upon the plot of the play. This is the underlying theme Sophocles communicated within his

In his search for justice, Oedipus is unrelenting; Oedipus rages against Creon, stating that King Laius murder must be brought out to light. Oedipus’s words and disbelief at the knowledge that Laius was killed without a thorough investigation, foreshadow his relentless search for the truth. As he takes on the role of the avenging punisher at the start of the play, he is trying to learn who he is as much as when he is interrogating the herdsman regarding the secret of his birth at the end. Demonstrating the importance of the truth to Oedipus, Oedipus’s investigation trumps Tiresias’s warnings which repeat the same words from the prophecy that the Oracle of Delphi told him. Furthermore, Oedipus’s subsequent actions demonstrate

A tragic hero, as defined by Aristotle, is a man who is great but also terribly flawed, who experiences misfortunes while still remaining admirable to the audience at the end of the play. One of Aristotle’s favorite works, Oedipus the King, a play by Sophocles, is a play that above all others, defines the meaning of what a true tragic hero really is. In the play, Oedipus the King, the story unfolds after Oedipus unintentionally kills his own father and goes on to marry his mother. The events of the play are tragic, but it is the way that Oedipus handles the tragedies that make him a tragic hero.

Oedipus’ initial introduction presents the character as a well-rounded man who is simply trying to help his people and serve justice. In the

The story of Oedipus the King’s life can be seen a lot in modern day America. In many ways you may even find the story relatable yourself. The play Oedipus Rex is very distinctive for its ironic and mischievous ways. These behaviors can found in someone’s day to day life. Many people can be blind to their own fates and may very well be living a lie at this very moment.