Sexism In Oedipus The King

Misogyny pervades the picture Aeschylus, Aristophanes, and Sophocles paint of Athenian society. In their literature, however, female characters catalyze plot by challenging this picture. Such characters--from Sophocles’ Antigone to Aristophanes’ Lysistrata--face grim consequences for acting independently. Clytemnestra and Cassandra from Aeschylus’s Agamemnon exemplify this archetype of autonomy and destruction. When they confront injustice, male characters perceive them as vindictive and hysterical. This paper will compare the standards of justice Aeschylus’s society imposes on men and women. I will argue that Clytemnestra and Cassandra are protectors of divine justice who reject subservience and thereby transcend the sexism of their society.

Oedipus did not know that his mother was going to be his wife. He was told from when he was only the prince of Corinth that he will end up sleeping with his mother. During the investigation of King Laius, the blind prophet is providing a detailed crime scene and interviewing the only eyewitness to his murder. In curiosity, Oedipus asks about who his biological parents are so he can finally know the truth and settle the rumors. The Theban Shepherd confirms that his parents are in fact Laius and Jocasta. Oedipus and Jocasta have not seen each other since the day he was born. Many years ago, she gave her three-day-old infant to her servant to be killed because she knew about the prophecy. Behind her back, the servant gives Oedipus to a childless royal couple living their separate lives without knowing each other. Jocasta tried to change their destiny, but their fate was already chosen for them. Regardless of Oedipus knowing that his wife was his mother, he still committed incest. “But now all god-deserted, born in sins, in incest joined with her who gave

"When you say Man," said Oedipus, "you include women too. Everyone knows that." She said, "That's what you think." These lines, from the ending of Muriel Rukheyser's poem "On Oedipus the King, Myth," comment on the significance of women both in the play and in society. Though the character of Oedipus suggests that women are equal, the issue of the true role of women is brought up in the poem, and is raised in Sophocles' play.

Jocasta and Emilia, important minor characters in their plays, both showcase the power of love as well as how destructive it can be. Emilia and Jocasta both unknowingly end their own lives, as well as others, and spread tragedy throughout the towns in which they lived. It is believed that in 425 B.C., Sophocles first produced Oedipus the King (Theater of Sophocles). In the play, Oedipus the King, Jocasta is the main character, Oedipus’, mother and wife. Jocasta’s love for Oedipus ultimately destroys him and results in her death. Sophocles helped shape the heroic ideal that is later embodied in medieval romance, which Shakespeare traditionally uses in Othello (Zerba). William Shakespeare wrote Othello in about 1604 (The

Misogyny is a degrading form of gender oppression that plagues the view of women in society. This notions’ relevancy to Euripides’ Ancient Greek tragedy, Medea, is debated. This tragedy focuses on a woman named Medea who was so driven by her emotions that it led to the passionate and vengeful act of filicide- the killing of of one’s own children. Euripides' portrayal of Medea and women in general leads people believe he is misogynist- a person with a hostile outlook on women. Others believe his portrayal show that he is a promoter of women's rights and equality who are limited by their patriarchal society- a society in which men hold authority in every aspect. Clearly, Euripides' portrayal of women show his misogyny because women were ultimately

Gender roles play an essential part in Homeric society. Book 1 sees Telemachos’ interaction with his mother Penelope that is again repeated in a few more scenes, which put emphasis on gender role in an ideal Homeric society. However, book 7 reveals an action that goes against the principles of gender role during the interaction between Odysseus and Arete. While there exists complexity in the ways women are treated, whether by them being confined or by exercising minimal power, the Homeric society ultimately remains a male dominant society.

Starting with Sophocles primary play, “Oedipus Rex,” the relationship between Oedipus and his parents support the works theme of fate and pride. Through antecedent action told throughout “Oedipus Rex,” Oedipus received a prophecy that he would kill his father and sleep with his mother. Jocasta, his biological mother additionally received a prophecy long before Oedipus pronouncing her child to kill her husband. Both, Jocasta and Oedipus recall that they can outsmart the prophecies by avoiding the fate in which they write. With extreme pride that they carry out avoidance plans that contribute to the plot and irony of Sophocles work. Jocasta sentenced her son to death to avoid her prophecy. Oedipus ran from his perceived “real parents,” from Corinth to Thebes to avoid his fate, killing a stranger on the way to the new kingdom. Eventually, Oedipus and Jocasta get married and conceive children together providing accuracy to their fate later when all mysterious are discovered. Their relationships shows that the Gods are beyond their control, even though with their hubris that noted they could get out of it. The family relationship aspect of “Oedipus Rex,” situation adds more dramatized plot to Sophocles work. Faith in the trilogies is a concept in all of Sophocles three plays that can unarguably be avoided, Oedipus and Jocasta having the same thought process and traits shows a son and mother relationships. Jocasta and Oedipus marrying one another is Sophocles way of creating the irony for viewers of the play.

In this case, Oedipus has a certain prophecy that he needs to kill his father and sleep with his mother. Doing so, he can break the curse on Thebes and he will not be shamed upon for being a king and letting his city fall. Oedipus was trying to avoid the absurd prophecy by leaving his adopted parents and living a life on his own. But, on his journey, Oedipus killed his father and married his mother. Oedipus believed they were strangers until Creon explained everything. The love of his life Jocasta, was revealed to be his birth mother. He had fulfilled his prophecy without intention. Jocasta could not take the stressful humiliation and life she had just taken on, so she committed suicide. When Jocasta's death occurred, Oedipus was filled with sorrow and decided he couldn't dare show go out in the world knowing what he just did. So Oedipus unpinned the golden brooches from the robe Jocasta was hanging in, and stabbed his eyes repeatedly while pleading “they will never see the crime I have committed or had done upon me! Dark eyes, now in the days to come look on forbidden faces, do not recognize those who those you long for.” On page 516 lines 192-196, this shows his unhappy fate from the hardships in life.

In the establishment of the play, Jocasta and Oedipus seem as though they are a traditional royal husband and wife, with ordinary children. They love each other, unaware of the truth. Jocasta illustrates what she did to her son as a consequence of an incestual and sinful prophecy that her son would someday kill Laius and marry her, as told by an oracle. She reveals that she and Laius fastened their son’s ankles and left him on a mountain to die. She declares, “[...] My baby / no more murdered his father than Laius suffered -- / his wildest fear -- death at his own son’s hands” (794-796). While both

The women hold important part of the epics "The Odyssey" and “Oedipus Rex”. In this Essay is will show how each particular female character adds important elements that are essential to the telling of these story.

Oedipus’ pride regardless of the class he is born into has led him to ignore Jocasta’s warning believing that she will be dismissive of him if he was born of low social standing. This pride has also fueled Oedipus’ determination to discover who he is and to learn the truth of his parentage which as modern audiences know will lead to his own fall from grace to ruin.

Readers of the three Greek plays, Oedipus the King, Antigone, and Medea, can easily gather an abundance of information about the different cultural details within the Greek society at that time. One of the major cultural values that can be picked up from these three plays, is the roles of women in this society. The roles of women can be observed through a comparison between them and their male counterparts.

Is tragedy history, or are some histories dramas parading as truth? Throughout this past semester I have had the pleasure of reading eight Greek tragedies that had a variety of fascinating and complex female characters. The leading ladies ranged from vengeful mothers turned usurpers, to loving sisters in desperate pursuit to lay their brother’s soul to rest. Although they often followed their roles in society as keepers of the household, these women often found themselves in positions where fulfilling their womanly duties also put their well being at risk, sometimes resulting in death. Observing these women as portrayed in tragedy one cannot but ask the question if these complex female characters are a tragedy trait created for entertainment purposes, or if tragedy was just a dramatic way of presenting the multifaceted way women were viewed in Ancient Greek society. In other words, can tragedy be viewed as a sociological reenactment or ethnographic evidence of the true perception of women in Ancient Greece? With this question in mind this paper will look to “The Histories” to investigate the various ways that Herodotus (a well respected historian) portrays women in order to achieve two of my main objectives. Firstly, Herodotus’ and the tragedies’ portrayal of women will be used in order to gain a better understanding of the true societal perception of

Although he is clever man, he is blind to the truth. Even though he did not know that Laius and Jocasta are his parents, He still kills a man old enough to be his father and marry a woman old enough to be his mother. One would think that a man with a disturbing prophesy over his head as Oedipus should be very careful about whom he marries or kills. The fact that a tragic hero is not perfect evokes both pity and fear. Oedipus although being a good father, husband, and son, he unwillingly destroys his parents, wife and children. Oedipus is human, regardless of his pride, his intelligence or his stubbornness and the audience recognize his humanity in his agonizing reaction to his sin. Watching this, the audience certainly moved to both pity and fear, pity for this broken man and fear that his tragedy can be their own.

Fixation is the one of the possible consequences of Oedipus Complex, a psychosexual stage in which children consider their same-sex parents as enemies. Children who fail to overcome the Oedipus Complex will fall into the state of fixation, in which their libido have been “permanently ‘invested’ in a particular stage of…development” (McLeod). When these children become adults, they will typically “seek for romantic partners who resemble their opposite-sex parent” (Cherry). In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus’ wife Jocasta resembles more of a maternal figure than a romantic company. Hearing Oedipus’ quarrel with Creon, Jocasta yells at Oedipus to end the conflict: “Aren’t shamed…to stir up private quarrels? Into the palace now” (Sophocles 711-712). Jocasta’s tone is closer to an angry mother calling her son to return home than a wife to her husband, indicating her symbolic representation as a maternal figure. In fact, Oedipus also unconsciously considers Jocasta as a mother, especially when he seeks for comfort: “I will tell you. I respect you, Jocasta, /much more than these men here…” (Sophocles 770-771). Emotionally dependent on Jocasta, Oedipus’ trust towards Jocasta is similar to a son telling a secret to his mother. Finding a maternal romantic partner, Jocasta resembles Oedipus’ opposite sex parent, which reflects a result of