preview

Similarities Between A Doll's House And Oedipus

Decent Essays
Open Document

Tragedies of life is not death but what we let die inside of us while we live. In A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen and Oedipus The King by Sophocles, the protagonists illustrate flaws in society, self discovery and fall out. Oedipus lives his entire life in a dark shadow of ignorance, similarly like Nora from A Doll House. In both plays consist of a downfall with the two main characters due to their action. Although they are similar these two characters have a difference, which is that Oedipus killed unknowingly and Nora forged her father’s signature to get money. Also it is noticeable that the mistakes both Nora and Oedipus condemn are virtuous. Each play begins with a huge unintentional mistake, known as Hamartia.
Nora in A Doll House, is …show more content…

In the beginning of the play Oedipus meets Laios on a road. Both were driving chariots and neither would yield the right of way. Laios attempts to kill Oedipus’ horses but Oedipus reacts fast killing Laios attendants and his own father, Laios. Oedipus went to Thebes to help and destroy a monster and bless their town. Because of his heroic act, Thebes recalls him again to help and find the murderer who killed their king Laios and punish the man. Oedipus goes and does everything he can to get evidence and find the man who killed Laios the king: “Is this your prayer? It may be answered. Come, Listen to me, act as the crisis demands… Until now I was a stranger to this tale, As I had been a stranger to the crime. Could I track the murderer without a clue?” (Sophocles 1. 1. 204 - 209). Teiresias, a chorus of Theban, elders tells Oedipus he is the murder who killed his father and also mentions he married his own mother along with having children. Oedipus finds all of that to believe and what Oedipus does is find more people to tell him the truth. Jocaste, wife and mother of Oedipus, tells him through the play to not believe such a thing. In Act three Scene five, Shepherd the man, who took Oedipus to Corinth city’s reveals to him that everything is true. Oedipus makes the decision to gouge his eyes out making himself blind to not see the whole catastrophe. He begs Creon to send him away from Theban …show more content…

Their marriage is quite distinct and unequal gender roles. Torvald is the classic male holding the power in the relationship while Nora is a housewife. Torvald treats Nora as an innocent child/doll. The reality of the relationship is discovered through the play quite different. Nora in fact actually puts the money with taking risks which in this case, she put the money to treat Torvald’s illness. Torvald is in love with an illusion of Nora while Nora herself has never really seen how Torvald is than a romantic man rather than a practical, self-centered and unromantic businessman. In Oedipus the King. Jocasta and Oedipus have a happy marriage but unknowingly unpleasant since both are mother and son. They have four children together. Jocasta supports Oedipus to believe that he did not kill Laois the king and married his mother. However, Jocasta in the beginning of the play she supports Laios her first husband to get rid off Oedipus. Through the play Jocasta is selfish and ends up killing herself. In both plays both marriages end up separating. Nora and Jocasta had the idea in killing themselves to run away from their problems. Only Jocasta archives to die not

Get Access