Sophocles ' Tragic Demise Of Oedipus Rex

Sophocles’ tragedy Oepdius Tyrannus details the downfall of a man fighting with all his might against destiny. Oedipus goes so far as to portray the relationship between predetermined fate and free choice is portrayed as being antagonistic in nature. Ultimately, the play concludes that free will, though it does exist, acts secondarily to fate. The submissive nature of free will is not clear to the Greeks of Sophocles’ tragedy, and so Oedipus and the other characters in the play constantly attempt to escape their fate.

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

Oedipus’ life sets in motion before he is ever born. The King Laius and his wife Jocasta are expecting a child; the Oracle told them that their son will kill his father and marry his mother. The king and his wife do the unthinkable to their child in fear for their lives. The King “pieced his little feet and tied them together” (Ed Friedlander) and leaves him in the mountains to die. First, we need to analyze this situation. Was this the norm in this era to do such drastic harm to their child? Could the King and Queen have done something differently that would have spared their child and their lives? We ask ourselves what if they had kept their son but, maybe told him about the prophecy when he was older. According to the research from Friedlander, it was normal for parents to leave a defective baby

Tragedy deals with unexpected or unfortunate events that usually results in negative outcomes that affects the downfall of the main character in a play. Tragedy within Greek drama incorporates the time within the their lifestyle of religious and superstitions. Greek writers use tragedy as a theme in literature because it represents their civilization. Sophocles uses this theme in his dramatic plays because the audience is able to correspond to the story line. It allows the audience to relate and be able to feel vulnerable and let go of all the feelings such as sadness, anger, fear or pity. A Greek tragedy symbolizes the ability of a man or hero that has no control over the destiny God intended him to have. In Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, he illustrates Oedipus as a hero who encounters a tragic end. When Oedipus was born, the prophecy predicted that he would murder his father and marry his mother. His parents wanted to avoid his destiny by leaving him to die on a mountain. A shepherd found Oedipus who then gave him to the King and Queen of Corinth. They took him in and raised him as their own. Apollo told Oedipus what the out come of his destiny would be and did not want to face his fate so he left the city of Corinth, not knowing the king and queen of Corinth were his foster parents. He was seen as a hero because he saved the city of Thebes from the curse that was created by the Sphinx by solving its riddle. It was not until the city of Thebes broke out in a

Today is the day that the citizens of Athens are about to experience and watch a big major drama production on a well loved tale of the tragic hero Oedipus. Not only do I get entertained today, but it is also Dionysia, a festival that I have been excited for since we get to honor the wine god, Dionysus. There has also been multiple talks as a well respected playwright, Sophocles, is about to show his own version of the story. The city has been buzzing and filled with so much anticipation for what Sophocles has created. News was, the entire Dionysus theater would be filled with 17,000 spectators including me to watch the screening of the Sophocles’ masterpiece. I have been to this theater multiple times and Sophocles wins awards almost like he has the blessing of the Gods. This Dionysus theater is the biggest I have ever been to. The staggered theater seats looks like the giant staircase depicted in Mount Olympus! Although, Sophocles is a great candidate to win this year’s competition, he has several competitors like Euripides, Aeschylus, and Aristophanes. I really do hope that Sophocles wins this year.

In the famous playwright, Sophocles’ “Oedipus the King”, a Greek tragedy which explores the idea of destiny, Oedipus is a tragic hero, who, in the exploration of his troubled past, discovers the truth of actions that render him guilty of the heinous crimes of murder, and incest. Although Oedipus was not privy to the truth behind his actions, it does not make these crimes any less unlawful, or unethical, proving that Oedipus is guilty of the murder of his father, Laius, and of having an incestuous relationship with his mother, Jocasta.

In the tragedy of Sophocles, the main hero is the ruler of Thebes, the king Oedipus. He is permeated with the problems of every inhabitant of his city, sincerely worries about their destinies and tries to help them in everything. He once saved the city from the Sphinx, and when citizens suffer from the plague that has plagued them, the people again ask for salvation from a wise ruler. In the work his fate turns out to be incredibly tragic, but, despite this, his image does not seem pathetic, but, on the contrary, majestic and monumental.

In antiquated Greek drama, tragedy plays had a way of appealing to the audience effortlessly. Greek tragedies are still performed and read across the world in modern-day. Oedipus Rex, a standout amongst the popular tragedies, is written by Sophocles. Within every tragedy play, one character takes the role of a grievous or tragic hero. As stated by Aristotle, certain attributes characterize a deplorable legend or a tragic hero. In Oedipus Rex, the fundamental character, Oedipus, carries imperfections as well as inevitable fate much like a tragic hero.

Shakespeare, one of the greatest playwrights of the Renaissance era, could have changed Ancient Greek Theatre plays tremendously as his approach was drastically different than that of Greek playwrights. In Oedipus by Sophocles, a curse has been set on the people of Thebes for the previous murderer of their former king Laius. King Oedipus as a child was given a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother and that indeed has occurred as it is proven by witnesses that he was the murderer of the king and that his wife is also his mother. Following this horrible news Oedipus wife commits suicide and Oedipus decides to blind himself, to only then be exiled from Thebes. Shakespeare would have changed many things about how Sophocles wrote Oedipus and one of the first things he would do are establish many settings throughout the story, add much more violence than what Sophocles already provided, and have many time changes instead of having everything crammed into one day.

Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles, is a classic Greek play about a family who tries to prevent their fate, but instead only seals it. Though occasionally subtle, Sophocles litters this tale with instances of irony to enhance the morale of the story. For example, the protagonist survives his intended death, the Sphinx kills itself after it wasn't able to kill, Oedipus is unable to see but blinds himself when he does, and in the end Oedipus loses it all. Overall, Sophocles uses irony to express how fate cannot be changed.

In Sophocles’ play, Oedipus Rex, there are many themes that are woven through the life of King Oedipus, and revealed through the key points of the plot. One of the most important themes is the inevitability of ones’ fate. Although fate is considered the usual genre of the Greeks in playwriting there, are specifics that Oedipus conducts unusual to our own way of thinking of a king during the Ancient Greek times. For example: Oedipus’s ignorance of believing what is said from his wife, Iocaste and others. Also there is the prophecy and tragedy portrayed in the story. The action and plot/structure of the play is part of what makes it one of the most studied Greek, plays ever.

In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, Oedipus attempts to escape the fate that seeks him. It seems as if the more he tries, the closer he gets to fulfilling his own fate. It is evident that Sophocles uses Oedipus’ hubris and arrogance as a way of foreshadowing what will happen to him at the end of the play. Throughout the play, Sophocles uses blindness and the inescapability of fate in order to create a play in which tragic irony triumphs.

     In the play 'Oedipus Rex' the main character, Oedipus, has to deal with his predetermined fate and his own nature. He is cursed from the beginning of his life when a soothsayer tells of his fate upon his birth. It is predicted that he will kill his father, and marry his mother, and raise a family.

The ancient Greek’s culture was greatly influenced by their belief in many gods. They believed that the gods would guide them and that everyone was destined to live out their fates. In the case of Oedipus Rex, fate drove him into a downfall. Oedipus Rex is a part of the great Sophoclean play, written by Sophocles. Sophocles wrote this story to exemplify a tragic hero, he uses specific character flaws to explain the downfall of his hero. Oedipus is a perfect tragic hero because his early life forces the audience to admire as a privilege young man and also pity him as he falls into a crushing downfall towards the end. Oedipus’s tragic flaws are pride, persistence, and ignorance. They lead to his fate and help him fulfil his destiny.

Oedipus has been marked from birth by fate to a life of suffering, misery, ignorance and darkness, his plight determined by the gods evokes a sympathetic response from the audience. Much of Oedipus’ downfall is caused by fate, time and coincidence working against him,