The True Meaning Of Oedipus Rex By Sophocles

An ancient plate portraying Oedipus listening to the riddle of the Sphinx. Oedipus Rex is a play whose qualities of inscrutability and of pervasive irony quickly come to complicate any critical discussion. It is a play of transformations in which things change before our eyes as we watch; where meanings and implications seem to be half-glimpsed beneath the surface of the text only to vanish as we try to take them in; and where ironical resemblance and reflections abound to confuse our response. The play encourages us to make connections and to draw out implications that in the end we are forced to reassess, to question and perhaps abandon.

In the trilogy of Oedipus, Sophocles constructed an enthralling family dynamic that induces central themes throughout the play. In numerous works of literature, family relationships engage in the central message of a piece of work. In Sophocles three plays, specifically interconnection between siblings and parent relationships create, refines, and complicates themes of power, love family, pride, and extreme fate.

Throughout the vast history of literature, various concepts have come and gone. The idea of fate or fatalism has been a concept that has survived the test of time. Numerous characters have succumbed to the power of fate and the character of Oedipus from Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is a prime example of the vast power of fate within literature. Sophocles effectively depicts the wrath of fate as he portrays how Oedipus fell victim to fate and his efforts to disregard fate were futile. Once again fate manages to triumph and displays no character whether king or slave can avoid its gaze.

Like all classical Greek tragedies, Sophocles’s Oedipus the King features a chorus that sings several odes over the course of the play. In Sophocles’s play, the chorus is composed of old Theban men and represents the population of Thebes as a whole. The chorus recites a parodos, four stasima, and a brief exodus. Through the choral odes, Sophocles reflects on the events and motifs of the play, including piety and faith in the Gods, the inevitability and the uncertainty of fate, and the dichotomy of right and wrong.

In Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, has a very important theme about free will and fate. As well as, being a tragic hero tells us that this story has a tragic ending. From the beginning of the story one can notice that Oedipus is a very proud, confident, and arrogant man. Oedipus responded to justice by a relentless search for the truth behind Kings Laius murder, ultimately leading to his self-punishment, obviously demonstrating the total control of fate in his story.

The power of fate in Oedipus the King was one that shaped the entire story. In the beginning of the play, Oedipus heard from Creon that the plague has hit the city of Thebes and for it to move out of Thebes, someone was to finish off the person who killed Laius. Oedipus took it upon himself to save the city. When a blind prophet informed him of the prophecies that Oedipus was the murderer and that the man who was responsible for killing Laius will be the brother and the father of his own children, Oedipus was appalled. When he later told Jocasta of the prophecies, she denied them. And explained that fate isn’t real. Oedipus then realizes that all the prophecies he was told in his lifetime were in fact, true. The influence of fate on Oedipus was something that he couldn’t runaway from. When he found out his parents weren’t his actual parents, Oedipus tried to runaway from his problems. But in actuality, he was the son of Laius and Jocasta, which proved that the

Sophocles characterizes Oedipus as overconfident and cocky as he peruses the murderer of Lauis to save the city of Thebes. This arrogance causes him to insist he has escaped his fate even when it is in his bed, and essentially blinds him to it. This self-assurance begins the fall that will end in his literal blindness. Thus he becomes the victim — rather than the conqueror — of Fate. This “blindness” to his Fate ultimately results in his literal blindness causes Oedipus to be blind to his Fate A central theme of the Oedipus the King is the tension between individual action and fate.

Tragedy is an important theme in multitudes of writing, especially in Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles. Oedipus Rex is a Greek tragedy about a man whom is trying to avoid his fate (murdering his own father and marrying his own mother and having their own children together) from becoming a reality. Throughout the story we understand how fate keeps Oedipus in the dark throughout the play.

Sophocles ' play “Oedipus Tyrannus” is an enigma. His play includes incest, murder and self-enlightenment all leading into the main theme of fate. Athenians believed that fate is not left up to man, but that is provided solely on the whims of the gods. Because of his dramatic approach to his plays Sophocles was considered one of the most brilliant and creative writers of his time.

The famed tragedian Sophocles is known for his unique ideas and intellect. Sophocles carefully utilizes of all of his intelligence and creative ability in order to make use of illuminating moments throughout the play which allow his audience to draw conclusions about free will, fate, knowledge, and power throughout perhaps his most iconic play, Oedipus Rex. the main character Oedipus experiences an illuminating moment when he gouges his eyes out at the discovery of the truth about his actions. This illumination is expressed in order to express Sophocles’ idea that fate overpowers free will.

Sophocles formed the foundation upon which all modern theatre is based, and one great example of his plays is Oedipus the King. The play is about the city of Thebes, which is agonized, and Oedipus is to punish the killer of the former king Laius. King Oedipus of Thebes sends his brother-in-law, Creon, to identify the cause of the mysterious plague that has struck the city and he islater informed by the prophet that Oedipus himself is the killer. Likewise, in the “Allegory of the Cave,” Plato distinguishes between people who mistake sensory knowledge for the truth and people who really do see the truth. In both textss, the main character lacked the knowledge about their surroundings, and this ignorance is what viciously drives them along in the story. In Oedipus the King and The Allegory of the Cave the method of recognition is illustrated, where the characters lack of knowledge leads him or her to meet consequences and obstacles after acknowledging the truth.

In his essay, “On Misunderstanding the ‘Oedipus Rex’” E.R. Dodds justifies his interpretation of the meaning of the play, “Oedipus Rex,” after establishing his concern for and correcting those who misunderstood the focus of the play which they believe to be either a play regarding fate and destiny or a play of punishment. He then states the true message of the play: that human greatness is the willingness to pursue the truth and accept the responsibilities that come with the truth.

To understand Sophocles’ storytelling elements in this play of incest, it is relevant to look beyond the protagonist’s circumstances, and past and present actions since many are familiar with his fate. One must peruse the organization of events and the contribution of all the characters, their dialogue, and the chorus’ speculations as they unfold on stage piece by piece along with the playwrights use of foreshadowing and dramatic irony. The initial conflict is introduced to the audience in Act I as the Priest addresses Oedipus concerning the plague that holds the city of Thebes hostage. The Priest reverently pleads, “Our city-/look around you, see with your own

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.

Sophocles’ plays are among some of the best-written performances of the 5th century, and they have evolved into several modern theatrical productions and movies. Although not written as part of a trilogy, Sophocles’ three interconnected plays focus on the same dysfunctional family: Antigone, Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King) and Oedipus at Colonus. His second play Oedipus the King continues to awe the audiences today as much as it entertained Sophocles’ audience. There existed then and now a fascination with this defected group of individuals that others still seek to transform and capture with their spins and surprises; nevertheless, the innermost secrets of desire and power and terror remain constant no matter the version.