Character Analysis Of Oedipus The King - 1961 Words

Character Analysis of Oedipus: Oedipus the King Oedipus the King is a Greek tragedy play written by Sophocles, and it made its first debut around 429 BCE. It is one among the Theban trilogy plays. The story reveals that Oedipus has unknowingly killed his father, and married, and bore children with his mother. He must find the murderer of King Luis, his father, in order to save the city Thebes from a plague. To his tragic misfortune, it is revealed first through dramatic irony that Oedipus himself is the murderer. Once this truth is revealed to Oedipus, he banishes himself from the very city he was gifted power over after having saved it from a sphinx. In a book of the Theban trilogies, translated by Theodore Howard Banks, the introduction states, â€Å"So far as the legend as a whole goes, he fits Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero: ‘A man who is highly renowned and prosperous, but one who is not pre-eminently virtuous and just, whose misfortune, however, is brought upon him not by vice and depravity but by some error of judgement or frailty.’† Although Oedipus the King faces a terrible fate, and displays traits of stubbornness and arrogance, heroism still lays within his courageous desire for a journey of self-discovery, in which his decisions lead him to inevitable truths. It is his free willing reactions to those truths that depicts what kind of hero Oedipus is. Oedipus faces a terrible fate, but he is stubborn and ignores reality throughout the story whileShow MoreRelatedCharacter Analysis Of Oedipus The King1419 Words   |  6 PagesCan Lead to Great Agony Plays were of great importance in early Greek culture. Plays were the main source of entertainment, and one of the most prominent examples is Oedipus the King written by Sophocles. The drama is uplifted by the character development and excellent structure Sophocles has put forward. Interactions between characters and each character’s motivations generate brilliant themes throughout the play. Sophocles uses a technique called recognition, which illustrates a character’s turnRead MoreOedipus the King Character Analysis1321 Words   |  6 PagesLancaster ENG230 11/25/2010 Oedipus the King Character Analysis Oedipus the King had accomplished many great things during his reign of Thebes and in his life time. Oedipus found out during his reign in Thebes that the Gods who loved him also knew his devastating fate. As a young man when Oedipus answered the riddle the Sphinx he soon found his self having everything want and need. He earned his spot as the new King of Thebes, he had a great wife and lovely set of childrenRead MoreOedipus The King Character Analysis1429 Words   |  6 PagesLead to Great Agony Plays were of great importance in early Greek culture. Plays were the main source of entertainment, and one of the most prominent examples is Oedipus the King written by Sophocles. The drama is uplifted by the character development and excellent structure Sophocles has put forward. Interactions between characters and each character’s motivations generate brilliant themes throughout the play. Sophocles uses a technique called recognition, which illustrates a character’s turnRead MoreCharacter Analysis : Creon s Oedipus The King 1180 Words   |  5 PagesTarrant County College Character Analysis: Creon In Oedipus the King by Sophocles, a fatal curse is put upon the town of Thebes. Creon, current king and brother of Jocasta, gives the throne to Oedipus because he freed the city from the Sphinx. Creon is asked to seek help from Apollo, the son of Zeus and Leto, and twin brother of Artemis by Oedipus, his brother in law. Creon reveals to Oedipus that the only way to dismantle the curse is to discover who killed Laius, the former king of Thebes, and thenRead MoreOedipus : The King Of Thebes And Tragic Hero Essay728 Words   |  3 PagesOedipus: The King of Thebes and Tragic Hero Ancient Greek Literature encompasses an assortment of poetry and drama to include the great masterpieces of tragedy. In Classic Literature, tragedies were commonly known for their elaboration of a protagonist fitting the classification of a tragic hero. This type of a tragic hero often collectively described as a character of noble birth, facing an adversity of some nature and a fate of great suffering. The characteristics of what encompassed a tragic heroRead MoreOedipus the King by Sophocles1393 Words   |  6 Pages Sophocles’ play, Oedipus the King, has risen many questions concerning the main character and whether or not he acts on free will or if his future is predestined by the gods. I am going to test the theory that although Oedipus believes he is acting on his own free will, he is in fact a victim of the gods. I will analyze several different sources that discuss fate and human agency in Oedipus the King and then proceed to build my original argument on the archaic debate. There has been a great dealRead MoreHamlet vs. Oedipus Essay898 Words   |  4 PagesCharacter Analysis of Prince Hamlet in Hamlet by William Shakespeare and Oedipus in Oedipus King by Sophocles In Aristotles literary discourse, Poetics, he discusses his theory of tragedy, wherein he introduces the concepts of tragic flaw or hamartia, which serves as the catalyst for the protagonists downfall or the tragedy of the story to happen. He determines a tragedy as a drama that brings about a sorrowful conclusion, arousing fear and pity in the audience (Roberts and JacobsRead MoreOedipus Rex and Aristotle Essay example894 Words   |  4 PagesThe Six Elements of a Tragedy in â€Å"Oedipus Rex† Aristotle’s â€Å"The Poetics† describes the process of a tragedy. It is not the guide per se of writing a tragedy but is the idea’s Aristotle collected while studying tragedies. A tragedy, according to Aristotle, consists of six major points. The first and most important is the plot, which is what all the other points are based on. Such points are: character, language, thought, melody, and spectacle (Aristotle). A prime example of the usage of theseRead MoreOedipus the King: A Greek Tragic Hero Essay516 Words   |  3 Pagesstructured analysis of the â€Å"tragic hero† of Greek drama. In his work, Poetics, he defines a tragic hero as â€Å"...The man who on the one hand is not pre-eminent in virtue and justice, and yet on the other hand does not fall into misfortune through vice or depravity, but falls because of some mistake; one among the number of the highly renowned and prosperous.† Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero is clearly shown by the main character in the Greek tragedy Oedipus the King by Sophocles. Oedipus, the protagonistRead MoreAnalysis Of Oedipus The King 1127 Words   |  5 Pages For A Life Of Regrets Oedipus the King is a play written by Sophocles. Oedipus is the main figure and legend of Sophocles play. After Oedipus birth into the world, his father King Laius of Thebes heard from a prophet that his own child was destined to kill him. Sophocles play begins from past to present and starts to unravel the journeys Oedipus goes through. Oedipus isn t an evil character as one would think while reading the story. He never had the