Abstract This paper discusses Sophocles, the master of the tragedy and his "OedipusTrilogy". The paper contends that the "OedipusTrilogy" is a prime example of the drama presented in ancient Greece. The paper explains that "Oedipus Rex" is a better example of tragedy than "Antigone", not because it is more 'tragic' by the modern definition in any way, but because of the technicalities of the plot, presentation and characterization within the plays.
From the Paper "Sophocles is considered to be one of the greatest Greek dramatists, and remains among the most renowned playwrights even today. The Greek tragedy is one of the most influential genres of literary and theatrical history on the modern drama and theatre. The theatre of ancient Greece was inspired by the worship of Dionysus, and the performance of plays was considered to be a religious experience for both the actors and the audience. Because of this, the intensity of the Greek theatre was very strong, and the degree to which the plays were taken seriously as a means of influencing and interpreting life was also very high. According to Aristotle, the philosopher credited with creating the definition of a tragedy, "Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not of narrative; with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish its katharsis of such emotions."
Abstract This paper will discuss the two characters Oedipus Rex in the "Oedipus" Trilogy by Sophocles, and the character Othello in the play "Othello" by William Shakespeare. By understand the usage of tragedy in these plays we can learn much from the way that it is sued within this medium of playwriting. With the notion of both characters eventually meeting other doom, we can see why they did not meet on the same terms their fates.
Abstract Prima facie, human destiny, as ordained by the Gods and fate, is a strong theme that runs right through Sophocles's "OedipusTrilogy". This paper explains, however, that on closer examination, there could be grounds to build a case that Sophocles was possibly questioning the human tendency towards blind faith, which leads human beings to fulfill prophecies rather than following the dictates of their own individual will.
From the Paper "Right through the three plays of Oedipus The King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone, it is evident that the people of ancient Greece consulted the oracles on all their problems and hopes. The very opening scene of the first of the three plays, Oedipus The King, sees Oedipus relying on a message from divine forces to save his kingdom and its people from the ravages of plague: ?"I have sent Menoeceus" son,/ Creon, my consort's brother, to inquire/ Of Pythian Phoebus at his Delphi shrine,/ How I might save the State by act or word.? (Para 3: 12-14) This first consultation, then, sets the note for the tragic events to follow as Creon returns from the oracles with the message that Thebes could only be saved when Laius? killer is found and slain: ?Banishment, or the shedding blood for blood./This stain of blood makes shipwreck of our state.? (Oedipus The King, Para 14) Thus begins the tragedy and travails of Oedipus and his offspring since the message from the oracles compels Oedipus to embark on a determined quest to find Laius? killer, not realizing that Laius had died by his own hands."
Abstract In this paper the author looks at the role of women in "Agamemnon" and "Antigone" from the Oedipustrilogy. He compares the characters of the main women in the both books, Clytaemestra and Antigone, looking at the way they deal with certain circumstances. For example, how Clytaemestra is devious and plans to murder her husband, Agamemnon, out of fury over his sacrifice of their daughter, Iphigenia. Whereas Antigone defies an edict by insisting on the burial of her brother, Polynices because she is acting out of a sense of duty to fulfill a promise made to him before his death. The author concludes that Clytaemestra and Antigone can be seen as personification of woman's most extreme emotions and conflicts. The values that in Antigone are good and true become distorted into hatred and violence in Clytaemestra.
From the Paper "The strength of Clytemaestra's personality is evident in her first speech, which follows immediately after the scene in which the sacrifice of Iphigenia takes place. She is majestic in her wrath and dominates the entire work from this scene on. She personifies the theme of the conflict between ethics and principles and human emotions. She easily convinces the elders of her story of the fall of Troy. She impresses them with her intellect by which she arranged a complex system of beacons to relay the news. She is audacious and proud, even hinting subtly of her plans, almost inviting the wrath of the gods."
An analysis of the character flaws that lead to calamitous falls of Othello and Oedipus in Sophocles' "Oedipus the King" and William Shakespeare's"Othello".
1,125 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 2 sources, 2006, $ 44.95
Abstract This paper discusses Oedipus's and Othello's character flaws or weakness in the two plays, Sophocles' "Oedipus the King" and William Shakespeare's"Othello". The paper describes the two plays as classic dramatic tragedies, in the sense that the audience experiences fear and pity as they witness the hero undergo a huge and disastrous change. It then suggests that in both plays one crucial reason for this calamitous fall is character flaws or weaknesses in the protagonists, Oedipus and Othello.
From the Paper "Discuss Oedipus's and Othello's character flaws or weaknesses Sophocles' Oedipus the King and Shakespeare's Othello are two plays with much in common. Both are classic dramatic tragedies, in the sense that the audience experiences fear and pity as they witness the hero undergo a huge and disastrous change. Moreover, in both plays one crucial reason for this calamitous fall is character flaws or weaknesses in the protagonists, Oedipus and Othello. This paper will examine and compare the character flaws and weaknesses of these two protagonists. Both plays begin with their protagonist in a very good position."
Abstract This paper disagrees with Robert Cohen's argument in "Oedipus and the Absurd Life" that Oedipus is a bullheaded, unschooled primitive and his persistence brings about his downfall. The primary source is Sophocles' "Oedipus Tyrannus."
From the Paper "In Robert Cohen's Oedipus and the Absurd Life, Cohen's estimation of Oedipus in Oedipus Tyrannus is frequently harsh. As Cohen writes Oedipus is stubborn, bullheaded, frequently stupid, often rude and admittedly and unashamedly..."
Tags:Oedipus, King, fate, pride, character, leadership, human understanding, Sophocles
Abstract This paper outlines why the downfall of Oedipus in Sophocles' play "Oedipus Rex" is so tragic. It discusses whether or not he was accountable for his own downfall and what Sophocles was trying to say to the people of Athens.
From the Paper "There is an old saying that says pride goes before a fall which means that when someone thinks and behaves in an over confident manner sooner or later something will happen usually brought upon themselves insome way to humiliate them. The more grand the ..."
Abstract This paper analyzes the story of "Oedipus Rex" by looking at the movie by Pier Paolo Pasolini and the original Greek play by Sophocles. It highlights and explains the reasons for the discrepancies between the movie and the play. The writer discusses irony which is a constant theme that runs throughout both the play and the movie. The writer also looks at the psychoanalytic concept introduced by Freud - the "Oedipus Complex" and its importance in the story. The writer concludes that even though Pasolini adds a epilogue to the end of his version of the story, the audience leaves with the same feeling from both works of art.
From the Paper "In Pasolini's 1967 film adaptation of "Oedipus the King", the filmmaker mostly stays faithful to the main plot of the story. The differences in the movie, "Oedipus Rex" and the play "Oedipus the King" mostly have to do with the way the story is presented visually and a few tweaks with theme. Sophocles used far more dialogue in his version of the story. That was an important aspect of the ancient Grecian plays. In the movie, Pasolini is able to use more modern set designs, scenery, and facial expression to tell the storyIn Pasolini's 1967 film adaptation of "Oedipus the King", the filmmaker mostly stays faithful to the main plot of the story. The differences in the movie, "Oedipus Rex" and the play "Oedipus the King" mostly have to do with the way the story is presented visually and a few tweaks with theme. Sophocles used far more dialogue in his version of the story. That was an important aspect of the ancient Grecian plays. In the movie, Pasolini is able to use more modern set designs, scenery, and facial expression to tell the story."
Abstract This paper tries to find links between the myth of "Oedipus Rex" and the recent film "Memento." It explores human nature, mythology, philosophy and other films like "Fight Club." Continuing in the tradition of the myth film, the author finds that "Memento" (2001) is one with archetypal themes of a hero played out but modernized to make it applicable to a culture whose awareness of psychology, philosophy, extreme introversion and consciousness are second nature. The author explains how Lenny, the film's main character, does not conform to this particularly important aspect of being a mythological hero, but rather is the true modern myth hero who.
From the Paper "In modern society the transmission of myths is no longer through words on a page but light on a screen, a somewhat removed and technically advanced form of storytelling. Failure to acknowledge the value of films as myths is a great injustice. Continuing in the tradition of the myth film, Memento (2001) is one where the archetypical themes of a hero (i.e. His separation from society, his maintaining of companions who will betray him and his eventual freedom to live in his two worlds with a skewed sense of mastery) are played out but modernized to make it applicable to a culture whose awareness of psychology, philosophy, extreme introversion and consciousness are second nature. Strangely humans always seem to be incongruous when dealing with their nature and this film brings together ties from antiquity to French enlightenment to modernity, from ideals of fate to reality, but all giving a glimpse into human nature."
Tags: club, descartes, fight, memento, mythology, oedipus, philosophy, Oedipus, Rex
Abstract The purpose of this paper is to analyze the literary work of Sophocles? play, "Oedipus the King" in the light of two scholars, namely Aristotle and Freud ,to decipher the myth of injustice presented in the play and to present a personal analysis of the same. An overview of the play is presented so that we have an good background and understanding of the themes that will be discussed. Aristotle felt that tragedy fueled your emotions, and that this play was an excellent example of this, while Freud used this play to further his theory of sexuality by using characters from the play to show the fixation of a male child on his mother, and of the father on his daughter. This became known as the Oedipus Complex.
From the Paper "Oedipus not only is the victim of a quirk of fate for no fault of his and the tragedy is such as to totally ruin him for good. Tragedy leads to a total disaster for Oedipus, there is no hope is left for him. Aristotlean hero of a tragedy is a man virtuous enough not to be ruined by vice, his downfall is through an error of judgment or by circumstances beyond his control or by the scheming of other people. And Oedipus was indeed a victim of both an error of judgment and circumstances. The former when he fails to recognize his father or mother and the latter because he was placed by fate in such circumstances. Here one cannot help noting that a belief in prophecies told by the Oracle is the real cause of this tragedy, because in this case at least, this turned out to be a prophesy fulfilled due to Laius acting on their advice to try to kill his son."
Abstract "Oedipus the King" is a tragedy that focuses on the life and downfall of the unfortunate King Oedipus, who was condemned by the oracle at an early age to murder his father and marry his mother. This paper, analyzes, and pays special attention to the last line in the play, "Crave not mastery in all." And what this means in the context of the play and the ending of it all.
Abstract This essay will explore the scholarly and theatrical application of Freud's "Oedipus Complex" to the interpretation of Shakespeare's "Hamlet". It will be argued that while this view of the relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude is not definitive, the plot of the play does nonetheless fulfil many basic features of the "Oedipus Complex".
Abstract This play examines how the plays "King Lear" by Shakespeare and "Oedipus" by Sophocles both present characters who bring great harm both to themselves and to their families because they are blind (either literally or metaphorically) to the true nature of their relationships with other people. It looks at how Lear cannot distinguish between fawning flattery and love while Oedipus cannot recognize his own mother.
From the Paper "In both the plays King Lear and Oedipus we are presented with characters who bring great harm both to themselves and to their families because they are blind (either literally or metaphorically) to the true nature of their relationships with other people."
