Essay on Oedipus the King A Plot Driven Tragedy - 1493 Words

According to Aristotle, the driving force behind tragic works lies not in the development of characters but in the formulation of a specific plot structure. Aristotle believed that the purpose of all art is to imitate life and that human beings live their lives through events and actions. He argues that characters serve to advance the events of the plotline and that the characters themselves are not central. Aristotles opinions on tragedy were largely constructed around Sophocles Oedipus the King, which Aristotle called quot;the perfect tragedy.quot; Considered by many to be one of the greatest plays of all time, Oedipus the King tells how Oedipus, the king of Thebes, comes to realize that he unknowingly killed his father and married†¦show more content†¦To keep this from happening, Oedipus left home forever. On the way to Thebes at a three-way crossroad he became engaged in dispute and ended up killing a man whom he now fears may have been Laius. There was said to be one su rvivor of the attack for whom Oedipus sends to question. A messenger then approaches with news that Oedipuss fa ther, Polybus, has died of natural causes. Oedipus rejoices and concedes that perhaps prophecies are, in fact, unreliable. However, he still fears going to Corinth because of the half of the prophecy that states he will sleep with his mother. The messenger tells Oedipus that he does not need to fear this, as Polybus and his wife, Merope, are not Oedipuss true parents. The messenger recounts that long ago he was approached by a shepherd who gave him a baby boy with his ankles pinned together. He brought the baby to Polybus and Merope, who raised him as their own son. Oedipus demands that the other shepherd be brought fourth to testify, but Jocasta, suspecting the terrible truth, begs her husband to stop this search and to leave well enough alone. Oedipus refuses and Jocasta runs into the palace. Oedipus questions the shepherd who, after being threatened with torture, admits that the child was Laiuss son and that Jocasta gave him the infant to be killed in order to avo id a prophecy. Oedipus finally realizes who he is and who his parents are. He screams andShow MoreRelatedComparing Aristotle and Miller ´s View on Tragedy1230 Words   |  5 Pageswhat makes up a true tragedy. He suggests that tragedy is plot driven, and if the plot is set then there is no way around it. In Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, Oedipus is paying for the sins of his father King Laios. Laios was given horrible future by the Gods for angering them when he rapes another man. He was given a prediction that his son would murder him, and would marry his mother, Queen Jocaste. To prevent the prediction from happening Laios sent his shepherd to kill Oedipus, but gave him to a messengerRead MoreAnalysis Essay: Oedipus the King1017 Words   |  4 Pages Casual Analysis Essay: Oedipus the King Sophocles play Oedipus the King has endured for over two thousand years. The plays lasting appeal may be attributed to the fact it encompasses all the classical elements of tragedy as put forth by Aristotle in Poetics nearly a century before it was written. According to Aristotle, tragedy needs to be an imitation of life according to the law of probability or necessity. Tragedy is serious, complete, and has magnitude. It must have a beginning, middleRead MoreTragedy and Comedy Essay1248 Words   |  5 Pageseffect. Tragedy, represented by the weeping actors’ mask, usually features the title character’s fall from greatness to ruin, guided by the gods or fate. Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles, is the epitome of classic Tragedy, as defined by Aristotle (96-101). Here, Oedipus falls from kingship to blindness and exile. Drama’s other great genre, Comedy, is represented by the laughing actors’ mask. In Comedy the action is usually propelled by a problem or c risis of some sorts, but unlike tragedy it usuallyRead MoreThe Perfect Aristotelian Tragedy: Oedipus the King Essay1432 Words   |  6 PagesAristotelian Tragedy: Oedipus the King by Sophocles Works Cited Not Included Oedipus the King is an excellent example of Aristotles theory of tragedy. The play has the perfect Aristotelian tragic plot consisting of paripeteia, anagnorisis and catastrophe; it has the perfect tragic character that suffers from happiness to misery due to hamartia (tragic flaw) and the play evokes pity and fear that produces the tragic effect, catharsis (a purging of emotion). Oedipus the King has the ingredientsRead More William Shakespeares Hamlet and Sophocles Oedipus the King1362 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Hamlet and Sophocles Oedipus the King   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Though Shakespeares’ Hamlet and Sophocles’ Oedipus the King were written in two different eras, echoes of the latter can be found in the former. The common theme of Hamlet and Oedipus the King is regicide. Also, like in Oedipus the King, there is a direct relationship between the state of the state and the state of their kings. Furthermore, there is also a relationship between Oedipus’ armed entrance into the bedroom in which JocastaRead MoreEssay on Oedipus and Hamlet1424 Words   |  6 PagesProfessor Mihailovic 5-14-01 Though Shakespeares Hamlet and Sophocles Oedipus the King were written in two different eras, echoes of the latter can be found in the former. The common theme of Hamlet and Oedipus the King is regicide. Also, like in Oedipus the King, there is a direct relationship between the state of the state and the state of their kings. Furthermore, there is also a relationship between Oedipus armed entrance into the bedroom in which Jocasta hanged herself, and HamletsRead MoreOedipus The King And The Moor Of Venice1294 Words   |  6 PagesOedipus the King was written by Sophocles in 430 B.C, and Othello, the Moor of Venice was written by William Shakespeare in 1604. Both stories involve tragedies that occur to the protagonists. Tragedy’s definition, â€Å". . . presents courageous individuals who confront powerful forces within or outside themselves with a dignity that reveals the breadth and depth of the human spirit in the face of failure, defeat, and even death† (Meyer 1091). Sophocles’ play informs us, the protagonists arrogances andRead More Effective dramatic irony Essay815 Words   |  4 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In Oedipus The King, Sophocles creates rising action by asking dramatic questions throughout the play. These questions generate suspense in the audience when they become dramatic irony and amplify the climax. During the falling action, Oedipus is engulfed in misery when he experiences a reversal of fortune. Finally, Oedipus goes through a discovery process ending when he discovers his tragic resolution. According to Aristotle, a tragedy consist of a drama that containsRead More Comparing Oedipus Rex and King Lear Essay1478 Words   |  6 PagesComparing Oedipus Rex and King Lear   Ã‚   Oedipus Rex and King Lear are, as their titles announce, both about kings. These two plays are similar in theme and in the questions they pose to the audience. The kings in each play both fall from the pinnacle of power to become the most loathed of all classes in society; Oedipus discovers that he is a murderer and committer of incest, and Lear becomes a mad beggar. Misjudgments occur in both plays, and the same questions about the gods, fate, and freeRead MoreSophocles Oedipus The King1714 Words   |  7 Pagesestablishing ideas in the field of literature, such as the concept of tragedy and the theory of the importance of scenes of recognition and reversal. This ancient concept and theory are still highly discussed and used to analyze numerous pieces of literature to this day. One piece that could be considered as an â€Å"ideal tragedy† is the play â€Å"Oedipus the King† written by Sophocles. In this play, Sophocles utilizes the concept of tragedy as well the theory of the importance of scenes of recognition and reversal