Oedipus The King, Oedipus Rex - 1329 Words

In Sophocles’ 5th century Greek tragedy Oedipus the King, Oedipus Rex infamously murders his father and weds his mother in a bout of dramatic irony. This engenders the predicament of whether these crimes are justifiable or not. Those who are procrustean in regards to Oedipus’ crimes may insularly claim that they cannot be rationalized. However, further acknowledgement of this quandary brings forth the idea that Oedipus’ crimes of patricide and incest are clearly justified by how his lack of phronesis is inherited, his unawareness influences his actions, and his fate is ultimately under the gods’ control. One may venture that since Oedipus’ hauteur and lack of phronesis are traits passed down in the House of Labdacus, they justify Oedipus’ crimes. This assertion is derived from the argument that Oedipus’ crimes are results of his lack of phronesis, which is in essence an amalgamation of the skills, character, and experience necessary fo r moral and sound decisionmaking. To corroborate this, it must be noted that when an individual such as Oedipus exhibits a lack of phronesis, he or she is characterized by rashness and impiety. Essentially, Oedipus’ crudeness when handling Tiresias’ accusations is an example of his rashness and impiety, which guide his acts of patricide and incest: OEDIPUS. You mean, you know and will not say? You’d rather sacrifice us all and let the city rot? TIRESIAS. I’d rather keep you and me from harm. Don’t press me uselessly. My lips are sealed†¦ ItShow MoreRelatedOedipus Rex By Oedipus The King1206 Words   |  5 PagesOedipus’ evolution throughout the Theban plays is one with fascinating twists and turns. Oedipus’ characterisation evolves and changes as he experiences the fall from being the great ruler of Thebes into a blind beggar who is tortured by what he did. As the stories progress, so does their protagonist to the point where the Oedipus of the second play is a completely different man. In Oedipus Rex, the main character is portrayed as a strong and clever yet arrogant king whose ignorance leads him toRead MoreOedipus The King, Or Oedipus Rex1249 Words   |  5 Pagesmost famous probably being Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, or Oedipus Rex. For a play to be considered a tragedy, it must have a tragic hero. According to Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero, they must be a dece nt moral person, of high social standing who eventually meets with a tragic downfall, of their own doing, suffering more than deserved, and realizing their error too late. In the play Oedipus the King, Oedipus is the epitome of a tragic hero. Oedipus Rex was generally a â€Å"good† person; he wasRead MoreOedipus Rex, Or Oedipus The King972 Words   |  4 PagesOedipus Rex, or Oedipus the King, has been translated thousands of times from the original ancient Greek version to English of varying recency. Consequently, each work varies incredibly in its meaning and its presentation of Oedipus and the tragedy surrounding him. Two translations of Sophocles’ ancient play, one translated by Robert Fagles and the other by J.T. Shepherd, are perfect illustrations of this concept. Although these two works share several similarities, they vary greatly in their presentationRead More tragoed The Tragic Figure of Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex)923 Words   |  4 PagesThe Tragic Figure of Oedipus Rex  Ã‚     Ã‚   Sophocles is perhaps one of the greatest tragedians ever. Sophocles said that a man should never consider himself fortunate unless he can look back on his life and remember that life without pain. For Oedipus Rex, looking back is impossible to do without pain. This pain stems from his prideful life. Oedipus is aware that he alone is responsible for his actions. Oedipus freely chooses to pursue and accept his own lifes destruction. Even though fate victimizesRead More tragoed Essay on the Tragic Flaws of Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex)696 Words   |  3 Pages The Tragic Flaws of Oedipus Rex nbsp; At one time in our lives there is a moment that we may think of ourselves as better than someone or something else. There may also be a point when making a decision leads to a great error in judgment. In the play Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles, both of these characteristics can be seen in the main character. These characteristics are known as tragic flaws. These flaws are known as hubris meaning excess pride, leading to overconfidence, and hamartiaRead 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 More tragoed Oedipus as the Ideal Tragic Hero of Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex)1217 Words   |  5 PagesOedipus as the Ideal Tragic Hero of Oedipus the King In the introduction to Sophocles Oedipus the King, Sophocles defines a tragic hero as one who [behaves] admirably as a man, [but who] is nevertheless tripped up by forces beyond his control and understanding... (Sophocles 76).   In Oedipus the King, Oedipus is the tragic hero. The force that trips up the hero is fate, or, moira. It is Oedipuss actions that set the events into motion,   but it is ultimately his fate, and his attemptedRead More Comparing the Strategy of a Runner with that of King Oedipus of Oedipus Rex and Creon of Antigone1859 Words   |  8 PagesComparing the Strategy of a Runner with that of King Oedipus of Oedipus Rex and Creon of Antigone A runner must use a strategy that is specific to that style of racing. If a distance runner attempts to apply pacing to a short sprint he has lost the race before approaching the start. Although racing strategies differ between every individual race it is possible to associate some basic strategies used in particular types of races. These techniques are common amongst the runnersRead More The Impact of Truth in Oedipus Rex (the King) Essay example1205 Words   |  5 Pages The Impact of Truth in Oedipus Rex (the King)nbsp;nbsp; Truth has made me strong. This is a quote from Tiresias, one of the characters in Sophocless tragedy, Oedipus Rex. The quote has different meaning and relevance for each of the different characters, but for the character of Creon, the quote is completely true. By the end of the play, the truth had not only prompted Oedipus to forgive Creon, clearing his name of any previous accusations, but the truth had also made Creon OedipussRead More tragoed Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex) as Ideal Tragic Hero1245 Words   |  5 PagesOedipus Rex as the Ideal Tragic Hero If we give ourselves up to a full sympathy with the hero, there is no question that the Oedipus Rex fulfills the function of a tragedy, and arouses fear and pity in the highest degree. But the modern reader, coming to the classic drama not entirely for the purpose of enjoyment, will not always surrender himself to the emotional effect. He is apt to worry about Greek fatalism and the justice of the downfall of Oedipus, and, finding no satisfactory solution