Oedipus Rex Is A Greek Tragedy Written By Sophocles

Oedipus Rex is a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles. Sophocles, through writing this work along with Antigone and Oedipus at Colonus, became a legendary tragedian, and went off to produce several other works. This classic tragedy held great influence over Aristotle’s six components in his work, the Poetics, more specifically, over the component of plot and character. The birth of Oedipus Rex since spurred countless famous interpretations, including ones by the father of psychoanalysis himself, Sigmund Freud, and French anthropologist Claude Là ©vi-Strauss, who developed Sophocles’ drama into the â€Å"Oedipus Complex,† the desire to kill one parent and marry the other, and examined the â€Å"overrating and underrating of blood relations† in the story, respectively. After having read the story of Oedipus Rex myself, I have found that a recurring theme to be â€Å"blindness vs. sight.† By recounting the major scenes that relate back to the ideas of s ight and blindness in Oedipus, such as Oedipus’ interaction with the priest’s beginning speech that commends Oedipus’ eyesight among other traits, his malicious encounter with the prophet Tiresias, and when he blinds himself after discovering his unknown atrocities, and interpreting them to the best of my knowledge, I believe I can come to a clear, cohesive thesis. That through Oedipus Rex, Sophocles is trying to convey that it’s better to remain blind, in this case to be ignorant, rather than suffer the harsh realities that come with sight, orShow MoreRelatedGreek Mythology And Mythology Of The Iliad, Oedipus Rex And Others1294 Words   |  6 Pagesthis have been seen throughout the world, especially in Greek culture. The ancient Greeks had a rich culture, which they used often in their works; examples of this are seen in the Iliad, Oedipus Rex and others. The existence of Greek mythology and narratives plays a significant role in shaping the arts, mos t notably dance and performance. It also prompted the Aristotle Poetics that discussed the value of six specific traits in every tragedy. It has even encouraged the usage in other fields of studyRead More Comparing A Dolls House and Oedipus Rex Essay1672 Words   |  7 PagesComparing A Dolls House and Oedipus Rex Ibsens drama A Dolls House, serves as an example of the kind of issue-based drama that distinguishes Ibsen from many of his contemporaries. The plays dialogue is not poetic, but very naturalistic, and the characters are recognizable people. Given the sense of modernity which the play possesses it seems unusual to compare it to a Greek tragedy produced more than two-thousand years previously. On closer examination however, thereRead MoreTragedy and Comedy Essay1248 Words   |  5 Pagespowerful than the written word. At its worst, theater will merely bore; while at its best it will not only entertain but move and shape its audience. Two such genres of theater, or drama, have consistently achieved this effect. 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 kingshipRead MoreOedipus The King By Sophocles1165 Words   |  5 PagesOedipus the King was written by Sophocles and was is titled Oedipus Rex in Latin. It is one of the most well-known Greek tragedies. As is the case with Greek tragedies—or roughly most tragedies that make their way to stage—fate plays a key role in the events in Oedipus Rex. Oedipus discovers there is a plague on his city. The only way to lift the plague is by slaying the former king’s killer. As the play’s acts unfold one discovers about the prophecy concerning Oedipus. The prophecy states that OedipusRead MoreOedipus Rex Research Paper1035 Words   |  5 PagesOedipus Rex Oedipus Rex is one of the most well written plays. Oedipus Rex has a tragic flaw which leads to his destruction. Oedipus’ flaw leads him to suffer and arouses Pity and Fear from the crowd; Scared that it could happen to them. The Unity of Plot has a beginning, middle and end, along with that Oedipus grows in knowledge about his birthing, but is ignorant for not realizing he brought the problems on Thebes. Oedipus is a confident, wise and strong-willed character, but these characteristicsRead MoreEssay about Oedipus Rex and Fight Club965 Words   |  4 PagesOedipus Rex, a play written by Sophocles, and Fight Club, a movie directed by David Fincher, are two stories that relate to one another by sharing similar ideas and life lessons. One could argue that both contain essential qualities and characteristics of classical tragedy, but are they both ultimately tragic in the classical sense of the word? I believe that both Oedipus Rex and Fight Club do, in fact, exhibit the importa nt qualities of classical tragedy but ultimately, I think that only one ofRead MoreComparing Oedipus Rex And Death Of A Salesman By Arthur Miller1255 Words   |  6 Pagesa. Tragedy†¦ we all will go through this at least once in our lifetime. It is inevitable. It has been around since the beginning of time. The ancient Greek’s used it in a manner in which we still use it today in Modern times. b. Today I will be comparing the two works such as Oedipus Rex, which is a playwright written by the great Sophocles and another playwright named Death Of A Salesman written by Arthur Miller. c. Through out the years, there has been a lot of controversy on whether or not DeathRead MoreOedipus Complex Essay1115 Words   |  5 PagesEver heard of the Oedipus Complex? Thank Greek playwright Sophocles and Sigmund Freud. In short, the Oedipus Complex, is when a male is born, a â€Å"fondness† or â€Å"lust† is created for his mother and a hatred for his father. In due time, the idea became prevalent after the works of Sophocles and was adapted for psychology. Nevertheless, Oedipus Rex was written around the 5th century B.C.E. Later, to continue the story Sophocles wrote Antigone. Oedipus Rex follows the character of Oedipus, the King of ThebesRead MoreOedipus Rex Essay1335 Words   |  6 Pagesdrank my father’s blood offered you by my hands, do you remember still what I did as you looked on, and what I did when I came here?† (Oedipus Rex, 1575-1580). Precisely placed at the crossroads of fate and autonomy, Oedipus struggles to define what, exactly , is fate and what, exactly, is left to his own discretion; Oedipus Rex challenges the common thought of Greek Society. Transcending more than one thousand years, questions often posed within the context of this play come to light in high schoolRead MoreThe Tragic Ending Of King Oedipus1060 Words   |  5 Pages Gauen 27 October 2014 The Tragic Ending of King Oedipus Following the victories of the Greeks invading the Persians at Marathon in 490 B.C. and Salamis in 480 B.C., Athens experienced a period of social optimism and period expansion during the first half of the fifth century B.C. The second half of the fifth century B.C. was also very successful in that Athenians tremendously developed culturally and intellectually. This was the era of Sophocles and a period where everything and anything seemed